We walked in with the band when we went to see the Del McCoury Band perform the first of two shows at the Dakota last night. I reached out to shake hands with McCoury père and told him it was a privilege to see him perform. He smiled, as he did all night long.
The band dresses in suits and ties indicative of the respect with which McCoury treats his audience. Del solicited requests from the audience and performed four that the crowd called out including the one below.
McCoury’s roots in the music go deep. He played with Bill Monroe in 1963 — Monroe moved him from banjo to guitar and drew out his vocal gifts. That high lonesome sound — he’s got it.
The band includes sons Robbie (banjo) and Ron (mandolin), Alan Bartram (bass), and Jason Carter (fiddle). Who is the best musician in the band? They are all virtuosos. The music is a joyous explosion, bluegrass at the speed of sound, or something like that. At age 84, the leader of the band is a marvel and he has Hollywood good looks to boot.
They perform tonight at the Stoughton Opera House in Stoughton, Wisconsin. The band’s excellent site lists other tour dates. On November 18 the Grand Ole Opry will celebrate Del’s 20th anniversary with the company. If you take advantage of an opportunity to see the band, I’m pretty sure you won’t regret it.
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