Mary and I had a lovely weekend in Wisconsin Dells, where the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band played Saturday night. The NGDB has been on an “All the Good Times Farewell Tour” since last year, so this may have been our last chance to catch the show — although the band will mark its 60th anniversary in the summer of 2026, so it might be more appropriate to close out then, Lord willing.
I have been a fan since their very first single in 1966, “Buy For Me the Rain,” and I have slowly been becoming more fervent about it over the years. I’ve now attended around eight of their concerts, by far the most I’ve followed any musician.
I have to say I was thrilled at how good they still sound. The older members may show some ever-so-slight signs you might expect from musicians in their seventies, but they keep improving as a cohesive unit, kind of the opposite of what you’d expect from a band after six decades.
Most of the NGDB concerts I’ve seen have been in the last 20 years, and this latest iteration puts on an even better live show than 20 years ago, when they had five members who had contributed to their best recordings.
This latest six-member ensemble is a force to be reckoned with. Depending on how long they extend their farewell, maybe we’ll have a chance to experience them again one of these days.
If you have any interest in Americana, country or bluegrass music, you owe it to yourself to go see the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band when they swing by your neighborhood.
