Jim Lauderdale and The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys at the Dancing Bear Lodge (8/1/24) – photo © Alisa B. Cherry
To the extent that Jim Lauderdale shared stage time with The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, the group that served as both his opening act and his backing band at the concert that took place last Thursday in the beautiful setting of Dancing Bear Lodge in Townsend, TN, it was appropriate to give them equal billing. A kick-off to a celebration of Appalachian culture taking place over the course of the weekend, it was, in itself, an excellent example of authentic mountain music given that The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys — actually, three boys (Josh Rinkel on guitar, Jasper Lorentson on stand-up bass, and Jereme Brown on banjo), and a girl (Laura Orshaw on fiddle) — have a distinct penchant for purveying pure bluegrass through the use of both both frenzy and finesse.
Dancing Bear’s stage, positioned in the midst of a beautiful natural amphitheater, provided a perfect setting for the performance, and though there were many empty chairs due to the fact that some members of the audience preferred to watch the proceedings from the porch and veranda, the show was well appreciated by those in close proximity. There was a decided synergy at work, due to the fact that Dancing Bear was celebrating its tenth anniversary under current owners, Oldham Hospitality, and the band itself was marking its first decade as an ensemble as well.
The songs included in the Boys’ set list were culled from the band’s two previous albums, Toil, Tears & Trouble and Never Slow Down, but they also offered a preview of their upcoming effort, Wanderers Like Me. And while certain songs seemed self-deprecating to a degree — Blues Are Close At Hand, Stone Walls and Steel Bars among them — the performances were both rousing and well-refined, thanks to their rapid-fire virtuosity being on constant display throughout. Granted, based on appearance alone, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys seem like an unassuming ensemble, but their dedication to form is truly exceptional. A lovely cover of Peter Rowan and Tony Rice’s Old Santa Fe allowed for a sweet serenade, while the driving, Livin’ the Dream, culled from that soon-to-be-released new album, lived up to the title’s affirmative intent.
Lauderdale’s onstage entry naturally added to the anticipation and enjoyment, thanks, as always, to his affable, easy-going demeanor and a clear determination to simply entertain. He fit in well with The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys’ down-home sound, and didn’t make any effort to steal the show. In fact, he tailored his set to a natural bluegrass sound, as opposed to taking an opposite approach. A take on Alex Leach’s All the Way made for a lonesome lament, while a handful of songs Lauderdale wrote with Dr. Ralph Stanley early on, including Lost in the Lonesome Pines and I Feel Like Singing Today, were well in keeping with an overall tuneful tapestry.
That said, Lauderdale also made a mark courtesy of such signature songs as Joy Joy Joy, King of Broken Hearts, She’s the Light, I’m Only So Good at Being Good, and Headed for the Hills, all of which managed to infuse a good-natured approach into a somewhat tongue-in-cheek template. “Let’s put the ‘sin’ in Townsend,” Lauderdale said at a couple of points, taking liberty with the host locale’s name, but making his point all the same.
Given the calm, communal feeling of the evening, it’s not exactly clear that that attempt was actually accomplished, and when an impending storm threatened to put a damper on the proceedings, those that might have been party to that premise were already taking to the hills themselves.
No matter though, the “joy, joy, joy” Lauderdale echoed earlier had clearly come to pass.
