Peter Rowan and the Sam Grisman Project at the Ryman

The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee was built as a Church in 1892 and served later as the Home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. As soon as one enters this intimate and hallowed place one gets the sense from seeing the posters of legends past and present who have played there, as well as the rows of pew seating, that one is being immersed in the depth and richness of American musical history. January 9, 2025 was no exception here, in fact it was a continuance of that tradition, with Peter Rowan and the Sam Grisman Project joined by a superlative cast of Americana, bluegrass and newgrass luminaries.

Sam Grisman Project was the house band for the evening, kicking things off with some Deadhead crowd pleasers like “Jackaroo,” “Loser” and Bruce Cockburn’s “Waiting On A Miracle.” The SGP then wasted no time bringing out a dizzying array of bluegrass and Americana luminaries such as Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Tim O’Brien, Ronnie and Rob McCoury, Lindsay Lou, Victor Furtado, Phoebe Hunt, and unannounced guest Billy Strings. 

SGP & Friends’ first-set highlights included a Sam Bush-led tribute to John Hartford, and a stirring rendition of “Morning Dew” by Tim O’Brien (https://youtu.be/lpUmBtr0aoc?si=CRWEqg-jN4xwSJhk ).  A searing “Hey Joe,” performed acoustic Hendrix style with Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Billy Strings later closed the first set.  

All this magnificent music, jamming and many guest appearances established the tone for the 82-year-old Peter Rowan’s grand entrance in set two, which was greeted by a standing ovation for ol’ Red. Peter was then accompanied by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch for a couple of his originals. After David and Gillian left the stage and Jerry Douglas leapt in, a bemused Rowan chimed “They’re coming out of the windows and going out the doors!” This statement proved true, as this parade of bluegrass and Americana talent came and went and back again over the remainder of the evening. 

SGP then backed Rowan for the first forays into the Old & In The Way catalogue, with “Pig In A Pen” and “Panama Red” (https://youtu.be/6OcIIxC9Ny4). The Old & In The Way album was well-represented throughout the evening, although not in a linear or complete fashion. Lindsay Lou’s rendition of The Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses,” which appears on that record, was particularly moving. Other tunes from the album included “The Hobo Song,” “Old & In The Way,” “White Dove,” “Kissimmee Kid’ with dueling fiddles by Alex Hargreaves and John Mailander, and “Midnight Moonlight.” All these were punctuated by traditional songs and Grateful Dead favorites, along with some of Rowan’s compositions.

For the Encore, the Deadheads in attendance were delighted to hear strains of “We Bid You Goodnight” after “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad,” which had an earlier bluegrass identity as “Lonesome Road Blues.” All these glorious proceedings wrapped up with Bob Dylan’s “Lay Down Your Weary Tune.”

All in all, it was a truly magical evening for all, with Peter Rowan and his many musical friends, in a historic and hallowed hall.

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Robert E. O’Donnell is a Host/Producer of 2 Radio Programs, WFDU (HD2)’s ‘Morning Dew’ Radio Show, and HomegrownRadioNJ.org ‘s ‘Signpost To New Space’. Robert would like to thank Mitchell Harbin for assisting with detailed notes and setlist. [email protected]