DelFest 2023 Highlights: Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Sierra Ferrell, Dirty Grass Players & More

T Lewis Photography

Shortly after bluegrass legend Del McCoury partnered up with Roy Carter of the High Sierra Music Festival in 2007, with the aim to bring a version of his wildly successful and eclectic festival to the east coast, McCoury knew he had found home. 

After canvassing the mid-atlantic region for potential venues, Carter invited Del and his manager, Stan Strickland, to visit a handful of Carter’s top choices, starting with the Allegany County Fairgrounds in Cumberland, MD. Quaintly nestled amongst the Potomac River and scenic Maryland/West Virginia border, the trio fell in love with the site and immediately canceled the remainder of their itinerary. This was it. 

The following year, Del returned with a formidable lineup that spanned myriad genres along with a few thousand of his closest family, friends, and fans to celebrate the inaugural edition of DelFest. 

“Man, I don’t know of a better place than this right here!”, McCoury explained during a 2010 interview when asked about visiting the Allegany County Fairgrounds for the first time. “I dont think we need to go any further. It’s a great location, right at the bend of the Potomac River and it’s just as flat as can be…it’s just such a beautiful site. Plus, the city of Cumberland at one time used to be a really bustling town and right now it really needs something, you know? So, the town is working with us and we’re working with them. I told them in the beginning, when we move here we’re not just here for a year, you know? We’re not going to just have this thing and then move somewhere else. We’re here to stay and to help the community.”

Photo by Liz Pappas

Since then, McCoury has made good on his promise. In addition to returning to Cumberland every Memorial Day weekend for the past fifteen years, DelFest has steadily grown into one of the nation’s premier live-music events, playing host to an increasingly diverse four-day lineup that features dozens of top-shelf national and regional talents along with total attendance figures that approach the 30,000 mark.    

Join us as Glide takes a look at ten of the best moments from this past weekend (5/25-28) at DelFest’s 15th-anniversary celebration:    

Cris Jacobs: Making his fourth appearance at DelFest, the Baltimore-based blues rocker stayed busy this weekend with a trio of scheduled performances, in addition to a handful of memorable guest appearances with other acts. 

The Cris Jacobs Band kicked off Friday’s Grandstand Stage proceedings at noon with a breezy set of mostly acoustic material that perfectly accentuated the pristine weather conditions, containing several tracks from his 2019 studio album Color Where You Are, including lively takes on “Rooster Coop” and “Under the Big Top” as well as a handful of covers which was highlighted by an explosive rendition of Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It” with Lindsey Lou on vocals.  

After an intimate Friday evening “Troubadour” set that saw Jacobs deliver some emotional solo performances alongside Anna Moss and Lindsay Lou at the indoor Music Hall stage, the Cris Jacobs Band returned the following night for a highly-anticipated late-night set that began around 2:15 am. With the crowd still buzzing from the high-energy California Honeydrops set that proceeded it, Jacobs led his electrified five-piece ensemble through a hard rockin’ blues-infused performance that lasted until nearly 4:00 am and featured several tracks from his 2016 studio effort Dust to Gold in addition to a slew of guest-filled covers, including Johnny Cash’s “Big River”, which saw Jacobs and Heaven McCoury trading off some impressive guitar runs, as well as a hard-charging run-through of Link Wray’s swampy “Fire and Brimstone” with the California Honeydrops

The Hillbenders: As the only band from this weekend to have four separate scheduled performances, the Hillbenders left an indelible mark on this year’s DelFest with their unique brand of acoustic rock that masterfully blends progressive bluegrass with elements of funk along with some brief flashes of hip-hop. After dominating the late-night affairs on Thursday with two separate sets, one with Keller Williams’ beloved Grateful Grass project and one stand-alone set, the Ozark Mountains-based sextet returned Saturday afternoon for a headlining performance on the Potomac Stage, which featured a number of well-received covers, including a memorable bluegrass-infused take on MGMT’s “Kids” before rounding out their third DelFest appearance by once again supporting Keller for a set of his trademark KellerGrass. 

Lindsay Lou: Returning to DelFest for the first time since 2019, songstress Lindsay Lou regaled the massive crowds that followed her around to three separate performances with breathtaking vocals and her group’s refreshing rock/country/blues/rockabilly musical stylings. Hailing from Michigan, Lou led her supremely talented bandmates through a pair of Grandstand and Potomac Stage performances that drew on material from some previous studio albums, Ionia and Southland, in addition to several tracks from an upcoming album due out this fall, including a standout version of “Nothing’s Working”, which she co-wrote with Billy Strings

Garcia/Grisman Tribute With Joe Craven, Ronnie McCoury, Stu Allen & Jim Kerwin: Among the more highly anticipated performances of the weekend, this veritable supergroup, consisting of original Garcia/Grisman Quintet members Jim Kerwin (bass) and Joe Craven (percussion and fiddle) along with Stu Allen (guitar) and Ronnie McCoury (mandolin), did not disappoint with a moving tribute to the seminal 1991 album, Jerry Garcia/David Grisman. Making a rare east coast appearance, Allen, who is perhaps best known for his remarkably accurate Jerry Garcia-esque lead guitar and vocals work with Grateful Dead-centric acts such as Mars Hotel and Phil Lesh & Friends, led the ensemble through the nine Garcia/Grisman tracks with aplomb. Stunning interpretations of Grisman’s iconic instrumental, “Dawg’s Waltz”, as well as a closing trio of some other beloved Garcia/Grisman numbers, “Shady Grove”, “Sitting In Limbo”, and “Ripple”, silenced the capacity Potomac Stage crowd, which had spilled over into the adjacent parking lot, thanks to some serene vocal performances from McCoury, Craven, and, in particular, Allen. Throw in some fiery instrumentation that exemplifies Grisman’s unique “Dawg” musical style, along with some legendary stories from Ronnie McCoury about unknowingly selling banjos to Jerry Garcia, and you have one of the clear highlight moments from this year’s DelFest.

Sierra Ferrell: Making her DelFest debut, the West Virginia-born Ferrell captured the hearts of every fan in attendance at a pair of performances with her timeless original material and an angelic voice that evoked echoes of Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, and “Mother” Maybelle Carter. Employing a traditional one-mic setup, Ferrell’s quartet offered up a pair of delightfully eclectic sets that mixed traditional country and bluegrass with ephemeral hints of progressive musicality. After a triumphant Friday evening appearance on the Potomac Stage, Ferrell treated the sizeable Grandstand Stage crowd to another inspirational set on Saturday afternoon featuring several tracks from her 2021 studio album, Long Time Coming, including “Jeremiah” and a haunting take on “Whispering Waltz”, in addition to a smattering of well-received covers, such as John Anderson’s “Years”, Ray Charles & Willie Nelson’s “Seven Spanish Angels”, and a powerful rendition of The Beatles “Don’t Let Me Down”, which allowed Ferrell to showcase her impressive vocal prowess.    

The California Honeydrops: For the second year in a row, The California Honeydrops won the weekend at DelFest thanks to their wildly unique and intoxicating sound that seemingly defies any sense of time or musical boundaries. Led by charismatic frontman, and multi-instrumentalist, Lech Wierzynski, the Honeydrops plowed through a pair of Grandstand Stage and late-night sets, in addition to a surreal impromptu late-night campfire-style performance along the nearby Potomac River. With original material that runs the musical gamut from jazz to blues to big band and even some gospel, such as “Live Learn” and “Star Child”, along with brilliantly arranged covers, including Sam Cooke’s “Good Times” and Bobby Charles’ “Street People”, the Honeydrops continue to rank as one of the most intriguing acts in DelFest’s esteemed fifteen-year history with a style that can best be described as “the epitome of ‘feel-good’ music.” 

AJ Lee & Blue Summit: Since 2015, AJ Lee and her impressive quintet have been building a reputation as one of the most exciting progressive bands on the Bluegrass festival circuit, so it was only a matter of time before she made her DelFest debut. Performing a pair of sets on the Grandstand and Potomac Stages, Lee led her California-based group through an impressive tracklist of original material that incorporated elements of traditional and progressive bluegrass with a Django Reinhardt-swinging style, including “Bakersfield Clay” and “Seaside Town”, featuring profound vocal performances from bandmates Scott Gates and Sullivan Tuttle, respectively. Though, some of the most mesmerizing moments from the entire weekend occurred during Lee’s jaw-dropping renditions of some iconic covers, including Patsy Cline’s “He Called Me Baby” and Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon.”  

The Dirty Grass Players: One of only two bands to make a repeat appearance in Glide’s “Best of DelFest” list, the Baltimore-based Dirty Grass Players laid waste to the Music Hall for the second year in a row thanks to an explosive Saturday afternoon set. Once again performing in front of a capacity crowd whose numbers rivaled some of the wildly popular late-night shows held on the same stage, the quartet of progressive firebrands offered up a healthy mix of originals, including “Grand Voyager” and an intense set-closing rendition of “Shiny Side Up”, along with some rousing covers, such as New Grass Revival’s “This Heart of Mine” and Bill Monroe’s “Wheel Hoss.” With a pair of legendary DelFest appearances now under their belt, in addition to an increasingly rigorous touring schedule, it’s easy to see why the Dirty Grass Players are rapidly becoming one of DelFest’s most sought-after acts. 

Photo by Liz Pappas

Peter Rowan & The Free Mexican Airforce with Los TexManiacs: It might have been fourteen years since legendary artist Peter Rowan last graced the DelFest stage, but if Sunday afternoon’s set was any indication, the wait was well worth it. Joined by Grammy-award winning Tex Mex conjunto Los Texmaniacs, Rowan offered up a brilliant set teeming with south-of-the-border-infused versions of some of his most cherished compositions, including “The Free Mexican Airforce” and “Midnight Moonlight”, which resulted in massive goosebump-inducing sing-a-longs with the considerable Grandstand Stage crowd. 

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway: Returning to DelFest after her monumental 2022 debut, Molly Tuttle once again proved why she is among the brightest stars in the rapidly burgeoning progressive bluegrass scene. Tuttle, along with her astoundingly talented ensemble, Golden Highway, made the most of their single Grandstand Stage appearance with an eclectic set that featured material from her 2022 studio effort Crooked Tree, in addition to some unreleased tracks from her upcoming album, City of Gold, including a blazing take on “San Joaquin”, which ended her set with some instrumental fireworks. Though, one of the clear standout moments from her set, and perhaps the entire weekend, came courtesy of Molly’s stunning vocal performance of Jefferson Airplane’s anthemic “White Rabbit”, a rendition which would have made Grace Slick proud. 

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