I caught the first two shows of this tour. Sammy couldn’t make the first ones so Bryan stepped up and played very, very well. “Short Trip Home” was Edgar’s Sony release back in 1999. Remember back that far? I barely do. Mike played the guitar parts originally so this band is completely re-imagined.
The real excitement is the playing of George. He plays like a boss! Of course growing up in that family, he couldn’t exactly slack off on practice. Classical, Bluegrass, Chorro, and Edgar’s swamp music all just flowed out of him in the most delightful way. I’d seen him play at age 7 with Yo-yo Ma at the Opry. 30 years old now and his chops are massive!
Bryan picked up the very difficult material in about two days. Having Mikey there must have helped a lot. Bryan looks like Vince Gill now. Its kind of spooky.
Many more dates with Sammy starting on the 25th. Chamber-grass rules. Don’t sleep on this excellent lineup!