The air outside carried a nip of December that tingled on the edges of scarves and ears but stopped short of bone-chilling. The night brought a briskness that reminded you it was nearly winter without driving you into despair. Winter had the region in its bitter grasp, but that would not deter bluegrass fans from making their chilly pilgrimage to see two of the best progressive bluegrass bands perform at The Recher in Towson, Maryland, on December 6th, 2024.   

The Recher hosted The Dirty Grass Players, Baltimore's beloved bluegrass band that continues to make a name for themselves nationwide, and Sicard Hollow, the psychobilly newgrass band from Nashville, Tennessee, that continues to extend their reach and win new fans with each performance.

There is a time and a place for bluegrass purists. On a cold winter night, nothing beats an absolute rager of progressive bluegrass with flat picking raging into the air, mandolins, and banjos, like sirens, luring fans ever closer to the stage, and a light show that captures the frenetic energy and delight of the evening. Once in a while, you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - and that moment was The Recher with The Dirty Grass Players and Sicard Hollow on a chilly December eve.

Anyone who has built a fire knows that to get a fire going has to start with good kindling. The kindling was provided by none other than Sicard Hollow - the torchbearers of progressive bluegrass's new dawn, and delighted to light the matches and let their ferocious style of bluegrass rip into the night air. Sicard Hollow came to the region on a special two-day run with The Dirty Grass Players. Alex King, his guitar slung low like a gunslinger, shared lead vocals with Will Herrin, wearing an Iron Maiden tour shirt, and whose mandolin exuded an energy that seemed too big for its small frame. Matt Rennick's fiddle was the band's restless heart, soaring and piercing the venue walls. At the same time, Parrish Gabriel and his curled maple bass stood to the left, guarding over the rhythm of their performance.    As time would tell, this trusty bass and its bubble gum sound would be a formidable launch pad for the other instruments this evening with each passing note.    This motley crew of bluegrass rapscallions were ready to forge a trail inspired by, but a distinct departure, from the road Bill Monroe laid down so many years ago. Just as Monroe spoke to his generation, Siccard Hollow speaks to the new generation of music fans with songs, sounds, and influences of today with a firm grasp on past traditions.

They lit the fuse with "Forged in Fire," a fitting entry point for a band that doesn't just play music—they wield it. Alex King's voice cracked like a whip as the song roared to life, Rennick's violin slicing through the air like sunlight breaking through clouds.  Herrin's mandolin, deft and intricate, laced the melody with just enough wildness to make it dangerous.    Sicard Hollow is not a band that slowly turns up the heat of their performance - this band and their sounds are the pure thoroughbreds of newgrass.

"Grass is Greener" followed, and Gabriel's basslines were deliberate and allowed the other instruments to crash over one another as the songs of sirens filled the air and drew even the shyest of fans straight up to the rail to behold their energy. The crowd, now fully in Sicard Hollow's grasp, danced and cheered with abandon, their collective energy swelling like a tide. Then came "Blackberry Blossom," a tune as old as the hills but electrified with the band's signature flare. Rennick's fingers blurred as his violin transformed the melody into something both timeless and immediate while King and Herrin traded licks with a swagger that left no doubt they were reimagining tradition in real-time.  

Sicard Hollow continued their fiery display for forty-five minutes before pausing to take a breath and introduce themselves and their members to The Recher. When you come to see Sicard Hollow, be forewarned - this band will keep you on the edge of your soul's delight from the moment they take the stage until the moment they finally put down their instruments.

After introducing the band, Alex King introduced their newest song, "Demons at Bay," admitting some Tim Burton influences after binge-watching the Netflix series "Wednesday" recently.    They ended with "Raleigh and Spencer," the traditional closer that turned the room into a raucous, stomping celebration. Gabriel's bass thumped like a heartbeat, anchoring the frenetic energy of Herrin's mandolin and King's guitar as Rennick's violin soared overhead.

Sicard Hollow isn't merely part of bluegrass's next wave; they are its crest, barreling forward with unrelenting force, redefining a genre with every fiery note.

For those attending Billy String's New Year's Eve Run in New Orleans, be sure to see Sicard Hollow perform two afterparties on December 29th and 30th this year at Chickie Wah Wah.  (Ticket Links: Dec. 29, Dec. 30).  They sold out last year's afterparties, and if you wind up in New Orleans this New Year's Eve - this is your notice.

The Dirty Grass Players hit the stage next. They have been a fixture of the DMV bluegrass scene for the best part of the last decade, having performed at nearly every music festival in the region, culminating in a main-stage performance at DelFest this past year. The question on everyone's mind was how the band would sound after the departure of longtime banjo and vocalist Alex Berman.  Before continuing our review, the quick answer is - stunning, not missing a beat, and like a caterpillar emerging from its cocoon - transformed and magical.  Banjoist Sam Guthridge replaced Berman. Guthridge's name might sound familiar to fans of the band as he replaced Berman during their maiden European Tour earlier this year and provided a seamless integration into the band's lineup.

The Dirty Grass Players didn't stroll onto the stage - they arrived. The kindling that Sicard Hollow started with emerged to be a roaring fire by the end of their performance, and The Dirty Grass Players were not about to let that fire subside. The fuse had been lit, and the Dirty Grass Players were about to put on a party of their own. From the very first note, they showed no bellows were required to reignite the ferocious energy of the room.

Ben Kolakowski's guitar work — oh, it was like watching a magician conjure melodies from thin air.  Connor Murray, with his sequined jacket, held down the low-end groove with a bassline so warm it could've melted any frost outside.  Ryan Rogers on mandolin? He wasn't just playing; he was telling stories, each note a tale unto itself.  Sam Guthridge wielded his banjo with surgical precision, each pluck and roll was a word in a magical incantation. This band was ready for tonight, rising to the occasion to greet their hometown fans.

The opener, "Shiny Side," came in hot—plucky, frenetic, as if it were written for the sole purpose of shaking off the week's accumulated dust.  The band played like they'd just struck a deal with time itself - fast but unhurried, urgent yet precise. "Pockets In Retrograde" and "Carlos" soon wafted through the venue - two songs from their latest album, Shiny Side Up.  

Then came "Hurricane," and, oh, how it hit. Ryan Rogers' mandolin seemed to wield the storm, with Sam Guthridge's banjo slicing through the deluge like lightning. By "Bound to Die," the crowd had become a single, swaying organism, entranced by the raw honesty coursing through the venue.  

With Alex Berman now gone, each member of the band shares vocal duties and shines a brighter light on each performer. It can be noted that the band has leaned into their jamgrass roots. Each band member now shines ever brighter as the artists and instruments were given free reign to roar more ferociously and untamed.  The jamgrass that was unleashed onstage that night shined brighter than ever with this new permanent lineup.

Out of nowhere, the band's take on "Little Wing" by Jimi Hendrix was a celestial bluegrass detour. Connor Murray's bass held the ground as Ben Kolakowski's guitar wept, then roared, turning Hendrix's classic into a sprawling Appalachian hymn. And just when the audience seemed ready to settle into its awe, they threw in "Royals," a bluegrass cover that draped Lorde's minimalist pop in a tapestry of bluegrass twang and grit.  

The Recher now swayed with energy and excitement - hometown heroes had the capacity crowd dancing to more originals by the band like "Grand Voyager," when a familiar tune trickled into the venue - a familiar heart-warming earworm of song, "This Must Be the Place," by the Talking Heads. From the echoes of time, this song continued to transcend generations and genres to be reimagined as a danceable bluegrass front porch singalong.  

The Dirty Grass Players had woven a spell, but the encore sealed it. The Recher and Baltimore is where both the audience and The Dirty Grass Players feel at home. The band would return for an encore of "Home is Where the Heart Is" —could there be a more fitting finale? By the time the final note rang out, the room felt lighter, fuller, alive with the echoes of a night well-spent.  

The Dirty Grass Players and Sicard Hollow didn't just perform at The Recher; they transformed it and made it their own.  This was a hometown throwdown of bluegrass fury and delight and one that will be remembered for a long time to come.

If you are looking for progressive, cutting-edge bluegrass music to dance to and set your soul alight - The Dirty Grass Players and Sicard Hollow should be at the top of your list.