Last Thursday, November 7, to a rousing ovation, Americana legends Nitty Gritty Dirt Band took the stage at Nashville’s beloved Ryman Auditorium for the first of two ALL THE GOOD TIMES: The Farewell Tour shows. Founding members Jeff Hanna and Jimmie Fadden—along with longtime band member Bob Carpenter and 2018 additions Jim Photoglo, Jamie Hanna, and Ross Holmes—jumped right into the opening number, Bob Dylan and The Band’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere,” recorded by the group on the second volume of their Will The Circle Be Unbroken series in 1989. A quick audible guided the Dirt Band into “Partners, Brothers, and Friends,” earning another lengthy applause as Hanna sang the song’s refrain: “It’s great to be part of something so good that’s lasted so long.”

Midway through the set, Hanna invited the night’s opening act, Wine, Women & Song, back onstage. A trio of Nashville’s finest songwriters—including Gretchen Peters, Suzy Bogguss, and Jeff Hanna’s wife, Matraca Berg—rejoined the stage to perform “Oh Cumberland,” a Berg-penned tune from Circle Volume III. With the mischievousness of a man a quarter of his age, Hanna recounted the recording of “Oh Cumberland,” describing the personnel of the original session before “remembering” Emmylou Harris. He gestured stage-right to welcome Harris, who joined as Larkin Poe took the stage for “The Pain of Loving You,” from 1987’s Trio album by Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt. Berg, Peters, and Bogguss returned, joining Harris and Larkin Poe for an energetic rendition of Harris’s #1 hit, “Two More Bottles of Wine,” written by Delbert McClinton.

After Thursday’s guests left the stage, the Dirt Band fired up a hit parade with “Bless The Broken Road,” “Cadillac Ranch,” “Bayou Jubilee,” “Mr. Bojangles,” and “Fishin’ In The Dark,” leaving the dark stage to the fourth or fifth standing ovation of the night. Reappearing for the encore with Larkin Poe, the Dirt Band dusted off “I Shall Be Released,” recorded by the same lineup on 2022’s Dirt Does Dylan. Harris, Peters, Bogguss, and Berg were invited back for the one-two punch of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” and The Band’s “The Weight” to close out the night. Reflecting on the show, Marcus K. Dowling of The Tennessean wrote, “The two hours that the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band played onstage felt like part Grand Ole Opry episode, part hootenanny, and part blistering psychedelic rock concert…the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band ensured that the highest level possible for their art was achieved, engaged, and allowed for appreciation and transformation.”

On Friday, November 8, opener Kathleen Edwards took the Ryman stage ahead of another turnstile of Dirt Band-guest collaborations. Midway through the show, Hanna announced the first round of surprises, this time with a bluegrass theme. Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, and Alison Brown joined to play Will The Circle Be Unbroken favorites “Nine Pound Hammer” and “My Walkin’ Shoes” before Molly Tuttle joined the Dirt Band for a fiery rendition of “I’m Sittin’ On Top Of The World.” Tuttle, Bush, and Douglas stayed on for “Black Mountain Rag,” adding a final flourish to the string-band set. Harmonica legend Mickey Raphael joined Fadden for a duel on “John Henry” before the band transitioned into “Fishin’ In The Dark.” For their final Ryman encore, Bush, Douglas, Brown, Tuttle, and Raphael joined as Matraca Berg and Kathleen Edwards returned, delivering an exhilarating show-closing medley of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” and “The Weight.”

These shows mark the end of this leg of the ALL THE GOOD TIMES Tour. The Dirt Band will resume in February and March 2025 for additional farewell shows across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. The bolded March 2-28 dates below were announced this morning. Tickets for these concerts go on sale Friday, November 15, at 10 a.m. CST at nittygritty.com/tour, with more dates to be announced soon.

Catch Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ALL THE GOOD TIMES: The Farewell Tour:

• February 21 - Clearwater, FL - Bilheimer Capitol Theatre +
• February 22 - Orlando, FL - The Plaza Live +
• February 23 - Jacksonville, FL - The Florida Theatre +
• February 25 - Sarasota, FL - Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall +
• February 26 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - The Parker – Lillian S. Wells Hall +
• February 28 - Savannah, GA - Johnny Mercer Theatre +
• March 1 - Florence, SC - Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center +
• March 2 - Chattanooga, TN - Walker Theatre +
• March 20 - Arrow Rock, MO - Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre
• March 21 - Kansas City, MO - Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City - Star Pavilion
• March 22 - Quapaw, OK - The Pavilion at Downstream Casino Resort
• March 23 - Lawton, OK - Apache Casino Hotel Event Center
• March 25 - Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom
• **March 26 - San Antonio, TX - H-E-B Performance Hall – Tobin Center for the Performing Arts ***
• **March 27 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater ***
• March 28 - Grand Prairie, TX - Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie*

+ with special guest Brit Taylor
* with special guest Rodney Crowell

For additional show and ticket information, please visit nittygritty.com/tour.