Travelin McCourys
Tue, 13 Oct, 8:00 PM EDT
Doors open
7:00 PM EDT
Bleecker Bell
163 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012
Description
The Travelin’ McCourys didn’t begin as an idea. They began as momentum.
For Ronnie McCoury (mandolin) and Rob McCoury (banjo), bluegrass was never abstract. It was lived. They grew up on the road, on stage and inside the Del McCoury Band, learning the music the only way it truly gets learned – by playing it in front of real audiences, night after night, with no safety net.
They learned discipline first.
Then responsibility.
Then restraint.
For years, their role was clear: help carry one of the most respected bands in American music forward. Alongside Jason Carter, Mike Bub and later, Alan Bartram, they helped define what the modern Del McCoury Band sounded like. It’s precise, powerful, deeply rooted and audience-first.
But history doesn’t stand still. And neither did they.
By the late 1990s and early 2000s, bluegrass itself was moving into new rooms. Jam audiences were discovering acoustic music through curiosity rather than tradition. Festivals were changing. Set lengths were expanding. And improvisation was no longer a novelty, it rather became an expectation.
Ronnie and Rob didn’t stumble into their shift. They watched it happen up close. They saw what occurred when bluegrass met listeners who valued exploration. They saw how extended solos, unexpected covers and risk-taking created a different kind of electricity. And they began asking a quiet, necessary question: Where does this music go when the rules loosen?
The answer didn’t belong within the Del McCoury Band format. So they didn’t force it there.
Instead, it emerged naturally; after hours, late at night and eventually on its own terms...
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Event Information
Age Limit
21+
eTicket Delivery
Your tickets will be e-mailed closer to the event date.
Country
Travelin McCourys
Travelin McCourys
Country
The Travelin’ McCourys do not stand still. They are on the road—and online—entertaining audiences with live shows that include some of the best musicians and singers from all genres. It’s always different, always exciting, and always great music.
No other band today has the same credentials for playing traditional and progressive music. As the sons of bluegrass legend Del McCoury, Ronnie McCoury on mandolin and Rob McCoury on banjo continue their father’s work—a lifelong dedication to the power of bluegrass music to bring joy into people’s lives. And with fiddler Jason Carter and bassist Alan Bartram, the ensemble is loved and respected by the bluegrass faithful. But the band is now combining their sound with others to make something fresh and rejuvenating.
They recently played with the Allman Brothers at Wanee Fest and then brought the house down at Warren Haynes’ Annual Christmas Jam, an invitation only Southern Rock homecoming. Their jam with the Lee Boys was hailed by many as the highlight of the evening, and once word of the live video hit the streets, sent new fans online to watch a supercharged combination of sacred steel, R&B, and bluegrass. They’ve also performed with Warren Haynes, Phish, and have a tour scheduled with the aforementioned Lee Boys. Ronnie McCoury described it as “peanut butter and jelly.” It was just right.
They can push forward so far because their roots are so deep. The band has a confidence that only comes with having paid their dues with twenty years on the bluegrass road. Other groups and new fans hear this immediately—the tight rhythm, the soulful material, and the confidence in taking bluegrass from the safety of the shore into uncharted waters.
Ronnie says, “We like to go in and play traditional bluegrass music the way we do it with Dad, but we also like to be able to step into situations where we can really stretch out. If we need to plug in, we’ll plug in. We’re open to anything.”
It’s that attitude, backed up by talent, that marks great musicians, traditional or progressive. The Travelin’ McCourys are twenty-first century musical pilgrims and adventurers. They’re onto something new, just like Bill Monroe was in the 1940s, but now we can see and hear that adventure live or online. Go see them, or—if you hold still long enough—they’ll come to you.
Venue Map
