Ringing in the New Year with The Infamous Stringdusters
The New Year’s Eve run is a long celebrated tradition in the jam band world. Ever since the Grateful Dead shook the walls of the Oakland Coliseum in the days and seconds leading up to that final countdown, it’s become customary for the bands who have followed in their footsteps to pick their town and venue of choice to celebrate the new year together with their fans.
For Richmond, we have the honor of hosting The Infamous Stringdusters on this festive occasion. For the fourth time in their history, the Stringdusters brought their progressive bluegrass chops to the stage at The National, wrapping up 2024 with a two-night run of pickin’ and swingin’.
Just earlier this year, the band packed the parking lot of The Broadberry for a 4/20 Block Party. They also hosted their Infamous Weekend festival in Martinsville in September. Their touring schedule keeps them busy, but VA almost always features somewhere along the road for these bluegrass aficionados, and The National makes an excellent spot to cap off the year for this hardworking group.
The Stringdusters have proven their chops consistently since their 2006 formation to be one of the most reliable acts in bluegrass. This Deadhead is not usually drawn to the bluegrass subgenre, but the Stringdusters have forged a special place in my heart the more I’ve gotten to listen.
I attended all three of their Richmond shows this year, and each time left an even bigger impression. This group has incredible chemistry, flowing in and out of their bluegrass and folk foundations with layered improvisations and rocking jams. The influences from the Dead or Phish are just as apparent as Flatt and Scruggs or Leftover Salmon.
Let’s get into the music that made these nights a New Year’s Eve to remember.
All That Glitters is Gold
While The Broadberry was pushed to its absolute limits on 4/20, The National offered a more relaxing vibe for the New Year celebrations. As night one got underway, the band wasted no time in creating a flurry of folk to spin the crowd into a groove. The floor felt full and the crowd was largely dialed in, facing forward with heads bobbing and shoulders swinging.
Photo by @elyzareinhart
The Stringdusters masterfully made their way through the music with captivating complexity. They’re all incredibly proficient with their respective instruments, each taking turns to lead the way through heartwarming tunes and free flowing jams. When each member steps up to take charge, the others shift on stage to group behind them, creating a tornado of strings where any member can shine at any moment.
The band members share a special kind of chemistry. I find their take on bluegrass far more uplifting and melodic than many of the other names from the genre I’ve had the pleasure of seeing. The balance of heart, complexity, and interplay between instruments pulls you in with such expertise that they make it look easy.
Night one displayed effortless intricacy throughout. Even as a non-bluegrass fan, this band suddenly became one of my favorites, and lucky me, there was still the actual New Year’s Eve show to see the next night.
Photo by Gary Jared Photo via Facebook
Night two featured the added flair of a gold theme. Some fans got the message and dressed accordingly, with flairs of gold and bright sequins spread across the crowd adding to the night’s festivities. The band then hit the stage decked out in head-to-toe golden suits. Shining like golden disco balls, the Stringdusters kicked off the late show right where they left off the previous night.
The strings shined as brightly as their suits as they tore into a mix of original songs, covers, and plenty of jams. The night’s theme was illustrated with cover choices like “Heart of Gold” by Neil Young and “House of Gold” by Hank Williams. Each musician also gets their chance to shine vocally, but for my money, Travis Book’s smooth and velvety voice highlights each song he steps up to the mic for.
The classic Grateful Dead tune “Tennessee Jed” fit in perfectly with the band’s country twang, as did “Casey Jones” the night before. The Dead factors into their sound quite clearly, with the fiddle finesse of Jeremy Garrett or Andy Hall’s dobro dexterity sounding like something Jerry himself would have envisioned. Andy Falco also knows how to use his guitar to take us on incredible journeys through intricate and complex leading sections. At any moment, any one of them could take off into an extended solo while the rest of the band shifts behind them to provide the backdrop for vivid bluegrass landscapes without missing a beat.
Photo by @rglazer10 via Facebook
The first set of night two came to an end with a major highlight. Hall and Falco took their interplay above the crowd when each of them made their way up to the first level balcony over the opposing sides of the stage, bringing the audience fully into the dust storm for a climactic end to the third set of the run.
You Could Hear it Talk, You Could Hear it Sing
As we inched closer to midnight, the crowd stayed tuned in for more and more, showing few signs of fatigue from the long night of fantastic playing. When the big moment approached, banjo player Chris Pandolfi took to the mic to hype the crowd for the countdown. The strings sang as the band ushered us into a new year. We were surrounded by gold and happy smiles as the customary “Auld Lang Syne” signaled the start of 2025. The band’s happy faces glowed as much as their playing, especially as their loved ones joined them on stage to enjoy the moment together with all of us in attendance.
The band played on for close to another hour, featuring more bluegrass tidings and even busting out their raucous cover of Phish’s “Possum” from their latest EP, Undercover, Vol. 3, much to everyone’s delight, along with another Phish phavorite, Bill Monroe’s “Uncle Pen” as the encore.
And so we carry on into another year. As the long night and eventful run came to a close, we all stepped out into the cool air to come down from the heights of the two day dust storm.
Photo by Gary Jared Photo via Facebook
Just as we should every year, it’s a time where we can reflect on what we’ve done for ourselves and our loved ones. The new year presents a chance to look back, take what we’ve learned and push forward into new beginnings. Shows like this are a reminder that good days might pass, but even better days are waiting for us ahead.
Even as we face such uncertainties in society, love will always carry us through. That’s why the New Year’s Eve show is such a beloved tradition in the jam world. Music fills the air and the moment reminds us of what’s most important: being happy and making memories together. It sounds simple, but so many people are blind to joyous moments such as these. When we come together in the music, the world feels a little more complete.
Here’s to a Happy New Year. Let’s fill this one with love and musical memories.
Both of these shows are available to stream via Nugs.net, featured photo by Alex Falls
