Dailey and Vincent did something unexpected in Weatherford, Texas on August 4. Instead of a quick dash for food or to gas up their tour bus, the famed bluegrass duo and their almost equally famed band played to the sold-out audience in the still quaint and folksy community. CMT crowned Dailey and Vincent as “rock stars of bluegrass” a few years back, and between the awards and honors they have received, it would take a separate trailer to haul all their glistening hardware.

Far from being showy, Dailey and Vincent had the demeanor of greeting neighbors for a Saturday dinner for their concert.

Many of those fans have followed the rise of Dailey and Vincent from the days before they were a team. Mrs. Marilyn Carter and her late husband purchased the property on York Street as a labor of love and a testament of their devotion to each other and to music. The aim was to promote the genuine connections that abide between established artists and those who never forget their music. This touch could never be felt from any corporate arena and created memories that will last forever for concertgoers.

Texas claps and toe taps

Texas has never been known as a hotbed for bluegrass fervor, like Del McCoury, but local tastes do stay true to traditional country and even welcome the influx of more progressive string band.

The timing of this engagement was designated to bring in a mostly older crowd. Dailey and Vincent didn’t neglect their immaculate vocal harmonies or their humor in pleasing the audience.

There were moving and luminous performances of album favorites, such as Vince Gill’s “Hills of Caroline,” which genuinely exceeds its emotional power live as compared to the album version.

Patrick McAvinue, who was just named IBMA Fiddler of the Year, proved as swift on his feet as he is with his strings, stealing the show on “Feel Good Music” from the latest album, “Poets and Patriots.” The lanky musician wasn't the only one doing a jig. Throughout the show, mandolin player, Jeff Parker, was dancing stage left, and Jamie Dailey threw in his playful moves.

As he noted, those interludes were more like “Welcome to the Carol Burnett show.” No one knocks a career that spans five decades, and Dailey and Vincent may at least equal that span.

Not just singing the albums

In harmony with the intimate venue, Dailey and Vincent took requests. It was announced that an e-mail had been sent requesting Kris Kristofferson’s “Why Me” by bass singer, Aaron McCune. He earned a rousing applause, which only grew for the recognition of veterans, who recently had their war memorial vandalized, in the audience, leading into “American Pride” from the duo’s “Alive” concert DVD. This brought everyone to a standing ovation, not for those on stage, but for all who sacrificed.

There were frequent interludes of simply grand picking, and anyone with a camera would have a difficult task capturing a still image amid the flying strings of a guitar, dobro, mandolin, fiddle, and bass altogether. One of the biggest audience responses came after the rendition of the Statler Brothers’ “Flowers On the Wall,” which Dailey and Vincent covered on their tribute album. Just for good measure, a Statler's song came as an encore, too. Jamie Dailey demonstrated his almost superhuman gift of holding a note perfectly for several seconds again and again, and Darrin Vincent offered kudos to the new soundman, only on duty for a week, and to his son, Chandler, helping out on the crew.

The mood was perfect for a sing-along with the crowd of 500, so the boys in the band led a chorus of “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Suddenly, it didn't matter to anyone that it was 100+ degrees in Texas. During the afternoon, spirits and souls took a trip to West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Appalachia, or anywhere else bluegrass music is loved, and breathed it all in deeply as the pines.
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