The Seldom Scene

The Seldom Scene are a must-see. Their harmonies are exquisite! It was a lively show, and the banjo was entrancing. I was sad when it was over! Would love to see them again when they are back in town.

My wife and I had not seen the Seldom Scene for over 30 years when they played at the Red Fox Inn in Bethesda, MD. The players may have changed over the years but their music was still right on the mark. The harmonies and instrumentals were outstanding. Their humor was very entertaining and the Birchmere was the perfect venue. This was a perfect early fathers day gift from my son and daughter-in-law.

All three groups that played were very good. The food was excellent, as usual.

Always fun and still great after all these years. Sound system in the small venue of the Birchmere doesn't need to be quite as loud as it was.

Seldom Scene has done nothing but gotten better over the years.

These two groups provided a great mix of old time bluegrass and a more contemporary bluegrass. I was hoping that they might come out together at the end for a real great finale, but it didn't happen. That would have topped off a fantastic night of great music!

After a forgetable performance at last year's T-Giving show (seems like they phoned it in), the old Seldom Scene was back with energy - thanks in part to the guest perfornamce of Chris Eldridge -- who is young and talented and seems to inspire his dad and the rest of band --perhaps they are showing off, are trying to keep up or just reminded why they do what they do. I almost didn't go this year, but decided to give them one more chance. Glad we did. Dry Branch Fire Squad is always good. Not only the folksy stories but the great old time Blue grass tunes. They are the main reason we came back this year and they did not disapoint.

LEGENDS OF THE POTOMAC HAD SOME OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE MUSICIANS I'VE EVER ENCOUNTERED. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WAY MORE OF THIS GROUP. SELDOM SCENE PUT ON A REALLY GOOD SHOW, AND DUDLEY CONNELL IS AN OUTSTANDING PERFORMER, ALONG WITH THE OTHER VOCALISTS...BEAUTIFUL HARMONY. THE SELDOM SCENE STILL HAVE IT !!!

The Seldom Scene and Legends of the Potomac both put on excellent shows. Lots of great songs about leavin', waitin', prayin', and ridin' on trains. Both bands have great energy and show a genuine love for the music and their fans. The Birchmere is a great spot to see music. It feels huge when you walk in and try to find a seat (get there at least an hour before show start), but once the lights go down it becomes much more intimate. The beer and wine selections are good. The food, however, is barely above bar food. Go for something deep fried or you'll be disappointed.

I have seen the Seldom Scene play many many times, even in the old Birchmere but this past New Year's Eve was wonderful. We loved the encore with everybody on stage and of particular note is new up and coming Dead Man's Hollow. Loved their historical bluegrass stories, bought all 3 CDs. We'll be there next year on New Year's!

The Seldom Scene and Legends of the Potomac, with Mike Auldridge and Darren Beachley, both put on great shows. But whose idea was it to open with this group called Dead Men's Hollow -- a weak act all around? I don't think they belong on the Birchmere stage.

The show started w/ the Dillards, who (unfortunately) spent nearly as much time talking as they did singing. They sounded pretty good, given how old Doug and Rodney are, but they really wanted to tell more stories than anything else. If you really enjoy hearing stories about the Andy Griffith Show, or if you really dig old-time, canned schtick and corny jokes, then you might have enjoyed it. I was actually pretty bored w/ it. The Seldom Scene, on the other hand, were awesome. They had a good banter w/ the crowd, but kept the talk to a minimum and focused mainly on the music. The music was great, and they were cool about taking requests. All in all, I think most folks (at least the ones I talked to) left feeling like they heard too much of the Dillards, and not enough of the Seldom Scene. If the Dillards had just been an opening act, and maybe played four or five songs, the show would have been great. One star for an hour+ of the Dillards, and 5 stars for the Seldom Scene, average out to about four stars overall.

The Seldom Scene were fantastic as usual. The Dillards need to retire.

Both acts were musically superb and foot-stompin' enjoyable, but time on stage should have been reversed. The Dillards (opening act) performed far longer than the Seldom Scene (headliner) thereby leaving a number of the Seldom Scene's "classics" (for those of us who have been following the group for 20+ years) unplayed. A considerable amount of the Dillards time on stage was spent in homespun banter with the audience which was amusing for a while but wore thin about mid-way through their set. Dillards should have played more (they were excellent when they did) and yakked less. Seldom Scene should have stayed on stage longer. Still, a delighful show and evening overall.

Harmony was perfect. Dillards were fun and entertaining. The Seldom Scene did not disappoint with there great sounds and harmony. I recommend it to all.

I have seen the Seldom Scene numerous times starting as far back as when I was a child. I am now a mother of 4 who has grown up with rock n roll, country, blue grass etc. I forgot what fun it was to sit and enjoy a good band. I love the fact that we were able to be so close to them to actually see them (not just a blurb). As always their music and voices were excellent. I hope that some day my children will learn to appreciate such wonderful talent. I enjoyed hearing songs from when I was a child and some that I have heard recently. As always we had to purchase more cd's since we play them till they wont play no more. Keep up the excellent music!!!!! You all are awesome!!! Blue Grass lives on!!!!!

It would be hard to explain how I feel about the Seldom Scene...they sing my heart. I love their easy way with each other & the audience. Veteran Ben Eldridge is pure joy; have been a fan of Dudley Connell from Johnson Mt Boys days...all are just the greatest & I can sing softly along with most of their material. A little just makes me want more. The Dillards are pretty much roots music to me, too. Their getting the audience participation was a pleasant surprise & a lot of fun...I was there with someone who isn't as much of a music lover as I am & she preferred this group, perhaps because she remembered them from Andy Griffith, but they were just flat good.

Dillards were funny and great ! They took me down memory lane. Would pay to see them again. Seldom Scene were good but have to say Dillards beat them.

Excellent show. Both bands. Great venue. Worth seeing again.

J Edwards has a great voice and songwriting talent that is a pleasure to listen too and watch. Great sense of humor. Some old songs, some new ones and a great rendition of the Beatles tune "She Loves You". The collaboration with Seldom Scene was a treat esp Blue Ridge. The SS is loaded with musical talent and flawless harmony.

These guys had the audience in the palm of their hand. Amazing storytellers, singers, harmonizers and musicians. Don't miss them when they get together, there are very few groups that can hold an audience the way they can. At one point the lights went out in a thunderstorm and Jonathan Edwards just kept singing, and then joked about the moment afterwards.

seldom scene was great as usual but the opening act, Jonathan Edwards was not. He really can't sing very well although he plays guitar and harmonica very well. And he played for 1 hour. That left only another hour or so for the great Seldom Scene. And the worst part is that Johathan Edwards came back in the middle of their set to oplay with them. And he took over like he was the star.

We always enjoy to see the Seldon Scene. Last Saturday, June 28 at Birchmere was one of this days that everything went perfect. Jonh Starling was there too. The selection of songs were fantatic. They sang: "California Cottonfields", my favorite "Wait a Minute", "What Am I Doing Hangin' Round", "Big Train", "Through the Bottom of the Glass" and "With Body and Soul"... and much more. The atmosfere was great, full house, good music, good beer, good food. We will be at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival on August 16.

Oh my goodness they rocked! Great time! Awesome food, staff and venue.

John Starling and Tom Grey were guests of the current Scene, which added to the pleasure of the evening. The scene were introducing the release of their Smithsonian Folkways CD. They performed oldies from earlier recordings, such as Big Train, Raised on the Railroad Line, Through the Bottom of a Glass, Georgia Rose, and others. Had a wonderful time. They had a fiddle player sitting in whose name is Richie something. He was fabulous.

An absolutely stunning performance. These guys don't need an opening act, they just need to be free to play and wow their audiences. For those who haven't bought the new CD do so now and get extras for presents. They haven't gotten stale over the years and are still putting out great bluegrass.

An evening with The Seldom Scene is always a fantastic experience for the eyes and ears and a treasure for your heart and mind. The tight harmony, developed over their 40+ year history, brings life to every song in their playlist. Each member is at the top of the national list of whos-who for their instrument and as they play together it is easy to feel the respect and admiration for each others talents. When you are at a Seldom Scene performance it's hard to tell who enjoys the evening more; the audience or the musicians on stage!

a real treat, they should have a combined event every 6 months- - current plus originals

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the show. The Seldom Scene has amazing talent and creativity which we appreciate very much. The Birchmere is also a great place to see such entertainment because it is an intimate venue.

What a night!! Reunion and album release at Birchmere with Seldom Scene. It can't get better than that. Guest appearances by the great John Starling and Tom Gray. Fiddle by Rickie Simpkins. Beautiful and haunting harmonie. Could feel the ghosts of John Duffy and Mike Auldridge. Truly a fun night and everyone knew that there won't be many more like this one. As always the Birchmere is a great place to see someone. Intimate and wonderful place to meet and talk to other guests.

We attend whenever in area. Always look forward to seeing everyone.

This group never fails to provide excellent entertainment with their voices. Love the Seldom Scene.

We've been doing this for many years and will do it again. We look forward to ringing in the new year in Bluegrass style. Donna was great. We had heard some of her music before and were thrilled to see her in person. The Stray Birds left something to be desired. Too many sad, blue, depressing songs. I understand that there are those songs in Bluegrass, but not all of them. I've never seen so many people in the hallway, in the bathroom and in the store DURING a group's performance. It just wasn't what we had in mind. The Seldom Scene never fails to impress. They are wonderful and so much fun. See you next year!

We had the best evening in a long time. There was a deep bond between the musicians and the audience.

The Seldom Scene has always put on a great show, and Saturday's performance was wonderful! The real pleasant surprise was the Dry Branch Fire Squad. Having not seen them before, we had no idea of what to expect. And what we got was perhaps the most entertaining show we have ever seen!! Don Thomason, as the band's MC, is both an amazing mandolin player/ singer and very funny guy! His homespun humor had the audience screaming with laughter. And the group's beautiful harmonies on their Old Time music was a real treat! If you have not seen Dry Branch fire Squad live I strongly suggest that you be sure to do so! The evening's combination of Dry Branch's humor and music - and the excellence of The Seldom Scene harmonies made for a fantastic show!

We always enjoy the Dry Branch Fire Squad. They are excellent musicians, and work well together. They seem to really like each other. Then..we get the added bonus of Seldom Scene. I thought they were at their best of the times we have seen them the last four or five years. They didn't seem tired, and also they are excellent musicians.

Great concert! We had good seating and the food was excellent.We were also able to catch a glimpse of a celebrity.....Ed Helms(from the hit show The Office) was in the audience enjoying the concert with his family and freinds.

GREAT! GOOD MUSIC, Good food good friends, Good staff

The band was incredible and the audience participation was wonderful. The group was so happy to be back at the Birchmere where they feel like they are at home. This group was so tight and so together that they made you laugh at the musical abilities and talented performances from song to song. I would definitely see them again and also tell anyone who would listen to me that The Seldom Scene is definitely worth seeing anytime they are available. What a great evening it was.

I LOVE the Seldom Scene...in fact, you might call me their #1 fan...know all their songs. There is no bluegrass group or any other group that can touch them for consistent entertainment. Not sure what it is, but when they take the stage, I could swear the air crackles. We anticipated a great performance & we got it...they are just real crowd pleasers. WTG, SS!

This was a great show. Every member of the Seldom Scene is an exceptional musician. Loved the harmony, the playing, the song choices, the banter. An evening with The Seldom Scene is the most fun you will have for awhile.

Outstanding! My favorite bluegrass group. A wonderful evening.

We come see Seldom Scene whenever possible. Always a good experience and will return again.

We got there late after terrible traffic, but the trip was absolutely worth it! We LOVE Jonathan Edwards and he was his same old memorable self! What a voice! Seldom Scene was equally unforgettable! The songs that they did together - pure music to my ears!

Even though there is only one remaining member of the founding group, they have managed to find people who can make the SScene sound. It was a fabulous evening, and especially when they sang with their old buddy, Jonathan Edwards. This group was the signal group of the Birchmere in its growing up years and they sang as if it were their home. I'll never miss another local concert by the Scene.

Love the Seldom Scene just amazing. I have all the albumns from the group. The entertainer were friendly and available to meet the guest.

Jon Edwards was so much fun and very entertaining. Bought his newest CD. Seldom Scene were wonderful. I loved the variety of music. Their harmonies are terrific. I loved all 5 instruments (bass, banjo, mandolin, guitar & Dobro.) I've lived in the DC area for 39 years and have always heard them on the radio. They were great in person. Terrific show. Go see them if you haven't already! First time at Birchmere so I didn't realize there was food first (how I missed this, I don't know!) I already bought tickets for Jars of Clay and will be back EARLIER next time! And the food choices were very good, service was good. Love the decor and reading all the autographed posters.

We've been going to the Birchmere to see the Seldom Scene since we moved to the DC area in the 80's. They're still great, despite the loss of Duffy and Auldridge. Fantastic harmony, and clearly enjoy playing together. I'd not seen Jonathan Edwards in person, but thoroughly enjoyed his off-beat sense of humor and his music. Great entertainer!

I had not seen the Seldom Scene since 1971 or 1972. They were terrific!! I had never heard Jonathan Edwards. He was excellent! My favorite parts of the show were when Edwards and the Seldom Scene played together and when Fred Travers on the dobro sang his solo.

Seldom Scene, albeit getting a little long in the tooth (so am I), can still bring it. They can flat fill up a concert hall with great harmony, strings, and pace. As laid back, yet superbly professional, as you can find. Plate Scrapers as a follow on were great as well, crisp new sound / mix (CW, BG, Blues blend) by a young group...refreshing, interesting, very enjoyable...suspect they have a bright future ahead of them. Only complaint regarding the music was the literal "shut down" at the stroke of midnight. On New Year's Eve, lots of folks partying, would have been nice to hear another hour's worth of music. Venue, on the other hand, left more than a little to be desired. Seating system was a little goofy. New Years Eve, supposedly you needed to show up at the Box Office at 5 pm to get a "line number" for a good seat which could be used when the concert hall opened at 6pm. Then, assuming you followed that instruction, you'd have the interesting experience of ordering food / drinks and hanging out until 8pm when the show started. We opted to get there around 7pm, had no problem finding a good table for up close viewing / listening even though eventually the place was full...glad we didn't waste two hours following the website advice. Service was horrible, Waited almost 20 minutes to place a drink order, had to flag down the server over the course of the evening to get a refill. Food was average, clearly don't go there if you're looking for a great New Year's Eve dining experience. Overall, if you're a Seldom Scene fan like we are, and a BG fan in general, and want to hear some great music on New Year's Eve, book this next year (they've been doing this show there for something like the last 17 years or so, expect they will next year as well). Just set your expectations, the service is poor and the food isn't much better. That said, expect we'll be back!

Love the Birch! What a treat to drive up to Alexandria and see these guys. Fantastic!

My husband and I really enjoyed the show. Jonathon was in great form, lots of his old tunes, which we love. The Seldom Scene makes beautiful bluegrass music each and every time they play. Would see these two together or apart any time they're in town!

Acoustically and visually awesome. Not a bad seat to be had. The menu is overly expensive for the quality and quantity.

dawn was the waitress we had. she was very good and the show was awsome

Bold experimentation with a mix of traditional and funky bluegrass sound is what made the Scene great, and I like the new sounds of the Scene with Ricky Simpkins. I've been a 30-year fan of the Seldom Scene, so it's nice to hear Simpkins contribution to the new, evolving sound. And he plays a beautiful fiddle! I want more!! Ron Thomason and his Dry Branch Fire Squad were great--and always entertaining!.

Seldom Scene has always been fantastic! They are now much improved with the addition of Rickie Simpkins. More fiddling next time please.

The music is always good at the Birchmere but $18 for a sandwich is not. Many of the food items are over priced and simply not that good.

A fine show with great tune selections and some visits by John Starling and Tom Gray! Sure hope there can be future reunion concerts somehow !!

We wouldn't want to be anywhere else that night. It was very special.

I've been attending Seldom Scene performances since 1978 and therefore have witnessed a number of cast changes. I was concerned that the retirement of Ben Eldridge, the last of the original cast, would lead me to move on but watching the new ensemble was just great. Ben's replacement's virtuosity on the fiddle as well as the banjo adds a new and wonderful dimension to the group's sound. The camaraderie among the new group is just as strong and as infectious as it was among the old. I'm still looking forward to hearing John Duffy and Mike Auldridge up above but I plan on enjoying the current Seldom Scene until then.

The Bumper Jacksons present a lively, engaging show with spirit and energy. Check out their website and youtube videos. The Seldom Scene delivered their usual high-grade bluegrass.

Fantastic performance, new member played great banjo. Wonderful as always, great playlist.

What else can be said about the venerable Seldom Scene that hasn't already been said. Wonderful Bluegrass. Had not heard Jonathan Edwards before but definitely plan to see him perform again. Very good solo performance and he fit right in with the Scene for some enjoyable music.

An outstanding show and beautifully paired with Jonathan Edwards. Great team of musicians.

As usually they never cease to put on an outstanding show. Loved it!

These guys are great! They put on one of the best performances we've ever heard. It didn't feel like a concert, rather more like hearing music played by friends in the living room. Best vocals by all 4 who sang and great harmonies. Their voices are different enough to produce a symphonic effect. They played a great selection of tunes. We thoroughly enjoyed the show!

Outstanding bluegrass music !!!Incredible harmonies.

Great show, the sound, the food, all top notch. Most will do it again.

The lead acts were great and Seldom Scene only get better with age! We arrived early and realized after the final curtain, we had been there for 7 plus hours, but with the awesome entertainment, time flew by! It was a fun filled night (New Year's Eve) well worth the price of the tickets!!

Good music variety. Food was overpriced and mediocre.

The Bumper Jacksons were outstanding. Never heard music quite like it - a fusion of Dixieland Jazz and sixties soul. The Hello Strangers were also good, very good vocalists. Seldom Scene didn't sound as good as they used to to me. They didn't play many of their old favorites. The last time I saw them was two years ago.

When a bluegrass group ends a concert with a 6o's rock and roll number you know they are short of material. They offered no new material at all and the same can be said of Dry Branch Fire Squad. Both of these groups have a ton of talent but you couldn't tell from the material selected. At one point they asked from the stage, "What do you want to hear?" - tells me that no planning at all went into this one. Is it that hard to develop a playlist for a concert?

I enjoyed every moment of the show. I thought an entire evening of bluegrass would be too much, but it was a mixture of bluegrass, folk, gospel. Excellent musicians, easy banter with the audience, some very funny moments - A+. I purchased four CDs and have been listening to them since the show. Bring that combo back again and again!

At this annual concert, some years, the Seldom Scene "Mail it in," but not this year. They performed with energy and enthusiasm. Making a special appearance was Chris Eldridge, son of banjo player, Ben Eldridge, and Chris made them better. He is a skilled guitarist and musician and the Seldom Scene is better when he joins them. they did some oldies and some newer songs and they did them all with energy.

What could be better? A warmup set by a talented traditional bluegrass group followed by the Seldom Scene, who gave an over-the-top performance of both traditional and more contemporary bluegrass in an amazingly well-planned set.

Went to hear the Seldom Scene and was not disappointed. Same unique harmonies I remember from the original group. First time in the Birchmere. Not impressed. General seating and acoustics just fair.

What a great show and the highlight was when Jonathan Edwards stepped on stage with the Seldom Scene and they all took it to another level!

Once again, JE truly captivates and performs for the audience. His music and songs were enjoyed by all. The seldom scene were also great! And when you put them together it's a big WOW! Came all the way from Florida to hear je. Wish he would come to Florida.

Jonathan Edwards was better than I expected; the Scene was their usually excellent self; and their set together was great!