The Dry Branch Fire Squad is an American traditional-style
bluegrass band from
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, which is fronted by
Ron Thomason.
The band is known for its showy performances and for Thomason's humorous interludes.
The Dry Branch Fire Squad is the host band of
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, formerly called the Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival. The band also hosts the High Mountain Hay Fever festival in
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
as a fundraiser for a local medical clinic.
History
Dry Branch Fire Squad was founded by Thomason, a former member of the
Clinch Mountain Boys, in October 1976.
["Ron Thomason – Told You That To Tell You This"]
''Bluegrass Unlimited'', August 1st, 2011 By Chris Stuart It is named for a
small town
"Small Town" is a 1985 song written by John Mellencamp and released on his eighth album ''Scarecrow (John Mellencamp album), Scarecrow''. The song reached #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and #13 on the Adult Contempo ...
in
Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Located within the broader region of western Virginia, Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all V ...
where Thomason was born. The band has gone through many lineup changes; Thomason has been the one constant, serving as the band's MC, lead singer, and
mandolin
A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...
player.
He also plays
banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of plastic, where early membranes were made of animal skin.
...
and
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
on occasion, and during performances often demonstrates
hambone technique which he learned as a child.
In 1978 the band released a self-titled debut album, and in 1979 they performed at Bill Monroe's Bean Blossom Festival.
In 1981 the Dry Branch Fire Squad signed with Rounder Records, and released the first of many recordings with that label.
In 1984 the band began hosting the newly organized
Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival.
At one time banjoist
Bill Evans
William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...
and singer
Suzanne Thomas performed and recorded with the band.
The band has performed at the annual
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (HSB), originally Strictly Bluegrass, is an annual free and non-commercial music festival held the first weekend of October in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. Conceived and subsidized by San Francisco ven ...
festival at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco every year since 2003.
Long-time members
Brian Aldridge and
Dan Russell retired at the end of 2015. Former member,
Adam McIntosh, rejoined the band playing guitar and mandolin and assuming tenor singing duties.
Jeff Byrd also joined replacing Dan Russell on bass.
In 2016 band is composed of
Adam McIntosh (guitar, mandolin),
Tom Boyd (banjo,
resophonic guitar),
Jeff Byrd (bass), and
Ron Thomason (mandolin, banjo, guitar).
In 2017 a performance by the band was filmed for inclusion in the film ''Bluegrass Court Jester''.
"Bluegrass Court Jester gets his due in upcoming film"
''Bluegrass Today'', on April 5, 2017 by John Lawless.
The Dry Branch Fire Squad is a regular at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, and has been the opening act for the Sunday morning gospel set for every single year, twice per summer, since the festival began, totaling 40 years and 80 festivals. After a break for COVID year, Dry Branch Fire Squad is slated to resume their record for the 81st festival in May 2021.
Selected recordings
* ''The Dry Branch Fire Squad
''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'' - 1978
* '' On Tour - Live at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival'' - 1979
* ''Born to Be Lonesome
Born may refer to:
* Childbirth
* Born (surname), a surname (see also for a list of people with the name)
* ''Born'' (comics), a comic book limited series
Places
* Born, Belgium, a village in the German-speaking Community of Belgium
* Born, Luxe ...
'' - 1981
* '' Antiques and Inventions'' - 1981
* '' Fannin' the Flames'' - 1982
* '' Good Neighbors and Friends'' - 1985
* ''Golgotha
Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified.
Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...
'' - 1986
* '' Tried and True'' - 1987
* '' Fertile Ground'' - 1989
* ''Long Journey'' - 1991
* '' Just for the Record'' - 1993
References
External links
Dry Branch Fire Squad homepage
Grey Fox Music Festival
Dry Branch Fire Squad at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival
{{Authority control
American bluegrass music groups
Musical groups established in 1976
Musical groups from Virginia