"American Dream," "Fishin' in the Dark" and other songs by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band have served as part of the soundtrack to life for many.
"They heard it, and it stuck to their head," says Jimmie Fadden, a guitar player with the band since the beginning.
FAQ
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
WHEN — 8 p.m. Saturday
WHERE — Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville
COST — Tickets start at $35
INFO — 443-5600
This year, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band celebrates its 50th year of playing music together and brings its "Circlin' Back" tour to the Walton Arts Center on Saturday.
The celebration really began in the fall of 2015, Fadden says. The band headlined an all-star show in Nashville's Ryman Auditorium with John Prine, Sam Bush, Vince Gill, Rodney Crowell, Jerry Douglas, Jerry Jeff Walker, Alison Krauss and former band members Jimmy Ibbotson and Jackson Browne joining them on stage. The show was released as a CD and DVD in spring 2016.
"It was intended strictly to be used as a PBS fundraiser," Fadden explains. "All the performers were big PBS fans. We were very excited by the result."
The project even won a regional Emmy, Fadden says proudly.
"We're really enjoying the fruits of our labor," he says. "We're out playing and having a good time.
"Our audiences are very enthusiastic," he continues. "They've grown older with us, and they've brought along their kids."
The band got its start performing in the Los Angeles folk-rock scene.
"We were avoiding anything that reeked of responsibility, just hanging out at a music store in Long Beach, Calif.," Fadden says. "We were having fun, hoping we'd have enough money for gas, meeting girls -- all those things young people seem to think are important.
"I have enough money for gas, now," Fadden quips during a phone interview. His day included a trip the grocery store and an appointment with the eye doctor, he says. He also asked the best way to get from Fayetteville to the airport for a 6 a.m. flight.
"When I get up in the morning, my feet hurt now, and they didn't used to," he says. "But performing is still fun for us and the audience."
Fadden says the "Circlin' Back" project is among his favorites in the 50 years of the band. But he also likes the other "Circle" records. "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," 1972, tied together two generations of music, featuring Roy Acuff, "Mother" Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs and other famous bluegrass and country-western performers.
"Will the Circle Be Unbroken 2," released in 1989, featured some of the originals, as well as Johnny Cash, John Denver, Levon Helm, Rosanne Cash and John Hiatt. The project won the band three Grammy awards.
A 2002 version, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the groundbreaking album and featuring some of the original "Circle" performers, also included a performance and was sold by PBS as a fundraiser.
"It's a very nice piece of work," Fadden says. He'd like to see "Circlin' Back" offered as a package with the trilogy recordings.
Fadden also has enjoyed the travel, which has taken the band twice to Russia, Japan, Europe and Canada.
As for the Fayetteville show, audiences can expect a mix of the old favorites and some new songs, Fadden says.
It's been a while since the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band performed in Northwest Arkansas.
"We had some really wonderful shows in Springdale and Fayetteville and at the college," he says. "I'm happy to be coming back to Fayetteville and playing in the area."
NAN What's Up on 02/03/2017