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Farewell tours are always bittersweet, especially when it comes from a band as established and well-loved as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. I grew up listening to them and came to love them early on. When I heard this would be the last tour they would do, I was genuinely sad, but it made this show all the sweeter.
Opening up for a fellow classic band, Little Feat, the Long Beach, California band came in swinging with some of their biggest hits, such as 'Fishin' in the Dark' and 'Mr. Bojangles', but they haven't always been rooted in country music. That was a slow shift over the years, but I never felt anything but genuine.
Being a family affair, NGDB has lead vocalist and guitarist Jeff Hanna and his son Jaime Hanna, also on vocals and guitar, as well as Jimmie Fadden, Jeff's brother, on drums. Rounding out the ensemble are Bob Carpenter on keyboard, Ross Holmes on the fiddle, and Jim Photoglo on the bass. Formed in the 60s, they've had a long journey, and this show has been something of a fond remembrance for everyone in the crowd.
I had the opportunity to speak with a couple of fellas in the crowd who remembered seeing them at their first big gig and have seen them a handful of times over the past few decades. Every time they had seen them, it marked a milestone in their relationship. From meeting each other, to when they could officially marry once the laws changed for same sex marriages. It was beautiful to hear the story, and it warmed my heart in ways I can't describe.
The Spokane Tribe Casino was brought to life with these two bands, and when Little Feat came on the stage, I hadn't heard such a roar from a crowd in a long time.
Opening with 'Fat Man in a Bathtub', the band jumped in with both feet and didn't stop from there. Remembering some of these songs, like 'Time Loves a Hero' and the Howlin' Wolf cover of 'You'll Be Mine,' brought back memories I thought had been long forgotten.
Little Feat proves that you don't always have to have the same roster of talent to keep a legacy alive. It's one of the few bands that has rotated its members and still managed to feel genuinely the same as when it was founded. The band got its start in 1969 with Lowell George after Frank Zappa gave him the boot and told him to form a band of his own.
Only one founding member remains, and that is keyboardist Bill Payne, followed shortly by Sam Clayton on the conga drums. Kenny Gradney on the bass, Fred Tackett on the mandolin, Scott Sharrard on the guitar and Tony Leone on the drums round out the most current roster.
Their sound is something unique as well as it fuses a multitude of genres including rock, blues, jazz, country, and funk. Their early albums focused heavily on country rock with folk, and then it evolved from there. Sounding now, in 2025, like something akin to a jam session, the concert was something I haven't seen in some time. It brought me back to a time when we'd be barefoot at the lake with music blasting and drinks in hand, and it was something we sorely need in this day and age.
