Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives spanned musical decades at VA concert
Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives took the stage at Birchmere in Alexandria on Thursday (Apr 3rd) with a marathon set showcasing their genre-bending versatility.
Stuart has been a mainstay in country music and bluegrass for over five decades. For context, though he’s only 66, his career reaches back to well before the Grand Ole Opry—of which he is a member—moved to the now legendary Opry House. At the Birchmere, Stuart reached back into those decades for his 21-song showcase.
The foursome opened with instrumental “La Tingo Tango” before the bluegrass stomper “Tear the Woodpile Down.” Stuart soon followed that with his biggest chart-topper, the 90s drinking anthem “The Whiskey Ain’t Working Anymore,” his duet with Travis Tritt.
Dressed in shimmering purple and pink Nudie or Manuel-styled suits, the Superlatives—Kenny Vaughn on guitar, Harry Stinson on guitar, and “Wabash royalty” Chris Scruggs on bass—were indeed fabulous in style and on their instruments. Marty Stuart contrasted with a simple black waistcoat with western yoking.
Vaughn, Stinson and Scruggs traded off featured moments. Vaughn’s twangy nasal fit perfectly on “Mixed Up Confusion” Scruggs’ voice is a throwback to the time and sound of, well, Earl Scruggs himself. Harry Stinson stepped out from his drum kit play a tune co-written by Stuart and Vince Gill, “The Girl Who Calls My Name.”
Stuart is touring in support of recent album Altitude. One number from that album, “Tomahawk,” was a showstopper. It featured romping Memphis beat mixed with the classic sound of Scruggs’ upright bass.
Towards the end of the night, Stuart did something I saw him do only once at Stagecoach. It was so mesmerizing then that at you could have convinced me it was a Coachella Valley desert mirage. But it’s real. Stuart plucks his mandolin such that it sounds like a fiddle, and delivers an awe-inspiring “Orange Blossom Special,” alone on stage by himself. It alone is worth the price of a ticket. It earned a a standing ovation upon the final pluck.
Marty Stuart has spent all but ten years of his life in the music business. From his early bluegrass days to his 90s country commercial success, to the more ethereal sounds of Altitude, Stuart has played with all manner of sounds while staying firmly true to country music, a genre he clearly loves and shows no sign of walking away from. Nor should he. For his work, the Superlatives are sure to continue rolling in.
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