With Ralph Lewis recently being given a clean bill of health, the group also has tentative plans to tour around the South in the near future. In the last six years the elder Lewis has beaten four types of cancer and recovered from falling off a ladder.
“It’s taken a little bit out of him, but he hasn’t lost much of a step,” says Marty. “He’s still a fireball.”
More Southern Staples
Rollin’ in the Hay • Alabama With sweat-drenched shows described aptly by a fan as the “best five-dollar concert you will ever see,” Rollin’ in the Hay has worked the Dixie college circuit since the mid-1990s with a self-dubbed brand of renegade bluegrass. The band’s lengthy live catalog features quirky originals and Southern-fried covers of the Grateful Dead, The Band, and many more. With raggedly infectious mandolin and guitar picking, the band delivers whisky-fueled, high-octane groove grass that’s still the soundtrack to late-night revelry at ‘Bama’s best bars and beach dives.
Hogwaller Ramblers • Virginia If you find yourself in Charlottesville, Va., on a Sunday night, catch this local outfit at the downtown bar and restaurant Fellini’s #9. The two-decade town institution puts the best of Americana in a blender and delivers rowdy, rough-around-edges live shows full of rock-driven bluegrass jams. Still fronted by gruff troubadour Jamie Dyer, the band’s rotating cast brings fiddle, banjo, and electric guitar groove to their loud hoedowns. The Hogs released one album in 1998 that was produced by high-profile studio ace John Alagia (Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer). While the group never toured excessively or reached a wider audience worthy of their potential, they still deliver reliable, foot-stompin’ good times on a weekly basis.
Davisson Brothers Band • West Virginia
Lead by brothers Chris and Donnie Davisson, this West Virginia-based country rock outfit has gained a loyal regional fan base by touring with reckless abandon across the Mountain State and just beyond its borders. With a tireless work ethic, the band has been conquering the club and festival circuit since the mid-1990s with heartfelt Southern anthems amped up with barn-shaking hillbilly bravado. While Chris takes care of the hearty lead guitar work, Donnie handles the vocals, harmonizing with their cousin Sammy Davisson (bass). After years on the road, the band finally released a studio album in 2009. The self-titled Davisson Brothers Band cracked the top 40 of the country charts, propelled by lead single “Foot Stompin’.” While the establishment couldn’t help take notice of the group’s prowess, they’re most comfortable playing for home-state crowds in the Appalachian hills.
