Grammy-winning country band announces farewell tour, celebrating ‘All the Good Times’

Grammy-winning country band announces farewell tour, celebrating ‘All the Good Times’

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has announced a farewell tour for 2024, but fans needn’t fret just yet.

The country rock band is saying goodbye to the road after nearly 60 years in the music business, ending its trek of “multi-city runs and long bus rides,” according to a publicist. Before that happens, though, the Nitty Gritty guys will play at least 30 shows at venues throughout the United States, including one in Alabama.

The trek, which starts on March 21 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is called “All the Good Times: The Farewell Tour.” The name comes from a 1972 album, “All the Good Times,” that includes a cover of “Jambalaya (On the Bayou)” by Hank Williams.

“‘All The Good Times’ perfectly describes our career,” the band said in a statement this week. “Playing our music for Dirt Band fans all over the world has been an incredible experience for us. The most important part of that has been the connection to our audience — that beautiful communal give and take is like nothing else. That’s the very spirit we’ll be celebrating as we head into our farewell tour. We’re really looking forward to seeing you folks. Good times will be had by all!”

“Jambalaya (On the Bayou)” is likely to be on the agenda — along with “Fishin’ in the Dark,” “Modern Day Romance,” “High Horse,” “Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper’s Dream)” and other hits and signature songs — when the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band performs at the Oxford Performing Arts Center on April 28. Tickets for the 7 p.m. concert are on sale now, priced at $49-$113 via the venue’s website.

The arts center, 100 Choccolocco St., is about an hour east of Birmingham and part of the Oxford-Anniston metro areas. The theater there seats 1,215 people, according to the center’s website.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, formed in 1966, is considered a pioneer in American roots music, blending the sounds of country, rock, folk and bluegrass. The band has more than 20 albums to its credit and three Grammy Awards, and has collaborated with artists ranging from Earl Scruggs to Emmylou Harris.

Singer-guitarist Jeff Hanna and drummer/harmonica player Jimmie Fadden, two founding members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, continue to perform with the group. The current lineup also features keyboard player Bob Carpenter (a band member since 1977), guitarist Jaime Hanna (Jeff Hanna’s son), bassist/guitarist Jim Photoglo (co-writer of “Fishin’ in the Dark”) and fiddler Ross Holmes.

Here’s the full list of dates announced this week for “All the Good Times: The Farewell Tour.” The list includes headlining dates, festival appearances and shows opening for Hank Williams Jr. and Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit. More dates will be announced in the weeks and months to come, a press release said.

  • March 21, Bowling Green, KY, SKyPAC, Main Hall.
  • March 22, Bloomington, IL, Bloomington Center For The Performing Arts.
  • March 23, Mount Vernon, KY, Renfro Valley Entertainment Center.
  • March 24, Marietta, OH, Peoples Bank Theatre.
  • March 28, Odessa, TX, The Ector Theatre.
  • March 29, Abilene, TX, Outlaws and Legends Music Festival.
  • March 30, Houston, TX, Arena Theatre.
  • April 25, Shreveport, LA, The Strand Theatre.
  • April 28, Oxford, AL, Oxford Performing Arts Center.
  • May 9, Indianapolis, IN, Murat Theatre.
  • May 10, Harris, MI, Island Resort & Casino.
  • May 11, Harris, MI, Island Resort & Casino.
  • May 12, Joliet, IL, Rialto Square Theatre.
  • May 17, Raleigh, NC, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek. (Opening for Hank Williams Jr.)
  • May 18, Bristow, VA, Jiffy Lube Live. (Opening for Hank Williams Jr.)
  • May 19, Knoxville, TN, Tennessee Theatre.
  • June 21, Mankato, MN, Vetter Stone Amphitheater.
  • June 22, Cedar Rapids, IA, McGrath Amphitheatre.
  • June 23, Bayfield, WI, Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua.
  • June 27, Sioux Falls, SD, Alliance Center.
  • June 28, Mahnomen, MN, Shooting Star Casino Hotel & Event Center.
  • June 2, Bismarck, ND, Belle Mehus Auditorium.
  • June 30, Dauphin, MB, Canada, Dauphin’s Countryfest.
  • July 11, Mayetta, KS, Prairie Band Casino & Resort, Great Lakes Ballroom.
  • July 12, Jefferson City, MO, Capital Region MU Health Care Amphitheater.
  • July 13, Newkirk, OK, 7 Clans First Council Casino.
  • July 25, Lubbock, TX, The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences – Helen DeVitt Jones Theater.
  • July 26, New Braunfels, TX, Whitewater Amphitheater. (Opening for Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit)
  • July 27, Fort Worth, TX, Bass Performance Hall.
  • July 28, Amarillo, TX, Globe-News Center For The Performing Arts.
  • September 14, Kansas City, MO, T-Mobile Center. (Opening for Hank Williams Jr.)