Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, July 14

Thursday, July 14, 8 p.m.

Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center, 7077 Elmore Avenue, Davenport IA

A legendary country-rock outfit that has been performing, in various iterations, since its origins in Long Beach, California, in 1966, the Grammy-winning Nitty Gritty Dirt Band headlines a July 14 concert at Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center, the group's chart-topping hits on Billboard's country charts including “Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper's Dream),” “Modern Day Romance,” and “Fishin' in the Dark.”

Having been often cited as instrumental to the progression of contemporary country and roots music, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was founded by singer-guitarist Jeff Hanna and singer/songwriter-guitarist Bruce Kunkel, who had performed as the New Coast Two and later the Illegitimate Jug Band. As the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, they released their self-titled album debut in 1967, and the recording turned out to be a considerable success. Its first single "Buy for Me the Rain" was a top-40 hit, the band enjoyed early exposure on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, as they were recruited for touring events opposite such disparate artists as Jack Benny and The Doors. As the '60s progressed, the musicians continued to gain publicity, mainly as a novelty act, making an appearance in the 1968 film For Singles Only and a cameo appearance in the 1969 musical Western Paint Your Wagon, performing a tune titled "Hand Me Down That Can o' Beans."

With the 1970s and '80s, however, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's acclaim and accolades significantly built. The single "American Dream" with Linda Ronstadt reached number 13 on the Billboard charts, and the group appeared on Saturday Night Live in their own slot and, billed as The Toot Uncommons, backing Steve Martin on his million-selling novelty tune "King Tut." Beyond scoring their trio of number-one smashes, additional top-10 hits came via such songs as “High Horsem” “I Love Only You,” “Baby's Got a Hold on Me,” and “I've Been Lookin'.” And in 1989, the Nitty Gritty Durt Band released their sequel album Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two, which went on to win two Grammy Awards and was named Album of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards: for Best Country Vocal Performance (duo or group) and the Country Music Association's Album of the Year.

Now performing with a refreshed lineup and newfound energy, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band remains one of the most accomplished ensembles in American roots music. Following an extended 50th-anniversary tour, the ensemble grew to a six-piece in 2018 for the first time since their early jug band days, and now includes Jeff Hanna (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Jimmie Fadden (drums, harmonica); Bob Carpenter (keyboards); Jim Photoglo (bass, acoustic guitar); Ross Holmes (fiddle, mandolin); and Jaime Hanna (electric and acoustic guitar). All six members also sing, their harmonies adding a powerful new component for the legendary band, and with the father-son pairing of Jeff and Jaime Hanna, the group carries on a country-music tradition of blood harmony. "The energy these days is so up," says the elder Hanna, "and our fans have responded in a really great way. As a fan of other bands, I know how complicated it can be when members come and go. You can either embrace that or you don't. Our fans are really gracious and I appreciate that. It's been a really good run and there's a lot of daylight ahead of us."

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band plays its Davenport engagement on July 14, admission to the 8 p.m. concert is $25-45, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)328-8000 and visiting RhythmCityCasino.com.