Tiny crowd views Scruggs

by Steve Webb, The Knickerbocker News, July 26, 1978

In a week filled with big events, it’s only natural that one or two pleasant evenings of music would be lost on the general public. Such was the case Tuesday at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center when the Earl Scruggs Revue and Doug Kershaw played to an estimated crowd of 1,784

Both shows offered a glimpse at what is happening in contemporary country music. The Scruggs Revue plays a country rock deeply rooted in Earl’s career as the premier bluegrass banjo picker, using electric guitars and drums to play that kind of rhythm and melody.

The group also goes beyond bluegrass to play songs by composers ranging from Bob Dylan to Joni Mitchell to Woody Guthrie to Loudon Wainwright III.

Kershaw is a Cajun fiddler who allows his wild thrashings with his bow to be accompanied by a basic rock’n’roll group.

The Scruggs set began with a bluegrassy rendering of Dylan’s “Nashville Skyline Rag,” one of the songs which got Scruggs interested in playing rock.

His sons supplied the rest of the interest. Throughout the show, Gary Scruggs exhibited a wavery voice similar to Roger McGuinn’s, perfect for most of the songs they did.

Instrumentally, brothers Randy and Steve Scruggs carry much of the material. Randy became adept at flat-picking style acoustic guitar at a very young age and exhibited Tuesday that he can also play a mean electric blues, bluegrass fiddle or classical-style rendering of “Both Sides Now.”

Steve plays a quick, facile piano and does adequately playing tenor saxophone on one number. Between Randy and Steve’s ability, it would be easy for father Earl to rest on the few bluegrass-style numbers the group does.

But he does not. He does a Scotty Moore-like banjo bit on “That’s All Right Mama,” a little finger-picking line on “Lady Madonna” and some nice bits on folk songs like “Pretty Boy Floyd” and “Hobo’s Lullaby.”

The group was called back for three encores, including an enthusiastic version of Loudon Wainwright’s “Swimming Song.” The crowd was small, but enthusiastic until the end.

Kershaw’s set included a little bit of rock’n’roll, a thrashing version of “Orange Blossom Special” and a strange mixture of rock’n’Cajun. His most well-known number, “Louisiana Man,” ended the show and was reprised in addition.

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