Home Live Review Live Review: Della Mae w/ Wicked Sycamore @ The Hamilton Live — 1/31/25

Live Review: Della Mae w/ Wicked Sycamore @ The Hamilton Live — 1/31/25

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Live Review: Della Mae w/ Wicked Sycamore @ The Hamilton Live — 1/31/25
Della Mae performs at The Hamilton Live in DC on Jan. 31, 2025. (Photo by James Todd Miller)

As one of the first all-female bluegrass bands, Della Mae have always been at the cutting edge of their genre. In their recent appearance at The Hamilton Live in DC, they played original songs, classic tunes, and some unexpected eclectic covers. The evening also included an appearance by a folk legend.

There’s no questioning the instrumental prowess of Della Mae. Several members of the band have won major awards for their playing skills. But they aren’t just great players — they write excellent songs, often with a decidedly political, feminist bent, as seen at The Hamilton Live on Jan. 31.

“Headlight” was written as a response to the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, to the allegations he committed sexual assault. A couple of the set’s covers, Maya de Vitry’s “The Working Man” (which they were playing on stage for the first time) and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Ohio” were directed at the current administration. Even “16 Tons,” a classic of country/bluegrass music, fits that description, as it’s a searing indictment of the corporate abuses of miners (which, sadly, hasn’t changed much in all the decades since the song was first written and recorded).

Watch Della Mae perform “Headlight” live for Sugarshack Sessions on YouTube:

While the political element is always there, Della Mae has a broader range, which was shown off on several of the new songs they played, and which will appear on their new album, due out in October. Vicki wrote “I Compare Everyone To You” with Brennen Leigh. “Family Tree” is about “generational trauma” (as I joked with a friend on X recently, if RFK Jr. spent five minutes at a gathering of my family, he’d repudiate everything he’s ever said about the causes of autism).

In other news, it was announced that a couple members of the band have gotten engaged to each other; I and everyone here at Parklife DC send our congratulations and wish them a long and happy marriage.

In one of the highlights of the evening, we got an appearance from a very special guest. Tom Paxton, now 87 (as he mentioned), was a major figure in the ’60s folk revival, and has remained a cornerstone of folk musical in the decades since. Lead vocalist Celia Woodsmith described him as “our songwriting hero.” They were part of a recent compilation of bluegrass covers of his music. Tom joined the ladies to sing his classic “I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound.”

Stream “I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound” by Tom Paxton on YouTube:

Speaking of classics, toward the end of their set, they covered “Can’t Let Go,” made famous by Lucinda Williams (but written by Randy Weeks). Their set also included “Dry Town,” “My Own Highway,” “Jamie Dear,” “First Song Dancer,” and “It Takes All Kinds.”

Local acoustic trio Wicked Sycamore opened the show with a lovely mix of originals and covers. They, too, are making a new album this year — in March, they’ll be playing an album release show in Cockeysville with drums and a string quartet.

The new collection of songs will include “Hangtime,” as well as some other numbers they did. They also played some beloved staples of roots music, including Sarah Jarosz’s “House of Mercy” and Gillian Welch’s “Wayside/Back In Town.”

Watch the official music video for “Hangtime” by Wicked Sycamore on YouTube:

I wasn’t familiar with Wicked Sycamore before Friday night, but they really impressed. Of course, Della Mae was impressive, too, as they always are, giving us great songs played and sung at the highest level. If you’re a lover of roots music and you haven’t checked them out, prepare to be amazed!

Here are some photos of Della Mae (and Tom Paxton!) performing at The Hamilton Live in DC on Jan. 31, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.

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Here are some photos of Wicked Sycamore opening Della Mae at The Hamilton Live in DC on Jan. 31, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.

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