Marty Stuart | Parklife DC

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives (Photo by Alysse Gafkjen)

Gathered around a single mic at The Birchmere recently, Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives played an all-acoustic cover of Tom Petty’s “Runnin’ Down A Dream.” Kenny Vaughan, a winner of the Americana Music Association’s Instrumentalist of the Year, played acoustic guitar. Harry Stinson was on snare drum, and Chris Scruggs, grandson of bluegrass scion Earl Scruggs, was on upright bass.

The cover encapsulated a lot of what this band does: They honor country traditions, but their sonic palette extends well into rock & roll.

Marty Stuart performs at The Birchmere on Feb. 27, 2020. (Photo by Rashad Polk)

If you have even the slightest interest in country music, you owe it to yourself to see Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives. The Fabulous Superlatives — “Cousin” Kenny Vaughan on guitar, “Professor” Chris Scruggs laying down the bass, and “Handsome” Harry Stinson keeping the beat on the drums — are an all-star team of Americana players. Marty is a former child prodigy who was already playing professionally with bluegrass legend Lester Flatt as a teenager.

Rosanne Cash placed as one of Mark Engleson’s top shows of the year. Read on to see who else made the cut. (Photo by David LaMason)

Editor’s Note: This year, we asked our bloggers to name their Top 10 shows of 2019 or choose their Top 10 photos of the year. We will run them over the course of mid-December as our Best of the Year posts.

Editor (again): After much consideration, the prolific Mark Engleson chose his top 10 shows for 2019.

The Steve Miller Band performs at Wolf Trap on July 31, 2019. (Photo by Jason Nicholson)

The Steve Miller Band teamed up with Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives to deliver on a night of classic American music at Wolf Trap recently, with Steve and company providing plenty of rock and Marty and friends delivering the country. Jason Nicholson was there to photograph it all!

Steve Miller Band (Photo by David Woo)

The Steve Miller Band joins forces with Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives for a show dubbed “An Amazing Evening of Original American Music: Classic Rock Meets Classic Country” at Wolf Trap on Wednesday, July 31!

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives (Photo by Alysse Gafkjen)

In 2017, Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives won the Americana Music Association Award for Group of the Year. It was easy to see why at an appropriately fabulous show at The Birchmere recently.

50th Anniversary of
Roger McGuinn and Marty Stuart perform at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke, Virginia, on Oct. 10, 2018. (Photos by Chester Simpson; Words by David Edwards)

There were two overriding themes to the Sweetheart of the Rodeo concert at Roanoke’s Jefferson Performance Center recently — a theme of Americana music and a theme of Tom Petty.

Marty Stuart and Watermelon Park owner John Miller Jr. at the Watermelon Park Festival in September 2018. (Photo by Chester Simpson)

Watermelon Park, located in Berryville, Virginia, on the banks of the Shenandoah River, is a local haven for camping, tubing and kayaking all summer long. It hosted the 15th annual Watermelon Park Festival recently, and we’ve got pictures of the performing bands to prove it!

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Keller Williams performs at Watermelon Park Festival. (Photo by Chester Simpson)

The 14th Annual Watermelon Park Fest, located in Berryville, Virginia, was held on the banks of the Shenandoah River on Sept. 21-24.

Watermelon Park Fest Sept. 24-27, 2015 (Photo by Chester Simpson)

Kick off the fall season this weekend with the Watermelon Park Festival, one of our region’s most exciting Americana and roots music festivals, at Watermelon Park Campground (3322 Lockes Mille Rd, Berryville, Virginia) on Thursday, Sept. 21, through Sunday, Sept. 24. Several ticketing and camping options are available.

Live Review: Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives @ The Birchmere — 8/4/22

Live Review: Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives @ The Birchmere — 2/27/20

Best of the Year: Top 10 Concerts of 2019 by Mark E.

Snapshots: Steve Miller Band and Marty Stuart @ Wolf Trap — 7/31/19

Preview: Steve Miller Band and Marty Stuart @ Wolf Trap, 7/31/19

Live Review: Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives @ The Birchmere — 4/4/19

Music Park: Sweetheart of the Rodeo 50th Anniversary w/ Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman of The Byrds and Marty Stuart @ Jefferson Center (Roanoke, VA) — 10/10/18

Snapshots: Watermelon Park Festival @ Clarke County Fairgrounds (Berryville, VA) — 9/20-9/23/18

Snapshots: Watermelon Park Festival @ Watermelon Park (Berryville, VA) — 9/21-9/24/17

Don’t Miss: Watermelon Park Festival @ Watermelon Park Campground (Berryville, VA), 9/21-9/24/17