Sam Grisman Project to Make Ryman Debut with Peter Rowan and Special Guests Sam Bush and Tim O’Brien
Art by Taylor W Rushing
Sam Grisman Project’s rise continues. The band, known for celebrating the beloved catalog of David Grisman and Jerry Garcia’s music and associated covers, shared that on January 9, 2025, they will make their Ryman Auditorium debut in Nashville. The night has been billed as Peter Rowan & Sam Grisman Project and will focus on the music of Old & in Way and more, including pulls from their rich archive of bluegrass standards, beloved covers and originals.
In addition to Rowan, who has made a habit of joining SGP on the road, the night will feature special guests and bluegrass stalwarts Sam Bush and Tim O’Brien. The concert’s lineup is also set to include Chris J. English (percussion), Dominick Leslie (mandolin), Alex Hargreaves (fiddle), Nat Smith (cello), Victor Furtado (clawhammer banjo), Logan Ledger (guitar), and Max Flansburg (guitar).
Speaking to the accolade, Grisman wrote to fans and followers via Instagram: “To say that I am honored to make this particular announcement is probably the understatement of the decade, but it is my great pleasure to announce that on January 9th, 2025, we will be heading to the Mother Church of country music, The Ryman Auditorium, with the great Peter Rowan and some VERY special guests.”
Outlining his intentions for the event, Grisman continued, “Joining in on the fun will be our heroes, mandolin maestros Sam Bush and Tim O’Brien, with more to be announced in the coming weeks. We’ll be playing music from Old & in The Way, and exploring Peter’s other musical universes, as well as songbooks of @daviddawggrisman and @jerrygarcia. This will be an extremely special night of music, and certainly one I won’t ever forget, so it is with full heart, brimming with excitement that I am inviting you friends to join us there!”
Expanding his connection to Rowan, Grisman boasted, “Celebrating Peter’s catalog and his musicality has been the highlight of my year, and getting to curate an evening of Old & In The Way music and so much more, with a cavalcade of friends and heroes on the sacred stage at Ryman, seems like the most spectacular start we could have drawn up for 2025.”
Hours after the band announced their Ryman debut, Sam Grisman Project followed up, adding a date at The Warfield in San Francisco on Feb. 22, 2025, for an evening billed as Melvin Seals & JGB with Sam Grisman Project. Prior to the band’s 2025 touring projections, they will close out the year after a series of runs, taking place on the East Coast currently (South Burlington, Oct. 16; Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Oct 17; Washington D.C., Oct. 18; Baltimore, Oct. 19) before entering the Southern region for a gig at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum on Oct. 25, and festival stand at Hulaween in Live Oak, Fla., on Oct. 27.
After ending their time along the Eastern seaboard, SGP will make their way to the Pacific Northwest for concerts, performing in Bellingham, Wash., on Nov. 14, Seattle on Nov. 15, and Portland, Ore., on Nov. 16 before returning to the South to close out their final commitments of 2024.
Tickets for Sam Grisman Project’s upcoming concerts are on sale now. For more information, visit the band’s official website.
Read Torchbearer: Sam Grisman and The Second Generation of Dawg Music.
