Bluegrass Wednesdays burning up in Highlands

Nitrograss. Band photo.

HIGHLANDS — I was nearly a week deep into an escape from Nashville’s early summer heat, enjoying the cool Western Carolina mountain air and not really expecting to see any quality music or find any good watering holes when we got to Highlands.

After all, having spent a summer there working landscaping, I didn’t remember the place for live music, and usually when someone mentioned watering holes it was a reference to swimming.  For music, a fella heads to Asheville or maybe down the hill to Brevard. When it comes to social outings in the North Carolina high country, campfires and back porches  rule the night.

Don’t get me wrong, ain’t nothing wrong with that (in fact, I count that summer among my best), but sometimes, a good pub and some quality live music helps break things up a little.  Consequently, I was pleasantly surprised to find out about a new Highlands pub, the Ugly Dog, and even more pleased to hear a rumor that some quality bluegrass was being laid down every Wednesday night.

The wife and I, hoping to verify the bluegrass rumor, showed up around nine on the Wednesday prior to Memorial Day. Upon grabbing some frothy pints of 13 Rebels ESB, we settled-in for a game of darts.  Not too many bulls eyes suffered the points of our projectiles before the sound of one of my favorite bluegrass tunes, “High on the Mountaintop,” drew us out of the dart room to a table squarely in front of Asheville’s Nitrograss, who were being accompanied by fiddler/crooner Rebecca White.

Nitrograss and Ms. White tore through their second set with an energy typically reserved for Highlands porch stomps circa 1960.  The eclectic set included “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn,” “Carrie Brown,” a soulful rendition of  “John Henry” from Ms. White, and some classic rock tunes that included the Allman Brothers’ “Midnite Rider.”

Often, when you’re on vacation it doesn’t really matter if the musicians that happen to be playin’ at the local watering hole are any good, but sometimes you’re lucky and come across something or somebody that really makes you glad bands will always show up to supply the soundtrack for whatever unsuspecting motley crew of rolickers shows up at the local bar.

That Wednesday in Highlands, we felt lucky.  Nitrograss’s Charles Woods displayed a banjo pickin’ talent more typically on display in Telluride or Wilkesboro.  In the closing song of the night, a rollicking version of the classic fiddle tune, “Orange Blossom Special,” Woods showed off with a solo that made me wonder whether the song was really written for the banjo.

High on the mountaintop, those ESBs couldn’t have tasted better.

Check out Charles Wood and Nitrograss in Western North Carolina this summer.  If you can make it up the hill, I recommend seeing ‘em with Rebecca White at the Ugly Dog, Highlands, NC (currently scheduled every Wednesday through June).