And their all gone up to Bluegrass Heaven, While Tom waits to make sure Duffey's got everything just the way he's comfie with the new setting there, before he's gonna let anyone else up there, so Tom, you've always been patient, so you'll have to wait until you hear Duffey call your name, alright ? God's Speed my Ole friend. Allan

F**king ziggy

Written by Merle Travis

I was in the audience there. I had fallen for this man a year before at the sugar loaf crafts festival when I was 17. I still adore him. Lee

Did you leave the VHS tape in a very hot car for a few days?

Terrible video quality.

This was the time, the place, the sweet-spot of great American bluegrass. This was before they went to the table setup.

my friends and i went most every thursday during our last 3 years of high school and 3 years more. Ritual!

What else can be said by such talented musicians that I've followed since I first met Tom, back in 1957 when he was actually playing the mandolin, and was at a friend of mines house where Tom, Mounty, and another of Tom's friends by the name of Jerry were going to jam with Tank Giles and banjo player, Douglas Teagle ,but most of all I recall Tom doing a solo, that's always been a favorite of mine, a Stanley bros. Number called: ANGEL BAND, Tom aced it of course, and a few years later, Tom was where he was valued by the hottest urban bluegrass band in the DC. Area, that was The Country Gentlemen, where they played every Thursday night, as well as the Red Fox in Bethesda, as well as a place on Rockville Pike. Always superb music & musicians second to none.

All you need is an acoustic, harp and a 1/4/5 progression and you’re set 😎

Holy crap the elite skill and awesome vocals come through the years like a friendly ghost. I love all these guys Ben Eldridge, Mike Aldridge, John Duffy, Tom Grey man what a lineup.

Absolutely one of, if not, THE FINEST !!, set of harmonies, in the Washington DC Regional Area, and all of America. I was so very fortunate to get to visit, see, and Listen To !!, this great band, in this, the very early, Arlington, VA, Birchmere Bar & Grill in 1979 !! I am forever grateful for being shown about this fine establishment !!!!

Thanks for posting this video. I'm very lucky to have seen them with the original band in the early 70's in the D.C. area.

Not an amazing place, but they booked amazing acts. In one week I saw Richard Thompson, Jorma Kaukonen and these guys.

Where's the Seldom Scene?

I spent pretty much every Thursday night at the Birchmere '77 and '78 with my BEST friends ! LOVED the Thursday night (practice) sessions. Anything could happen and of course EVERYONE was tanked ;)

who else is here from season 2 of the wire

Larry the Legend! (aka Mike Auldridge)

So glad I ran across this exceptional performance. 5 Stars!!!!!

John Duffy is the greatest. John and Charlie Waller will never die. These people are great.

This Harmonica player and lead guitar are in total rhythm with one another. The Harmonica makes this song.

A movie named "The Wire" brought me here. This song starts after a character named Ziggy pulls his dic_ out in a crowded Longshoremen's Tavern. Them jokers had one crazy good time in that scene.

I fuckiing hate blues but love these guys .One of my favorite songs of all time

Thank you for that post David!

Phil Rosenthal wrote a great song (Muddy Water), but his voice is no comparison to John Starling's. He was the best!

I believe this concert was shown on a PBS station about a year after it was live. I had it on a VHS recorded off the PBS broadcast. Sadly, I had a house fire in ‘93 and it was lost. Would love a CD of this concert.

Could have been there that night. Used to go many Thursday nights when the Scene appeared.

Great stuff..duffey.

Man.this stuff is so good..go get them scene...duff and auld.rj

Phil Rosenthal is a gem. I saw them so many times here. love this music.

Tape is awesome bluegrass..go seldom scene.1979..rj..some of us remember..I saw them live in 85.rj

This was two Birchmere locations ago, off Walter Reed rd in a bombed out old shopping center.

Holy moly this footage is beat up

Takes me back to just about every Thursday evening in high school. Can't even remember how many nights I watched, sang alone and clapped my ass off. Love to see more clips if you can find/ convert.

Can't remember how many Thursday evenings I spent there

These guys are tight, professionals deluxeo

woo! my fave cephas & wiggins tune!

If Orpheus played like that, it's no wonder Hades wept.

I saw them on that stage many times back then. Thanks for uploading.

Mark Wenner is a blues harmonica genius.

Mark is Da Man!

Awesome lead guitar playing by Dudley during that instrumental!!

Love that drum solo by my man Pete Ragusa!

I love this video! Thank you so much for posting this! My goal is to be a director, and I am always fascinated with the magic "behind the scenes".

I always liked that tune. Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Love it!

Thanks for sharing this piece of musical history!

Don/t apologize, I love it! If it were not for this I would never have been able the experience the start of my favorite band of all time at the Birchmere! Thanks so much.

I am discovering Bluegrass afresh and I have deeply fallen in love with the Johnson Mountain Boys. This is one of the best musical performances I've heard in my life! Thank you for sharing it. Would you be uploading the rest of the video footage?

A young Red Shipley MC-ing! I had the privilege of subbing for him on Stained Glass Bluegrass at WJMA in Orange a few times in the late 1990's.