For the second consecutive Thursday evening, we had tickets in hand to a live music event. Having spent the previous Thursday catching up with The Sadies in State College, PA, this time around, we pointed the car south for a return visit to Live at Hub City Vinyl in Hagerstown, eagerly anticipating an evening of traditional/contemporary bluegrass care of Kentucky duo The Local Honeys.
Given that I am tuned mostly into the Canadian folk-roots scene for my listening pleasures, I often rely on the recommendations of GDW friends to put US and British artists on my radar. Best guess, it was probably around mid 2023 when one of my UK-based pals strongly suggested I explore the music of The Local Honeys – and given that our music tastes overlap on many counts, social media pages were ‘liked,’ and the name subsequently locked away to be saved for a rainy day.
Announcing an extensive fall tour back in August that takes The Local Honeys across the US eastern seaboard between October and December, I must confess that a smile broke out on my face when noticing that the opening show happened to be at one of my favorite listening rooms in Hagerstown. Tickets bought! Can I confess also to noting a Harrisburg, PA date in there too for December? Could this mean a two-fer in our future? Stay tuned, but based on my first experience in Hagerstown, grabbing another set of tickets sure is a tempting proposition right now.
Having not taken time to familiarize myself with their music, I envisioned an evening of traditional bluegrass from the duo of Linda Jean Stokley (guitars/harmonium/vocals) and Montana Hobbs (banjo/vocals) – but upon entering the venue, saw a stage set up for at least five musicians. And joined by Don Rogers (guitar/violin), Chris Justice (bass), and Max Nolte (drums), the screaming, distorted guitar rings from Linda Jean’s vintage Gibson to kick off the show left me questioning if this was a bluegrass show or a rock concert. But as the evening quickly filled with timeless vocals, banjo, fiddle, and even some harmonium, if I took one thing away from this show, it is the realization that the next generation of folk-bluegrass is in GREAT hands with artists such as The Local Honeys.
“My God, hello, how y’all doing,” Montana asked, following “Freight Train Blues.” And with a warm response, added, “Well, that sucked. How are you doing?” With a much livelier and engaged reaction, Montana would continue her address. “That’s better, okay. We’re the Local Honeys and we like being here at Hub City Vinyl, the largest vinyl store in the state of Maryland. Hell yeah. This is our first time here in the city of Hagerstown and we thank you all so much for coming out and being with us tonight.”
Performing in this dedicated space directly adjacent to the record store, Linda Jean would pick up this thread later in the evening when discussing a song taken by request “that we actually know” – prompting her to share her own pros and cons about physical and digital media. “Oh, when Spotify tries to cram something down your throat, and you’re like, I don’t like this, stop, Spotify,” she commenced. “Thank God we’re in a physical media store right now. Spotify is a dirty, dirty girl. But we must pay her! We must use her! Because that’s how people listen to music too. You can listen to vinyl, and you can listen to digital media, but there is something so ritualistic and awesome about physical media and holding a vinyl record. There is something so magical about vinyl specifically. I mean, a CD, I think I can grasp the concept of how that works, but for some reason, I do and I don’t.” “What about cassettes,” came a question from the back of the room. “Cassette. At least it’s on film, and it’s so analog you can put your finger in there and rewind it and stuff,” Linda Jean responded. “But there is something about the magic of a vinyl record. Vinyl rules. That’s all I have to say, that’s my soapbox.”
Performing a great cross section of original tunes and traditional covers across two 45-minute sets, the band would also share their two 2025 single releases, “The Space Girl’s Song,” and “Darlin’ Don’t You Know That’s Wrong.” Following a stellar cover of “Sorry You’re Sick,” Linda Jean would take a moment to offer her gratitude to the room. “I did mean to say earlier, that this place has been so gracious and sweet and kind to us. This is so special and sweet, so thank you.”
Linda Jean and Montana would return to commence the second set as a duo to perform their cover of “Hares on the Mountain,” with Linda Jean telling a tale of the song’s origins as the band made their way back to the stage. “We learned that one from one of our friends’ in Ireland. She learned it from Shirley Collins, this great English balladeer and folk song collector. And she learned it when she was accompanying Alan Lomax through the American south,” she shared. “We went to Ireland and learned it from some chick, who learned it from this chick in England, who played it in the States. That’s a traveling S.O.B of a song!”
It was during this second set that Montana would share a pair of tales, one that spread strong messages of familial bonds across the generations (leading into “Better Than I Deserve”), and prior to “Last Mule in the Holler,” discussed an equestrian tale that generated plenty of laughter. “You many know this, you may not know this, but Linda grew up around horses when she was a kid, and I grew up showing my ass!” And following the chuckles from the room, Montana would continue. “I used to go every summer to middle Tennessee with my dad to show gaited walking mules and donkeys. I would show my ass in Tennessee every summer! You guys ever done that? If you’ve been to Broadway, you’ve shown your ass!”
With many cries for “Cigarette Trees” from the audience as the band closed their second set and exited the stage, Montana and Linda Jean would return as a duo once again to appease those demands for this popular cut, before bringing the band out on last time to send everybody home with Linda’s interpretation of “Black Girl (In The Pines),” a traditional tune popularized by Lead Belly. An outstanding evening of music from a talented ensemble – and an experience that only makes the decision to purchase future tickets a no-brainer. See you in Harrisburg!
Set List:
- Freight Train Blues
- Plastic Jesus
- Dead Horses
- If I Could Quit
- Lonely Old Man
- Sorry You’re Sick
- ***Unknown Title***
- The Space Girl’s Song
- The L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore
- Dying To Make A Living
- Clean Sheets
- Hares On The Mountain (sans band)
- Darlin’ Don’t You Know That’s Wrong
- I Don’t Care What You Saw (sic)
- Toadstool
- Last Mule In The Holler
- 300 miles (Darrin Hacquard cover – by request)
- Better Than I Deserve
- Throw Me In The Thicket (When I Die)
Encore:
- Cigarette Trees (sans band)
- Black Girl (Lead Belly cover)
Photo Credit: Tour Poster – Artist Website
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
