Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Reprises “Circle” Moment at Earl Scruggs Fest

Editor’s Note: This review is a contribution from independent country music journalist and photographer Kevin Smith. All photos by Kevin Smith.

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The 4th annual Earl Scruggs Music Festival was held in 2025 over Labor Day weekend August 29th to 31st in Mill Springs North Carolina at the Tryon International Equestrian Facility, not far from Earl Scruggs birthplace near Shelby NC. The 2025 event boasted a lineup that was stacked with legends of the genre, including Alison Krauss and Union Station, Sam Bush, Earls of Leicester, Watchhouse, Del McCoury Band, Sister Sadie, Sierra Hull, Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, War and Treaty, Authentic Unlimited and many more.

But the Sunday finale set belonged to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Folks were looking forward to simply getting an opportunity to pay their respects to the legendary band who are now on their Farewell Tour. During the day at the festival, little hints were surfacing that this performance might be something a little more special.

Its been over 50 years that the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has existed, from their humble roots as a scrappy bunch of fledgling musicians in California with a jug band back in 1966, to becoming superstars in the country and roots music realm. They would enjoy a string of hits including “Mr Bojangles,” “Long Hard Road (The Sharecroppers Dream),” “Dance Little Jean,” “Fishin In The Dark,” and many others in their 5 plus decades as a touring band.

But unquestionably, their largest contribution to music has been the phenomenal triple record set Will The Circle Be Unbroken. The album, now in the Grammy Hall of Fame and praised by music critics, musicians, and fans alike, is widely considered to be one of the most important recordings made in the history of country music. It brought together towering founders of the bluegrass and country genres including Mother Maybelle Carter, Roy Acuff, Jimmy Martin, Merle Travis, Doc Watson and of course Earl Scruggs himself. Scruggs was key to the entire album, and today it stands as another of his many successful accomplishments.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken was ultimately so successful, the band made two sequel albums. You can read more about this legendary album in this interview with former Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member John McEuen.

Early Sunday afternoon on the Legends Stage, two of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s founders, Jeff Hanna and Jimmie Fadden were interviewed by noted music journalist Craig Havighurst. The subject was devoted to discussing Earl Scruggs and the making of the Circle album. Hanna and Fadden shared many humorous and interesting anecdotes from the band’s early history and how they would come to be a part of one of the greatest concept albums of all time. They also shared details of that magical recording session in the Woodlands Studio where it was done.

Later in the evening as everyone gathered for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s set, they noticed an unusual amount of microphone stands set up across the stage. I whispered to one of the other journalists in the photo pit, and he looked at me and said “rumor has it that the band may intend to perform the Circle album tonight!”

It didn’t take very long to verify. JT Scruggs is the man behind the festival and Earl’s nephew. He shared a few words with the crowd and mentioned we were about to see something incredibly special in just a few moments. As Jeff Hanna, Jimmie Fadden, Bob Carpenter, Jaime Hanna and Jim Photoglo all strode onto the stage, they were followed by a jaw dropping procession of legendary pickers. Jerry Douglas, Rob McCoury, Sam Bush and Shawn Camp all filed onstage. Jeff Hanna wasted no time telling the highly excited crowd that they were going to do an entire set of songs from the Circle album, along with a few of their friends. Would that be okay with the audience?

Amidst thundering applause heard from throughout the audience, they launched into “Grand Ole Opry Song” with Shawn Camp singing the lead vocal. More songs followed, and two of the younger stars from the scene were invited onstage to join the band, namely the phenomenal Sierra Hull who had performed earlier in the day with the Earls of Leicester, and recent flatpicking phenom and Grammy winner Trey Hensley.

It was an insane amount of talent on the stage and almost stupefying to take it all in. You had multiple Grammy winners, multiple IBMA winners, members of the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, and some Grand Ole Opry members. The setlist included many legendary songs including Acuff’s “Wreck on The Highway,” Merle Travis’ “Dark as a Dungeon,” Jimmy Martin’s “Walkin Shoes,” and others. Featured vocalists took their turns at the mic and would then walk offstage allowing others to cycle in and out. Jeff Hanna, the frontman of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band acted as bandleader and introduced each guest.

Sierra Hull, who had already performed on Saturday with her band, got tremendous love from the crowd when she took on the part of Mother Maybelle Carter, picking guitar and singing “Wildwood Flower,” “Keep On The Sunny Side,” and a duet with Jeff Hanna on “You are My Flower.” Sierra Hull is a force in the bluegrass and Americana worlds, and we are fortunate to have her. One of the great moments was watching her and Sam Bush trade off on mandolin solos. You could see the admiration each of them held for the other and their joy in playing was infectious. The most influential dobro player of all-time, Jerry Douglas, looked absolutely energized by all of it as he ripped off monumental dobro leads. This night’s performance was epic.

Trey Hensley was also highly impressive to watch, and the crowd went wild over his fearsome flat-picking skills and deep baritone vocals on Travis’ “Nine-Pound Hammer” and other songs. He too represents all that is great about young blood coming into the bluegrass world. His set earlier in the day with musical partner Rob Ickes was jaw-dropping and one for the books. Keep an eye on this young Grammy winner and check out his many albums with Rob Ickes, he’s a force to be reckoned with for certain. Now that Ickes has decided to quit the touring, Hensley is in a perfect position to do just about anything he sets his mind to.

The night continued with with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band doing some of their own songs and hits including “Mr. Bojangles” and crowd favorite “Bayou Jubilee.” But it was the closing that really brought the magic ending to the festival, with all gathered back onstage to perform the Circle album’s centerpiece: “Will The Circle be Unbroken.” The entire evening’s performance was a stunning tribute to country music, bluegrass, American music, and a tribute to one of the greatest musicians of all time, Earl Scruggs. The banner above the main stage this year boldly declared “The Music is Coming Home.” Indeed, it did come home in 2025, and the attendees of Earl Scruggs Fest no doubt agree.

Note: There will be a further story on The Earl Scruggs Music Festival coming soon to Saving Country Music. Stay Tuned.