Chatham County Line’s Electric Holiday Tour isn’t your typical holiday gig

Titles sometimes can be deceiving, and music is no different. For instance, if you see the word “holiday” in a tour’s name, it’s safe to assume you’re in for a night of Christmas standards.



But with Chatham County Line’s Electric Holiday Tour, the band hopes their annual show is just one way they surprise those who underestimate them.

The bluegrass outfit will continue its December tradition with a set Dec. 15, at downtown Raleigh’s Lincoln Theatre, marking a homecoming show for the Raleigh-based entertainers.

”There’s very little Christmas music actually played during the holiday shows,” lead singer-songwriter Dave Wilson said in a phone interview with The News & Observer during downtime before the tour kicks off.

“The way the show is set up is that each of us take a turn up at the mic, performing one or two songs that member has always wanted to play live, and it’s almost always something we grew up listening to on an AM or FM radio station,” Wilson said. “I’ve actually kept meaning to make a list of everything we’ve ever covered at these shows over the years, because it’d be awesome to throw it on our website, both for the fans and for us.”

This is just one of the misconceptions Wilson clears up as we discuss the vibe that the band strives for during their shows this time of year, as well as last-minute changes in the concert bill.



Q: Do you ever look into the crowd while playing an Electric Holiday show and see an audience member confused by the lack of Christmas music?



A: If Chatham County Line ever plays a show that could be billed as a “Family & Friends show,” the Electric Holiday concerts would be it. The way we’ve always viewed them is it’s our version of the corporate office Christmas party, where everyone has a chance to have one or two drinks, to just loosen up and have fun around the same folks that we’d usually be a lot more structured around.



Q: It seems like the Holiday tours have been pretty structured for the past several years; there are always four shows roughly breaking down to one Raleigh hometown show, two shows going to two markets that you have strong fanbases in, and the remaining show changing cities each year. This year you’re playing Raleigh; Washington, D.C.; Richmond, Va.; and the floater show going to Hickory. What made you decide to play Hickory this year?



A: They have a great new venue that has only been open one or two concert seasons now, and when they reached out to us to play, we jumped at the chance. For years we’ve driven past Hickory on the way to other cities during tours, and had always wondered why no one would open a place there to play music, as it’s just a beautiful area full of great music lovers. It’s such a great city, and has such great audiences, we’re happy to bring the show to them this year.



Q: We wanted to touch on the other performers you have lined up to play with the band this Saturday night, as all three have local ties. How did Johnny Irion, Jay Brown and Zeke Hutchins become involved in this year’s Raleigh show?



A: Well, there is actually a change to that lineup, as Zeke Hutchins is no longer appearing. Zeke lives and works in New York City, and manages a bunch of bands there now, and was just too swamped with work to be able to come down for the show. He’s been replaced by Evans Nicholson, who has ties to the Triangle music scene through playing drums for a few different bands, including Old Habits.



Johnny Irion has played the Triangle for years now, both solo and as a duo, with his wife, Sarah Lee Guthrie. He’s just a great singer-songwriter that we can’t wait to play a few shows with this month.

Jay Brown is someone everyone around Raleigh should know, and probably do, in one way or another. He’s always playing somewhere around Asheville, but he’s performed here a ton, as well. Most recently, I think a lot of folks would probably know him from Tonk, the old school country band he plays in. He’s just a great musician, and can play just about anything you throw at him.

Details

Who: Chatham County Line with Johnny Irion, Jay Brown and Evans Nicholson

When: 8:30 p.m., Dec. 15

Tickets: $20

Where: Lincoln Theatre, 126 E. Cabarrus St., Raleigh

Info: LincolnTheatre.com or 919-821-4111

This story was originally published December 12, 2018 at 3:15 PM.