Music
A Winter Tradition Returns: Del McCoury Closes Five-Night Wolf Trap Residency in Classic Bluegrass Style
February 4, 2026 @ 12:07pm
Photos by Dan Rozman
Del McCoury walked onto the stage at The Barns at Wolf Trap on January 21st and reminded everyone why he’s considered a national bluegrass treasure. This Classic Bluegrass concert was the final night of a five-night residency, and each show had a different theme. Many fans attended multiple nights because the shows had a unique feel.
The Barns at Wolf Trap is an intimate venue in Vienna, Virginia. It’s part of the larger Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. The barn setting fits perfectly with the night of traditional bluegrass music. McCoury has been playing The Barns for years. It’s become a winter tradition for him and his fans.
McCoury has been playing bluegrass since the 1960s. He started as a banjo picker before Bill Monroe wanted him to play guitar and sing. That connection to bluegrass history runs deep. “I used to sing this with Bill Monroe at the Grand Ole Opry,” McCoury said when introducing “Live and Let Live.”
The Del McCoury Band isn’t just Del on the stage. His sons Ronnie (mandolin) and Rob (banjo) have been playing with him for decades. Alan Bartram has been on bass since 1994. Christian Ward joined on fiddle in early 2025 after Jason Carter’s departure. The Nashville-based Ward had filled in before becoming permanent. He brings melodic fire to the performances. This lineup has stayed remarkably stable over the years. That consistency shows in how tight they sound together and according to Del has contributed to the band’s success.
The setlist mixed traditional covers with McCoury originals. He played “Rolling My Sweet Baby’s Arms,” which he first recorded in 1967 with Bill Emerson and Billy Baker. There was “White House Blues,” originally done by Charlie Poole and The North Carolina Ramblers. The band also performed “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” by Flatt and Scruggs, and Bill Monroe’s “Raw Hide” as an encore.
One of the night’s highlights was “Blue and Lonesome,” written by Bill Monroe and Hank Williams. McCoury told a story about performing with a rock band at Camp Oswego. The rock band’s leader invited McCoury’s group to their venue. They performed the recorded song plus other bluegrass tunes including “Blue and Lonesome.” McCoury said he was surprised they knew the old-time bluegrass tunes and many of his songs. The Wolf Trap fans loved the 1999 story about Trey Anastasio and (as Del called them) “a little garage band called Phish.”
McCoury also talked about his time with Jimmy Martin, who had worked with Bill Monroe before partnering with the Osborne brothers. McCoury shared stories that were told to him by Earl Taylor about his band in Baltimore, which featured Walter Hensley, Sam “Porky” Hutchins, and Vernon ‘Boatwhistle’ McIntyre who played bass and did comedy. A folklorist from New York City discovered Taylor’s band and got them a gig at Carnegie Hall. These weren’t just random anecdotes. The evening’s history lesson showed how connected the bluegrass community has always been.
The band performed “Hit Parade of Love” with McCoury giving background on the song first. He emphasized that every song should tell a story. That philosophy showed throughout the night. When introducing “White House Blues,” he mentioned it references President Garfield getting shot in Buffalo, New York. The song fits McCoury’s view that classic bluegrass shouldn’t be too uptempo or too bluesy.
Three generations of the McCoury family played together that night. Del’s grandson Heaven joined the band on guitar. Watching a family tradition continue like that added something special to the performance.
McCoury gives every band member space to shine. That’s been his approach for years. He doesn’t hog the spotlight. The musicians around him get their moments and always blow it away.
The spiritual number “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” opened the encore. McCoury invited the audience to sing along. That kind of participation fits the communal nature of bluegrass music. After the encore, a number of audience members sang Happy Birthday to McCoury a few weeks in advance of his 87th birthday.
The Wolf Trap shows were just one stop on the band’s 2026 tour. They’ll be playing across the country through the spring and summer. The big event is DelFest 2026, the annual music festival McCoury founded in 2008. It takes place in Cumberland, Maryland over Memorial Day weekend from May 21-24. The four-day camping festival features multiple stages with bluegrass and Americana artists. Delfest has grown into one of the East Coast’s major bluegrass gatherings. Previous lineups have included names like Trey Anastasio, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Sam Bush, and many more alongside the McCourys.
After five nights at The Barns, McCoury showed he hasn’t lost a step. His voice still carries the lonesome quality that bluegrass requires. His stories still connect the past to the present. And his band still delivers the kind of traditional bluegrass that made him famous in the first place.
The Barns at Wolf Trap will welcome McCoury back. He’s been there before and local fans hope he’ll be there again. It is always a treat to see Del and “the boys.”
Setlist from setlist.fm
Little Girl of Mine in Tennessee
I Know What It Means to Be Lonesome
(Clyde Moody cover)
Shackles and Chains
(Jimmie Davis cover)
Foggy Mountain Breakdown
(Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs & The Foggy Mountain Boys cover)
Live and Let Live
(Wiley Walker & Gene Sullivan cover)
Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms
([traditional] cover)
White House Blues
(Charlie Poole & The North Carolina Ramblers cover)
Encore:
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
([traditional] cover)
Raw Hide
(Bill Monroe cover)
Photos by Dan Rozman:
