Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives at the Town Hall

Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn, Marty Stuart

The Byrds formed in 1964 in Los Angeles, California, and was leading the folk rock movement in the mid- 1960s and the psychedelic rock market in the late 1960s when the band changed direction again in 1968. The Byrds' sixth album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, became arguably the first full-immersion country-rock album by a popular band. At the time of its release, the album was rejected by both country and rock audiences, but ultimately became a highly influential album, serving as a blueprint for the 1970s country rock and outlaw country movements, as well as the new traditionalist and alternative country genres of the 1990s. The Byrds went through many personnel shifts, with Roger McGuinn as the sole constant member, until McGuinn dismantled the brand when he recorded his first solo album in 1973. Presently, original member David Cosby owns the name of the Byrds.

McGuinn and Chris Hillman were the principal architects of Sweetheart of the Radio (with Gram Parsons, who died in 1973) so, although the duo could no longer call itself the Byrds, McGuinn and Hillman did perform a tribute to their former band and the 50th anniversary of the Sweetheart album. Backed by Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, this was the first tour in which McGuinn and Hillman had performed together in 25 years. The evening at the Town Hall tonight, the first of two consecutive nights, consisted of a first set comprised of the more countrified songs from the Byrds’ early repertoire, a second set replaying the entire Sweetheart album, laced with nostalgic anecdotes, and an encore that included a tribute to one of the Byrds' disciples, Tom Petty. McGuinn, Hillman, Stuart, Kenny Vaughn and Chris Scruggs switched up on acoustic, electric and steel guitars, bass and mandolin for much of the evening, with drummer Harry Stinson adding to their harmonies. The weakest element may have been McGuinn's vocals, which often sounded strained, but the frequent gang harmonies overshadowed this challenge. Country-rock has traveled a long way since Sweetheart's landmark point of origin, and 50 years later the modern context fittingly allowed for a greater acceptance and more suitable reception.

Setlist:

Set 1

1. My Back Pages (Bob Dylan cover)
2. A Satisfied Mind (Joe Hayes cover)
3. Mr. Spaceman (The Byrds cover)
4. Time Between (The Byrds cover)
5. Old John Robertson (The Byrds cover)
6. Wasn't Born to Follow (Carole King cover)
7. Sing Me Back Home (Merle Haggard cover)
8. Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man (The Byrds cover)
9. Mr. Tambourine Man (Bob Dylan cover)
10. Instrumental Outro

Set 2

1. Country Boy Rock & Roll (Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives)
2. Time Don't Wait (Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives)
3. You Ain't Goin' Nowhere (Bob Dylan & The Band cover; McGuinn and Hillman rejoined)
4. Pretty Boy Floyd (Woody Guthrie cover)
5. Hickory Wind (The Byrds cover)
6. Life in Prison (Merle Haggard and The Strangers cover)
7. One Hundred Years From Now (The Byrds cover)
8. Nothing Was Delivered (Bob Dylan & The Band cover)
9. Blue Canadian Rockies (Gene Autry cover)
10. The Christian Life (The Louvin Brothers cover)
11. You're Still on My Mind (Luke McDaniel cover)
12. You Don't Miss Your Water (William Bell cover)
13. I Am a Pilgrim ([traditional] cover)
14. You Ain't Goin' Nowhere (Bob Dylan & The Band cover)

Encore:

1. So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star (The Byrds cover)
2. American Girl (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover)
3. Wildflowers (Tom Petty cover)
4. Runnin' Down a Dream (Tom Petty cover)
5. Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season) (Pete Seeger cover)