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Ole Smoky Distillery
The Soggy Bottom Boys performed at The Holler, just outside the Ole Smoky Distillery, on March 22, 2014, for a first-ever live performance. Ole Smoky Moonshine hopes that these free concerts are just the beginning of many shindigs that will unify the citizens of Gatlinburg, Tenn. with the thousands of visitors who make their way into this magical holler every year.
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A meet and greet between the Soggy Bottom Boys and fans
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The Soggy Bottom Boys On Stage
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Stuart Duncan (left) and Dan Tyminski, of the Soggy Bottom Boys
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The Soggy Bottom Boys perform "A Man of Constant Sorrow"
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Dan Tyminski and the Soggy Bottom Boys
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Josh of Discovery's Moonshiners fame
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Mike Compton and the Soggy Bottom Boys
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The Soggy Bottom Boys performing live at the Ole Smoky Distillery in Gatlinburg,Tenn.
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The Soggy Bottom Boys performing live at the Ole Smoky Distillery in Gatlinburg,Tenn.
When I first saw George Clooney snuggle up to the radio mic in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, I couldn't believe my ears. What a voice! He has looks, and he can sing. What is it that people say? If it sounds too good to be true, it surely is. Come to find out, it wasn't Clooney that caused my foot-stomping; it was Dan Tyminski. And, those background vocals were far from those two scraggly misfits flanking the star escapee. And when Clooney famously jerked on his beard, well, it didn't hold a candle to when Tymisnki arched his eyebrows in perfect rhythm to the flow of that bluegrass gold.
It's fourteen years later, and that bluegrass gold is still that, gold. The story goes like this. Someone made a phone call, and it just so happened that Dan Tyminski, Stuart Duncan, Barry Bales, Ron Block and Mike Compton had nothing planned, so they accepted the proposal. Those five were the Soggy Bottom Boys, listed by Time Magazine as one of the best fictional bands ever, and on March 22, they gathered at The Holler, just out the front door from Ole Smoky Distillery in Gatlinburg, Tenn., for a first-ever live performance. Hosted by Ole Smoky Distillery, this free concert brought people from all over the South to indulge in their love of bluegrass, to rekindle their love of O Brother, and to be part of a historical gathering.
It was a shoulder-to-shoulder event with a thousand-plus count. In an effort to thank the community for supporting their good fortune, Ole Smoky Moonshine hopes that these free concerts are just the beginning of many shindigs that will unify the citizens of Gatlinburg with the thousands of visitors who make their way into this magical holler every year.
"As a city, Gatlinburg loves special events," says Marci Claude, spokesperson for the Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Ole Smoky Moonshine has created unique events like “Fast Cars and Mason Jars” and now this concert series. The first public appearance of The Soggy Bottom Boys was truly a unique event. Concerts of that magnitude are a great draw for visitors to Gatlinburg. Our community looks forward to the continued development of the Ole Smoky Concert series.”
As dusk approached and the five musicians took the stage, Dan Tyminski exclaimed to the crowd, "The Soggy Bottom Boys are back in business." Screams of delight melded throughout The Holler. Experience this reunion as the boys get down to business.
Judy and Len Garrison make their home in Athens, Georgia. Len, an IT manager for a major Atlanta company, and Judy, an editor and travel writer, want to hear from you as you follow along on their travels and then experience them for yourself. They would love to hear your comments and travel or profile suggestions at seeingsouthern@gmail.com. They make their home on Two Coots Travel, and you can always follow their travels on Twitter at @judyhgarrison and @seeing_southern. Don't forget to like them on facebook.