The Black Crowes promised special guests for their all-acoustic show at the Ryman Auditorium on Sunday night, but no one was expecting nearly a dozen guests to show up for the Nashville finale. Bluegrass legend Sam Bush, former Black Crowes member Audley Freed, Chuck Mead of BR549 and ALL of Old Crow Medicine Show were just a few of the musicians on hand to sit in with The Black Crowes.

[Photo by @IdlewildSouth]

The first guest to come out last night was mandolinist Sam Bush, who sat in with The Crowes on a total of seven songs including rarities My Heart’s Killing Me, Garden Gate and Deep River Blues (Doc Watson). Bush was also on hand when the evening’s second guest – Audley Freed – who played lead guitar with the late ’90s and early ’00s version of The Black Crowes, joined his old mates. Freed came out early in the show for a Rich Robinson-sung take on Feelin’ Alright and returned for the final song of the evening – Boomer’s Story. Jackie Greene showed off his versatility during the acoustic performance by playing banjo on Whoa Mule and Garden Gate.

One of the evening’s biggest bust outs came towards the middle of the set when the Crowes dusted off a cover of Gram Parsons’ Cash On The Barrelhead with the help of Bush and Chuck Mead of BR549. Both Robinson Brothers had a solo turn during the show as Rich sang All Along The Way from his 2011 solo album, while Chris tackled Someday Past The Sunset from the Chris Robinson Brotherhood’s The Magic Door LP by his lonesome. Then, all the members of the Old Crow Medicine Show guested with The Black Crowes for a lengthy “Double Crow(e)s” segment that featured covers of East Virginia Blues (The Carter Family), Oh The Rain (Blind Willie Johnson) and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (The Band). Other guests included a pair of female vocalists and a percussionist, while another cover debut came in the form of Bob Dylan’s Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues.

Here’s a look at last night’s setlist according to CrowesBase…

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In celebration of his 60th birthday, HT fave Sam Bush released a series of funny webisodes as he embraces his life as a senior cleaning house on senior discount days at Kroger (episodes 16-18); shares a look at his various instruments (episode 15) and even talks about his record collection (episode 14). Happy birthday Sam; we’re looking forward to many more years of your great music and great attitude.

John Coleman spent Labor Day Weekend at moe. down & filed this report…

Warm days and cool nights illuminated by a harvest moon meant plenty of good vibes floating around moe. down 10 at Snow Ridge Ski Resort, in Turin, N.Y. The rustic locale is located just outside the southwestern boundary of the Adirondack Park, rising up among sleepy towns and farms.

Similar to the Mountain Jam stage setup at Hunter Mountain in the Catskills, the main stage faces up a ski slope that provides a great perch for those who chose to challenge its increasingly steep pitch while second stage is located on a flat area near the main lodge, among vendor booths and picnic tables.

Although much was made of the lack of star power when sized up to previous moe. downs, with a mix of veteran acts like Sam Bush, Ani Difranco, Ominous Seapods, Lynch and Cake, and emerging bands like The New Mastersounds, The Heavy Pets and The Nate Wilson group, who could complain? The late addition of Umphrey’s McGee was enough to get those sitting on the fence to spring for the affordable weekend pass.

There were many moe. down highlights, too many to list. But here’s a taste…

1. Bushwhacked!: To cap off moe.’s first set of Day 2, the “Godfather of new-grass,” Sam Bush, joined moe. on fiddle during the instrumental, Meat. The crowd loved it and evidently the band did too, as the sit-in clocked in at just under 24 minutes. Bush also sat in on Mexico earlier in the day.

READ ON for more of John’s moe. down 10 highlights…

We’ve reached the last-day-of-the-festival haze: that sense of overwhelming exhaustion that comes after a lot of good music’s come and gone, a lot of beer’s gone down the gullet, and people are starting to realize not only the scope of their sunburns but figuring out how to come back to reality after three days of being checked out from quotidian challenges like, y’know, work. Stoned kids litter whatever stray seats or patches of grass aren’t mud-spattered, asleep with their mouths agape. The tents are winding down, the buses are starting to pack up, and the security team is regrouping to facilitate the big departure.

There’s only so much Wavy can do, doncha know, to keep spirits lifted, so leave it to Sam Bush to jumpstart a sweaty, leaden afternoon on the concert field by peeling off a string of hot-skillet picking parties with his band and dialing up no false note of enthusiasm. Same Ol’ River is always welcome—a modern-day classic, for sure—but Bush really turned a few heads with a Celtic-sounding fiddle solo that weaved into Whole Lotta Love and then interpolated some of the Allmans’ Les Brers in A Minor to its outro. Nice touch, Sam.

The Soul Stew Revival is up next, followed by the Umph, and finally, the Neville Brothers. And as for your faithful correspondent, he’s about ready to put down his pen after a delightful three days by the seashore.

We’ll check in once more to tie everything up, and thanks for reading!

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You might know him as Mr. Telluride, the King of Newgrass, or just the curly haired red-head who never stops a wailing on that mandolin – unless of course to wail on the fiddle or howl at the moon. As we gear up for the heart of festival season and that special little bluegrass jamboree just north of Durango, let’s get down to business and chat with one of the brightest sounds and smiles of every summer.

We’re speaking, of course, about Sam Bush of the Sam Bush Band, Newgrass Revival, the Bluegrass All-Stars, Strength in Numbers, and an ongoing list that could easy span the rest of the page. Thanks for taking the time Sam; it’s an honor.

Hidden Track: After a big 2006 and 2007, releasing the Laps in Seven album and the On the Road live DVD, what’s on tap from a commercial perspective for 2008?

Sam Bush: Going around the country playing gigs with my band (Byron House, Chris Brown, Scott Vestal, & Stephen Mougin), jamming at festivals with friends and enjoying the communication of music with the audience.

READ ON for more of Rupert’s interview with Sam Bush…