The Wood Brothers Captivate With Their Ryman Headline
Now over twenty years into their illustrious career, The Wood Brothers return to the Ryman in support of their 2025 studio album, Puff of Smoke. Not to be overshadowed, their debut, Ways Not to Lose, was set to turn twenty just two days following their Ryman performance, leaving the band with quite a lot to celebrate.
Many folks may not be familiar with The Wood Brothers. Truth be told, they’re a sort of ‘musicians’ musician,’ inspiring the artists that surround them and quietly paving the way for others in their lane. Splicing together elements of roots, blues, rock, county, gospel, and an array of other sounds, The Wood Brothers have uniquely positioned themselves as a one of one act, something that is quite evident by their cult-like following.
Kicking off the night with “Where My Baby Might Be,” a bluesy left-of-center track from their aforementioned debut, the band quickly hits their stride. Chris Wood, armed with his upright bass and harmonica, reaches out and grabs the audience’s attention. It is a thumping groove, reminiscent of the slow march of a trail pulling into the station. Multi-instrumentalist/percussionist Jano Rix is equally as fast to join overtop with his shuitar, a custom-made guitar that’s been tweaked to function more as a percussion instrument that a stringed one. Light tapping and delicate finger runs add a distinctive flair to the ensemble’s instrumentation. The song maintains its melodic pace for the majority of its run time, only breaking form to occasionally break out into a disruptive roots-laden jam.
Midway through the night the band brought out Katie Pruitt, their opener, Jess Nolan, Pruitt’s backing vocalist, and singer Hadley Kennary for a handful of songs around an open mic. Balancing out Oliver Wood’s distinctive rasp, Pruitt, Nolan, and Kennary add a layer of warmth the band’s already homey appeal. It feels more akin to a partnership than simple background vocals, with Pruitt, more known for her songwriting and introspection, taking the cake and stunning vocally. The Wood Brothers and Katie go back many years and she has toured with the trio extensively, allowing for an already fostered chemistry to really explode on stage.
The highlight of the night had to be “Luckiest Man,” the band’s biggest track and for good reason. Oliver’s twangy strumming and earnest vocals lends the song its immediate connection, it has an ability to grab the audience by the shoulders and not let go. This is the sort of song you expect to transcend a band, for this trio I’d expect the highest praise would be seeing it become a folk standard, much like “Little Liza Jane” that the band performed themselves. It is rich, it is layered, and truthfully it was just a perfect execution of on stage performance.
Setlist
1. Where My Baby Might Be
2. River Takes the Town
3. The Truth Is the Light
4. Is It Up to You
5. Pray God Listens
6. Tried and Tempted
7. Puff of Smoke
8. Spirit
9. Loaded
10. Have You No Shame (ft. Katie Pruitt and Jess Nolan)
11. Little Liza Jane (ft. Katie Pruitt and Jess Nolan)[traditional cover]
12. Above All Others (ft. Katie Pruitt, Jess Nolan, and Hadley Kennary)
13. Money Song
14. Slow Rise (To the Middle)
15. One More Day
16. Luckiest Man
17. The Trick
18. Witness
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19. Postcards From Hell
For fans of Americana and roots music, those who enjoy the sounds of old blue, and those who are simply intrigued by complex and interesting instrumentation, The Wood Brothers are simply a treat. This is a group of musicians who take a lot of pride in their craft and continue to push the boundaries of the genres they encompass. The Wood Brothers are a live display of the highest musical talent that can be achieved.
You can find a link to all of The Wood Brothers’ upcoming shows here.