Shenandoah

The Read

Shenandoah ran a string of country hits — “Two Dozen Roses,” “The Church on Cumberland Road,” “Next to You, Next to Me” — during a period when the genre briefly rewarded bands with actual harmony singing and a rhythm section that swung. Raybon’s voice sits somewhere between country and bluegrass, and it has weathered better than most of his contemporaries. The material holds up because it was written to be played, not programmed. The Ryman is a generous room for this kind of catalog: seated, acoustically flattering, full of people who know every word and are not embarrassed about it. Expect the gospel and bluegrass corners of the set to be the strongest part. Nostalgia shows live or die on whether the band still enjoys the songs. This one usually sounds like it does.

The Room

Ryman Auditorium

116 5th Ave N

Built in 1892 as a tabernacle by river captain Thomas Ryman, who was converted at a Sam Jones revival — little did he know it would become the church of American roots music.