The Hawk

Issue date: 1/31/07 Section: Entertainment

John McEuen and his sons Jonathan and Nathan McEuen have teamed up to create a tour combining family talents. McEuen has been touring with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for forty years and has received a Grammy and CMA Award for his efforts with the band. When he is not touring with the Dirt Band, he has been known to play with such celebrities as Vassar Clements, John Sebastian, and Kevin Nealon. For this short, two-part tour, McEuen is taking his own sons out on the road. Jonathan McEuen, of Hanna-McEuen, has been playing on the road since he was seventeen and has appeared on the albums of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Dave Mason, and has done his own solo work. Nathan McEuen, the youngest son of John, has his own album Grand Design, and has played over 200 shows on his own in the past year.

Together, the McEuens make up the tour E=MC3 (entertainment equals the McEuen Three). Starting in Aspen, Colo., and winding around the country to eventually end in their state of residence, California, the trio made a stop in Sellersville, PA this last Thursday. The small theater, about an hour away from Philadelphia, was crammed with John McEuen enthusiasts, yelling out requests as the sounds of guitars, fiddle, mandolin, piano, and banjo flowed out from the stage. The trio played such Dirt Band favorites as "Mr. Bojangles," "Lowlands," and "Long Hard Road." Not to be forgotten, the boys also showcased their personal talents. Jonathan McEuen played "Ocean" and "Prayer for You," two piano love ballads. Nathan included his own songs from his album Grand Design such as the title track "Grand Design" and "Don't Belong Here."

Throughout the entire show the family created humor to put the audience at ease and to flow seamlessly through the set. While John McEuen struggled to find another bluegrass song to play, Nathan jumped into beat boxing and sent his brother into his own rendition of "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley. In the middle of the song, John broke in to start rapping in an attempt to keep his audience interested. The song finished out with the whole crowd exploding in laughter while the boys continued into another Dirt Band favorite. Another song break occurred when Jonathan took a turn at the piano. He erupted into the Michael McDonald song "Taking It to the Streets", and the whole crowd was in stitches again.

When I asked Nathan about what it feels like to play with family members, he explained, "It's a one-of-a-kind experience that I don't think a lot of people get to have. We have each other's backs. It's on the fly, but it feels like it's been rehearsed. I feel very fortunate to be able to have these experiences with my family because they are very few and far between. Having the vocal blend of brothers is a very unique thing these days in music and it's nice to play with the people who inspired me to play music." Their love for music and love for each other was evident as they played their set. As the McEuens played their last song, they received a standing ovation and an overwhelming request for an encore. The original Nitty Gritty Dirt Band fans called out more favorites, but the boys surprised everyone as they started into another beat box and sang a Prince favorite, "Kiss." The show ended with another explosion of applause and a very satisfied audience.

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