The Mavericks and Friends Salute Raul Malo at the Ryman

Friday night, the Ryman overflowed with praise — from luminaries in country, rock and beyond — for trailblazing singer-songwriter Raul Malo and his longtime band The Mavericks. Maggie Rose called Malo “the best vocalist Nashville, Tenn., has ever seen.” Jim Lauderdale applauded him for creating “one of the greatest batch of songs to be sung.” Emily West simply described The Mavericks as “the best band in the world.” 

But none captured the night quite like Anthony Mason, a CBS journalist and friend of the band who emceed part of the show. At one point, Mason said from the stage, “When I need an IV injection of pure joy, I go to see The Mavericks.” 

Mason, Rose, Lauderdale and others gathered inside the Mother Church for Dance the Night Away, a pair of tribute shows Friday and Saturday celebrating 35 years of The Mavericks. The night comes after the band cleared its touring schedule in late September due to Malo’s diagnosis with leptomeningeal disease, an advanced cancer impacting the brain and spinal cord. The condition progressed from Stage IV colon cancer, a diagnosis Malo shared with the public in 2024. Friday and Saturday at the Ryman, a rotating cast of familiar songwriters and instrumentalists joined the other members of The Mavericks — guitarist Eddie Perez, drummer Paul Deakin and keys player Jerry Dale McFadden — for a show celebrating the frontman who couldn’t join them, as he’d been taken to the hospital Dec. 4. The pair of shows were organized in part as a benefit for nonprofit Stand Up to Cancer.

And from dueling accordion solos on the James Otto-led “Come Unto Me” to Joshua Ray Walker’s crooning take on “Pardon Me,” the band sounded airtight. Perez and company played a blend of music that can be traced to Malo’s love for rockabilly riffs on Elvis Presley records and the almost tangible heartache in a Hank Williams song. The group channeled a practiced energy that dates back to nights cutting teeth in Florida punk clubs; with horns, accordions and touches of auxiliary percussion, the expanded ensemble layered the songs with sounds inspired by the Latin music Malo heard during his formative years as a Cuban American kid in Miami. 

The show provided a time-stretching journey through The Mavericks’ catalog — including a theatrical take on Malo solo song “Every Little Thing About You,” fronted by onetime Mavericks member Jaime Hanna (who now plays alongside his dad Jeff Hanna in Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and sat in with The Mavericks for most of the show). The night kicked off with rock ’n’ roll showmanship during the Seth Walker-assisted opener “Back in Your Arms Again” and included touches of Spanish lyricism with Javier Mendoza’s take on “La Mucara.” 

Rose joined for “All Night Long” as well as “Neon Blue,” a tune from 1994’s What a Crying Shame that marked its live debut. Rodney Crowell performed an understated, timely take on reflective tune “I Wish You Well,” while Texas bluesman Jimmie Vaughan sat in on a handful of numbers, including “Do You Want Me To,” a bluesy tune fittingly fronted by JD McPherson.

At the show’s midway point, the music paused for a moment to honor Malo with the National Music Council’s American Eagle Award, a recognition given annually to an artist with career-spanning contributions to “musical life in America,” per the organization's website. Past honorees include Rosanne Cash, Patti Smith, Vince Gill and Kris Kristofferson. Robert Reynolds, a founding member of The Mavericks, and Scott Borchetta, a longtime Music Row executive who helped the band ink its first record deal, accepted the award on Malo’s behalf. 

Onstage, Borchetta read a letter penned by Malo ahead of the show: “This award is not just about accomplishments, it’s about commitment — the commitment to creativity, to education, to keeping music alive in the hearts of people everywhere. I’ve always believed that music is one of the most powerful bridges that we have. It crosses cultures, politics ... languages — and sometimes, pain. In these past months I’ve had to fight battles I never imagined. But on the hardest days, music remained my companion.” 

Shortly, the music resumed with Chuck Mead’s rollicking rendition of Hank Williams’ “Hey Good Lookin’” (a longtime Mavericks set list staple), Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson on “Rolling Along” and Steve Earle singing “Easy as It Seems.” The show came to a rowdy close with Jim Lauderdale back behind the microphone, leading two of The Mavericks’ best-known songs: “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down” and “Dance the Night Away.”

The crowd joined in with the band and guests, raising hands and swaying along to the contagious melody — a much-needed injection of joy.

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