Teddy and the Rough Riders Dig In at Third Man

If you’re in the center of the Venn diagram where supporters of the local music scene and lovers of classic country music overlap, Third Man Records’ Blue Room was the place to be Friday night. There, a sold-out crowd greeted Nashville-boys-done-good Teddy and the Rough Riders to hear the group's eponymous second album — and debut for Loney Hutchins’ recently resurrected Appalachia Record Co. — performed in full. 


When you see a lot of shows, it can be tempting to skip a local opener, especially one who hits the stage at 8 p.m. on the dot. Surveying the roomful of transfixed fans who arrived on time for Caitlin Rose, it seemed more accurate to call this show a double-headline bill. If you showed up late, you lost out on a quintessential performance from the Texas-born, Music City-raised singer-songwriter-guitarist, full of self-effacing banter and winsome tunes driven by her distinctive sweet-and-sour lilt. Joining her onstage were guitarist extraordinaire Ellen Angelico, keyboardist and songsmith Thayer Sarrano — and for a few songs late in the set, pedal-steel maestro Luke Schneider, who was until recently a regular member of the Rough Riders. 

And for an extra charge of excitement, Rose’s set included the unveiling of several songs from her forthcoming third record. Almost 10 years on from her most recent LP, 2013's The Stand-In, the new one recorded at the Sound Emporium will hopefully see the light of day sooner than later. “I hated this town for a long time,” Rose told the adoring hometown crowd as the set wound down. “I finally love it now.”

Taking the stage in a sweltering room packed shoulder to shoulder, Rough Riders singer-guitarist Jack Quiggins began by thanking Rose for sharing the bill. He and co-founding bassist-vocalist Ryan Jennings commented on how, when they were coming of age in Nashville's robust early-2010s underground, The Stand-In and its unbeatable predecessor Own Side Now were formative records and remain favorites. Longtime friend and collaborator Emily Nenni joined the band for several songs at the top of the set, and then they played Teddy and the Rough Riders front to back.

The performance had a loose, informal Last Waltz vibe to it; everyone onstage shared the load, and they gave each other a chance to shine. One highlight of the night was seeing lead axman Sean Thompson fire off a ludicrous guitar solo and catching steelist Will Ellis mouthing “How the fuck … ?” as he looked on. Another was seeing the band go for broke on the rambunctious Teddy song “Dance Floor Blues.” Meanwhile, the group gave their more-understated material room to breathe, letting the lyrics to certain songs — like “Complacency,” a relevant piece of social commentary sung by the mellow-voiced Jennings — do the talking.


Produced by Margo Price — who unfortunately couldn’t make it on Friday as previously planned — Teddy and the Rough Riders is an early frontrunner for a top spot on local-music year-end lists. And the material plays just as well on the road as at home, as the band learned on its recent coast-to-coast jaunt with Orville Peck, which ended with the band’s debut at the Ryman. They’re scholars of classic country and country-rock, and a band you might wish was more representative of what the mainstream industry has to offer. Still, they set themselves apart from the revivalist fray with their willingness to put their own stamp on timeless sounds. “Authenticity” is a slippery word, overused and misused as it is. But if deep and clear love for what makes a musical tradition thrive is at the core of authenticity, Quiggins, Jennings & Co. proved themselves over and over again on Friday.