North Mississippi Allstars The Bull Run, Shirley, MA 6/14/2025
with Luther Dickinson after the show
montage of songs / clips from the show
We first learned of the North Mississippi Allstars when we visited Memphis for the 2001 WC Handy Blues Music Awards. At the ceremony, they won a Handy Award for Best New Artist. We got their debut album "Shake Hands with Shorty" and it became a favorite in our blues collection.
We saw them play an opening set at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston in 2003, and it was fantastic.
Fast forward to 2025, NMAS are celebrating the 25th anniversary of "Shake Hands with Shorty" with their release of "Still Shakin'", which Luther Dickinson describes as a "love letter" to fans.
We were elated to find out that their tour would be stopping at our beloved Bull Run in Shirley, MA. We immediately bought tickets at the front center table. My seat had a direct view of Dickinson brothers Luther and Cody. They are joined on this tour by Joey Williams and Ray-Ray Hollowman.
The Bull Run was packed with people, a larger audience than we have seen there in a long time, maybe even ever. When the band hit the stage, the first thing Luther Dickinson said was how tasty the burger was, and Joey Williams was extolling the virtues of the prime rib. Luther said with all the singing he had to do, there was no way that he could eat a prime rib. Musicians always love playing at the Bull Run because they can order whatever they want off the menu, and the food is exemplary. It's not the first time we have heard musicians talk about the prime rib, and how it can affect your ability to play (looking at you, Davy Knowles).
They played for a solid two hours, and the energy was fantastic. Luther is a great guitarist, and seeing him play up close was very enjoyable. Cody was hidden behind the cymbal of his drum kit for most of the night, but he came forward for his phenomenal washboard solo and also played guitar and sang on "All Night Long."
I bought a T-shirt and a sticker, and we got to take a selfie with Luther after the show. He was very gracious and put an arm around each of our shoulders for the photo. Craig told him that we haven't seen them live in almost 25 years and Luther lit up and stuck out his hand for Craig to shake.
