April Showers 4/12/25: Buckbilly Deluxe and Ramona and the Holy Smokes drop Tonk on Durty Nellies.

Old Hank believes strongly that it is every American’s inalienable right to finish work on Friday, (hopefully) shower off and put on clean underwear and go Honky Tonkin’. To drink too much, listen to great country music standards, see your ex dancing with some douche until the wee hours of the morning, hopefully not get in a fight in the parking lot, and possibly wake up the next day remembering you made out with some old gal who might have been your 4th grade teacher.

In Charlottesville we are lucky to have multiple homegrown bands that can deliver that product on a Friday night.

And only one “true bar” where the Tonk lives. That bar is Durty Nellies y’all and get down on your hands and knees and thank the Gods we have it.

Last night was the next stop on this incredible April of live music in Cville, and it was billed as a straight up Honky Tonk night at Durty Nellies.

Two of our best delivered. 

First up was one of the hardest working bands in the biz, Ramona and her Holy Smokes. We’ve written her up recently so we won’t get down into the weeds here but before the show in her socials, Ramona asked “Do you even know how many Waylon covers I know, esse?” 

Her stage answer was “Many, Fuckers”. 

Everything from “Luckenbach Texas” to “Lonesome, Ornery and Mean”. She covered Haggard, too. And Loretta Lynne. But it was her cover of Patsy Kline’s “Honky Tonk Merrie Go Round” that found Ramona wondering if she’ll ever be free. It must describe perfectly her life of constant touring right now. On any given week, this band will start in NYC and work its way to Ashville playing everywhere in between and starting all over again the next week. Respect.

OK, on to a band Old Hank stumbled onto about a year ago and was itching to see again. 

Buckbilly Deluxe is a bit of an enigma. 

In an era when most bands serve up Too Much Info on their websites, socials, bandcamp, spotify, etc, this band doesn’t seem to say shit about much. 

They just show up at Durty Nellies every once in a while, plug in and let their Tonkin’ do the Talkin’ as they rip the boards off the walls. 

In fact, a quick look at the one portal they communicate on (the grams) and all you’ll see is the names of the band members (Josh, Josh, Ben, Dan and Colby) and a bunch of band posters for shows at Durty Nellies (which by the way artfully coopt old Dodge Ram Truck ads). In those ads they describe themselves as “A Music Product of the Southern Piedmont and Texas: hardcore Country music.”

Now old Hank has one foot in the Blue Ridge and one foot in Hood County Texas so I totally get where these boys are comin’ from.

It’s as if Buckbilly was built at Durty Nellies, to play Durty Nellies. And all the local heroes want to play with them. Last night Ramona joined them. Marie Borgman from Chamomile and Whiskey joined them for “The Wreck of the Old 96” and a few others. A couple of weeks ago Koda Kerl and Jesse Fiske played with them. 

These guys seem to be encyclopedic in terms of their Tonk Song Book and keeping up with what they are playing can be athletic since they like the deep cuts. Some highlights: They covered “Unwound” by George Strait, “Barlight” by Charlie Robinson, “Hotel Livin” by Brooke Lee. An original about Marty Robbins’ stock car and Josh V’s “Another Year of Yellow Roses”. “Down South In New Orleans” by Johnnie and Jack. “Killin’ Time” by Clint Black. Eddie Rabbit’ “Drivin My Life away”. (guys dm me with a correction if I got anything wrong).

At the end of the day, Buckbilly Deluxe is a really, really good bar band. 

And that, children is a wonderful thing to ponder when it’s time to head to bed, but then back your way out and have that one last beer in the fridge and a bowl to wash it down.

But Old Hank digresses. 

OK! Tonight is St. Vincent at Ting! Old Hank, Russ and JB are meeting at Millers for a bite before a show that promises to wake this sleepy town the fuck up! 

But first maybe a little nap this afternoon.

Old Hank

ADDENDUM: The Buckbilly Deluxe fellas, true lovers and players of Honky Tonk that they are, sent the entire set list for us to chew on, check it out!!!

1. The Buckbilly Rides - original theme song by Josh V

2. Unwound - George Strait

3. Barlight - Charlie Robison

4. Thunderstorms & Neon Signs - Wayne Hancock

5. Big Feelings - original by Dan

6. Chasin' That Neon Rainbow - Alan Jackson

7. Wreck of the Old 96 - original by Josh V (Marty Robbins stock car stuff)

8. Six Days On The Road - Earl Green and Carl Montgomery (we love versions by Dave Dudley, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Taj Mahal, Sawyer Brown and Steve Earle among others)

9. Together Again - Buck Owens

10. (Another) Year of Yellow Roses - original by Josh V

11. Way Up The Country - original by Josh V

12. Down South In New Orleans - Johnnie & Jack

13. Killin' Time - Clint Black

14. Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose - Dwight Yoakam

15. Lookin' At the World Through A Windshield - Jerry Chesnut & Mike Hoyer - we're partial to the Son Volt live cut from the Trace anniversary edition

16. Driving My Life Away - Eddie Rabbit

17. Ain't Livin' Long Like This - Rodney Crowell (via Emmylou and Waylon cuts)

18. Amarillo Highway - Terry Allen