The McKrells Usher In the Holidays with Christmas Show at The Egg

ALBANY — It isn’t Christmas in Nippertown until you’ve attended the McKrell’s Christmas Show, or at least that’s what Jim told me before we headed out in a freezing rain storm to catch the Irish/Bluegrass concert at The Egg on Saturday, December 18th. Full disclosure: I love bluegrass, and I’m pretty in love with Irish music. And as most of you know, Christmas is my jam; there isn’t a holiday tune I won’t sing. But I wasn’t sure what to make of a Christmas show with Jim who is, well, a bit Scrooge-y about the holidays. We tend to avoid these as they are a bit predictable, sappy, and sometimes repetitive. But Jim seemed super excited, so I donned my overalls and was ready for a fun time.

The McKrell’s Christmas Show has been a tradition in Nippertown since it first was included in Mountain Snow and Mistletoe Orchestra, and this year Kevin McKrell continued beloved traditions while adding in some crowd requests.

McKrell entered the Swyer Theatre stage promptly at 8 pm accompanied by some of the most celebrated local musicians in the genre. Brian Melick’s infectious smile couldn’t be missed behind the drum set, and Arlin Greene’s understated bass was a constant throughout the set. With Frank Orsini on fiddle, one of the most prominent acoustic musicians in the upstate area, the crowd was prepared for a huge treat. Scott Hopkins on banjo and Peter Pashoukos on guitar rounded out the talent, promising an exceptional night of bluegrass.

And they didn’t disappoint. McKrell started off the night by singing “Santa Clause is Coming to Town,” but he only started each verse, encouraging the audience along until the theatre was filled with amateur voices. It was an unusual but fitting start to a holiday concert, pulling on the audience like family members at a holiday party to belt out easy carols. Everyone loves to sing a Christmas song, and these fans were no exception. They only needed minimal encouragement from McKrell to sing through their masks the familiar words.

From there, The McKrells made no time in shifting gears. The band launched into a unique “Drummer Boy” that highlighted Melick on the udu. The sound was unique and yet strikingly pleasing as the band worked around the pitches produced. They followed with “Silent Night” before launching into some bluegrass Christmas favorites.

McKrell is an entertainer, capable of telling a good story and holding the audience mesmerized even with familiar tales from holiday past. His clear enjoyment of the season was punctuated by laughter with bandmates, inside jokes, and humble self-mockery. He apologized for mistakes he made, noting “The difference between Irish music and Bluegrass is the number of chords. The Irish look at this song and think we don’t need half these chords, while the bluegrass musicians want to add more in!”

Hopkins jumped on tuba for a fun rendition of “Mr. Grinch,” including adding his young son Carter to the stage on melodica and Greene using his classic bass voice at the front of the stage. McKrell’s adult daughter Katie joined her father to sing “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas,” a tune her father admitted he first sang with her as a young one.

The magical moments came, however, not in these popular Christmas tunes, but when the band launched into John Prine covers and took requests from the crowd. McKrell’s “Danny Boy” was achingly tender and sounded perfect in The Egg; his voice, guitar playing, and expression were quite moving.

The band swung back to the holiday theme with a zany reading of “Twas The Night Before Christmas,” with Melick performing the sound effects for the poem that was first published in the Sentinel, the local newspaper of Troy, NY in 1823. From there, the group crescendoed into the night, moving through “Auld Lang Syne” into a technically intricate “Lady on the Mountain.”

Hopkins and Pashoukos dueled a bit toward the end with solos, and that was heart-stopping. The younger musicians’ work was met by wide eyes from Greene who looked authentically impressed.

McKrell led the audience in singing “All of the Hard Days are Gone” during the encore, and as band members left, McKrell left the audience alone singing the song. “It’s all beer and whisky, and songs from now on,” the audience members crooned as McKrell left the stage, throwing out a peace sign.

And just like that, it is Christmas in Nippertown, courtesy of The McKrells Christmas Show. If you missed it, it is completely worth catching at their engagements this week in Saratoga’s Parting Glass Pub. Kevin McKrell leaves you with a shot of hope and laughter as he reminds you that Christmas comes this time every year – and is worth an embrace.

Photo Gallery by Jim Gilbert