It was a Sunday night in Greensboro, North Carolina to remember. Molly Tuttle stepped on the stage with her band and completely captured the hearts of a capacity crowd on the City Stage at the NC Folk Fest. From beginning to end of the ninety minute set Molly was on fire with the songs coming in rapid fire succession.
This panoramic photo does not even capture the over-flow on the sides or all the people watching from chairs in the street in front of the flatbed video screen.
It was a warm night at roughly 80 degrees F air temperature. With all those people moving in the house it was likely a bit warmer under the tent while standing on the pavement below. The band sounded fabulous and this trip was more up-tempo from the previous visit to the NC Folk Fest five years ago. I was there on the front row for that one too. I was glad to be back for this one as by the first several songs I had a moment where I knew I was going to be in for a real treat. Not only has this artist gotten better, she was moving from bluegrass to rock in a flawless way that few can. One of the highlights for me personally was the Rolling Stones cover of “She’s a Rainbow” which she followed with her song “Over the Line.” Next she came right back with Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” and just completely nailed it. She ended the song saying it was one of her favorites. I smiled and thought, ‘Yeah, one of my favorites too.” Several of her original songs followed and suddenly she broke into a Dolly Pardon tribute of “9 to 5” and the crowd roared their approval. After a half dozen more of Molly’s songs she broke into a final song she wrote and recorded that features Billy Strings. The song is called “Dooley’s Farm.” Released in 2022 on the album “Crooked Tree” the song has a dark, driving acoustic groove and vocal cadence that remind the listener of Neil Young’s classic protest song “Ohio”, which was recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. In fact Molly inserted a section with lyrics from “Ohio” into the performance and it was so cool. Did I mention this show was on fire with intensity?
Molly playing her custom 6 and 12 string neck Martin guitar the company made for her. Martin surprised her with the instrument, noting that the 12-string neck is ideal for recreating pitched-up studio acoustic effects live on stage.
Design & Build: Based on Martin’s double-neck acoustic offerings (such as their Grand J-28E DN style framework), it combines dual necks into a large-bodied acoustic-electric configuration designed to remain surprisingly well-balanced while delivering massive acoustic projection.
There was a point later into the show where Molly pulled off her wig and tossed it to the back of the stage. She made some brief comments about her alopecia as well as September is nationally recognized as Alopecia Areata Awareness Month.Then she went right back to the music. The crowd at this show seemed very into the music and most were already aware of her alopecia. If you want my thought at the time I felt like it just made the crowd even more intimate with the artist. If you watch this lady perform you are taken back by her positive and high energy vibe on stage. Maybe it is the recent wedding bells. She married Old Crow Medicine Show frontman Ketch Secor not even a month ago on August 22. The word is the first dance at the wedding was to Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon.” That song is a favorite of mine too!
If you want to explore the set list for this show I will share the link for you: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/molly-tuttle/2026/downtown-greensboro-greensboro-nc-4373571f.html
The encore after almost ninety minutes of an amazing show was a cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit.” What a song that was! The vocals were stellar and I recognized the song on the first three bass notes. I was singing along the whole way at this point and by the time the song was winding down I was pumping my fist to “Feed Your Head, Feed Your Head, Feed Your Head.” I had eye contact with Molly from a few feet away at this point for a moment and she was smiling. She knew she had connected with this huge crowd. I don’t think she ever stopped smiling and she was playing that guitar like a master. Her vocals were spot on. She is a talent. I will be back for another round of Molly Tuttle live. She is not to be missed.
Until next time I’ll see you, down the road.