Jackson Hole, Wyo.-I kept hearing about these “young bluegrass guys” who were driving over the pass every Monday to play the Hootenanny; that they had become a crowd favorite because of their sibling-like harmonies and energy for the stage. So I had to check it out for myself. 

When bearded 20-something’s Dave McMeekin (vocals, guitar) and Jaime Drysdale (vocals, guitar) took the stage at Dornan’s with another fella to sing an acapella gospel number, I knew that these guys had something special—two voices weaving together with what seemed to be little effort. It reminded me of the Avett Brothers, who are the closest thing to being the Beatles of folk-grass.

Pedal-to-the-metal mandolin player Larry Dressell has been a regular at the Hoot and other open mike nights for a couple of years. After meeting and jamming with McMeekin and Drysdale for a few weeks, he encouraged bassist Matt Donovan to attend a Monday night.

“I had never been to the Hoot before, and Larry was talking about these guys from Vermont that sing great harmony and are down to pick all of the time,” Donovan said. 

“When I got there and walked into the back room, Dave and Jaime were wailing harmonies. I picked up a bass and learned five songs in like 15 minutes. One of the first things I said to them was, ‘If you ask me to play Wagon Wheel, I’m walking out of here.’ We laughed, and they appreciated that. We went up on stage and the reaction was overwhelming.”

Thus the Random Canyon Growlers were born. 

Drysdale and McMeekin grew up together in Randolph, Vermont, where they honed their vocal skills singing in church and all-state chorus, and shredding punk music was their teenage fun. Things changed drastically when the two went off to college and discovered bluegrass.

“I can actually pinpoint how it happened to me,” Drysdale said. “I went to a Bela Fleck and The Flecktones concert in Albany my freshman year, and really liked what they were doing. I went home and searched Napster for their music and all of this bluegrass came up, and I realized how freakin’ good it was. Before that, I was listened to hip-hop and all this weird punk music.”

After finishing college in different locales, Drysdale and McMeekin moved in together last summer in Ithaca, New York and started a bluegrass band. It gave them the necessary time to run ideas past one another and jam at will. But lifelong thoughts of skiing the Tetons soon took hold, and the duo moved to Driggs in November. The mountains have fueled their creative potential. 

“We were pretty piss-poor writers before moving here,” McMeekin admitted.

“We’re both lifties at Targhee and get a fair amount of free time in those top shacks, and started writing stuff that we could stand listening to and singing a week later. We are definitely working towards an all-original set.”

Currently, the ensemble plays about half originals and half covers, mixing traditional tunes like “Nine Pound Hammer” and “Dark Hollow” with more obscure songs such as the Osborne Brothers’ “Listen to the Rain” and “Cowboy” by the Red Stick Ramblers.  

Random Canyon Growlers are just six weeks old, but initial momentum tells a lot about where they are and where they’ll go. Last week, they opened two shows for Colorado bluegrass band Head for the Hills, and there’s buzz about filling the summer with as many gig opportunities as possible.

“We want to commit full-time this summer,” Donovan said. “We’re trying to play the Love Your Mother Earth Fest in Montana and are going to apply for the Northwest String Summit Band Competition at Horning’s Hideout in addition to whatever we can put together here.”

Influenced by bands like Old Crow Medicine Show and Michael Cleveland Flamekeeper who have strong harmonies and a driving sound, RCG’s lineup has the potential for another member. Fiddle, banjo and dobro are all being considered, and a candidate who could fulfill the third harmony spot would sweeten the deal. PJH

Random Canyon Growlers will play their first full show at 8 p.m. tonight at Dornan’s in Moose. Tickets are $8 at the door. You can hear a taste at myspace.com/randomcanyongrowler. 

Courtesy photo

Random Canyon Growlers, only six weeks old.