Ronnie McCoury recalls first visiting the Tetons while on tour with his father, bluegrass legend Del McCoury, back when he and his brother, Rob, were in charge of driving the van. They made a stop at Grand Targhee Resort, and as memory serves, his mother and father decided to hike down the Bannock Trail after getting a glimpse of the chairlift from above. His mother, Jean, only wore sandals and learned a lesson we’ve all learned one way or another.
In closed-toed shoes, he’s returned to Teton Valley for mulitple visits to Targhee Music Camp, most recently in 2023 and followed by a performance Music on Main. He recalls the epic summit views, Trap Bar and Grill jam sessions and teaching students of all ability levels.
He and Rob formed a five-man band out of their father’s project, the Del McCoury Band. The Travelin’ McCoury’s will return to Victor, Idaho on Sunday, July 26th for a performance at the recently renovated Wildwood Room. For nearly two decades, the Wildwood Room has served as a community touchstone for events and gatherings in Victor and Driggs. The space now serves as a hub for musicians and artists, with the Travelin’ McCoury’s being one of the biggest names yet.
Ronnie McCoury, a mandolinist, is a product of the ‘80s. But. his life has been surrounded by music of all genres. He first fell in love with the mandolin as a rhythm instrument, filling the gap between melodic playing and percussion timekeeping, and taking inspiration from the work of David Grisman and John Paul Jones, both of whom he’s proud to now call friends.
“Music is a beautiful thing to connect people,” McCoury said in a recent phone interview with KHOL. Growing up on the road with their father gave Ronnie and Rob an unusual adolescence filled with long drives, real world education and late nights outside of clubs they weren’t old enough to get into.
McCoury expressed his admiration for the songbook of the Grateful Dead, specifically the work of lyricist Robert Hunter. He acknowledged how the Dead embraced folk music back in the 1960s and allowed themselves to evolve naturally over time. As that original generation slowly fades away, the spirit of the ‘60 still lives on through the Dead’s music, he said.
The Travelin’ McCourys continue to honor tradition by putting their own progressive spin on the sounds of bluegrass. The group jams on standards and opens the door for whatever musical possibilities may occur. McCoury said they wanted to distinguish themselves from the music of his father, so they embraced a looser, more improvisational style of folk.
At age 59, McCoury hopes to maintain the same passion for music as his 87-year-old father.
“It makes me happy to know that [performing] makes him happy… It’s amazing at his age, he still has great rhythm and that’s one thing that would bother my dad, if the timing isn’t right,” McCoury said.
More information on upcoming events can be found at wildwood.center/calendar.
Listen above for KHOL’s full conversation with Ronnie McCoury.
Support for this arts and cultural coverage comes from the Wyoming Arts Council.
