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Blackberry Smoke and The Dirty Knobs Launch Joint Summer Trek With a Blistering Tour Opener in Nashville
Blackberry Smoke along with Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs with special guest Shannon McNally performed two nights at the revered Ryman Auditorium on July 25th and 26th, 2025. The shows in Nashville, Tennessee were the start of a co-headlining tour that will run into August.
Blackberry Smoke were on fire at the Ryman in Nashville. Blackberry Smoke formed in Atlanta, Georgia in the early 2000's. The lineup consists of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Charlie Starr, lead/rhythm guitarist Paul Jackson, bassist Richard Turner and keyboardist Brandon Still. Richard's brother Brit was the band's co-founder and drummer before his passing in March of 2024. Blackberry Smoke has gone from playing bars to arenas on the strength of their lively live shows and a series of solid independent releases. A number of their tracks have been featured in movie and video game soundtracks, including EA Sports' Madden NFL 16. Mike Campbell was a member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and co-wrote many of their hits including "Refugee", "Here Comes My Girl", "You Got Lucky" and "Runnin' Down a Dream". Mike is also an in-demand session guitarist and songwriter who collaborated with Don Henley on "The Boys of Summer" and "The Heart of the Matter". He also worked on most of Stevie Nicks's solo albums. His band The Dirty Knobs released their debut album Wreckless Abandon in 2020. Since then, The Dirty Knobs have continued to grow their fan base with touring and a fourth rock-solid record on the way.
Charlie Starr and the three-guitar attack of Blackberry Smoke boldly made their case in Nashville. Kicking off the evening was Shannon McNally who began her career in the 1990's making waves in the jam band scene. She is well-respected for her guitar playing, lyrics and innovative interpretations of songs. At the Ryman she was armed with an acoustic guitar. She presented a compelling concise set that included a nod to Townes Van Zandt with a cover of "Pancho and Lefty" and concluded with the beguiling "Banshee Moonlight" a co-write with the well-respected local, Rodney Crowell. A lot of folks at the Ryman were sporting Blackberry Smoke tees and we too were looking forward to their offering. However, for us who have been fans of the late, great Tom Petty for decades - The Dirty Knobs was the big draw for us. One might describe this band as a harder rocking Heartbreakers. Campbell on lead guitar and vocals is from TP's home town of Gainesville, Florida and Mike sometimes sings and sounds very much like his former bandmate and boss. Plus, long time Heartbreaker drummer Steve Ferrone is in this configuration thus adding to the Petty sound with even more punch. On Friday, The Dirty Knobs opened with an animated "So Alive" that featured Mike trading licks with the very capable Chris Holt. The edgy "Dare to Dream" was paired with the rather sinister yet sassy "Dirty Job". Later, Cambell compelled the crowd to sing the hook on the furious "F*** That Guy" which was a much different rendering than the "Amazing Grace" we heard a few nights earlier at the Ricky Skaggs concert. Mike said that they were performing songs from the group's three albums while sharing that another one is in the can slated for an early 2026 release.
Mike Campbell is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer member and a prolific solo artist in his own right. "Proud of those years," said Mike as he mentioned his days with the Heartbreakers which was a good lead into a fine take on "Don't Fade on Me" and "Makin' Some Noise" which Mike said was one of his favorite deep cuts by his legendary band. "Shake These Blues" was a solid closer with plenty of swagger. There is a cool 1960's vibe to The Dirty Knobs' rawer muse and when it's paired with the inclusion of some TP songs it makes for a solid set of rock and roll. Both acts made it a point to alert the crowd that they hoped they "got a babysitter" as the combined performances from three acts made for a long night of soul stirring, good rocking music. Campbell even promised that his band would be back to close out the concert with a greatest hits selection of Tom Petty classics performed by a combined effort from the two bands.
Drummer Steve Ferrone in the house made for a partial Heartbreakers reunion in Nashville. Friday night provided "Rockin' Around (With You)", "I Won't Back Down", "You Wreck Me", "You Got Lucky" and "Runnin' Down a Dream" while Saturday night added "Love Is a Long Road", "Straight Into Darkness" and "American Girl" into the mix. So, you can see as this summer tour marches on there is the potential for a lot of Petty classics seeing the light of day once again in a live setting. Blackberry Smoke packed a lot of music in on the 25th. Fans were often on their feet clapping, dancing and singing along to the good grooves that the band was cooking up. In the early part of their set, we thought the sound was especially impressive as we could hear the nuance notes of the keyboards an instrument that can get buried when there are three guitars and a solid rhythm section plus backup singers. Yet all these ingredients blended well into a savory stew of styles. Blackberry Smoke's flavorful flurry included fan favorites such as "Hammer and Nail" with its tantalizing tribute to early Lynyrd Skynyrd. The timeless "Waiting For the Thunder" with its call to do something and later the anthemic "Up in Smoke" that seemed to be speaking to current events through their words and winning instrumental interludes. The closer "Ain't Much Left of Me" reminded us to celebrate life despite its hardships. This was a memorable night in Nashville and potentially the start of something big that delivered a full plate of music and a nod to the dearly departed. They'll be talking about this dream night at the Mother Church of Country Music for a long time to come.
It was kind of heartbreaking to see the old band's flight cases still in use; Shannon McNally was warmly received at the Mother Church. Related Links: For more information on BLACKBERRY SMOKE and THE DIRTY KNOBS and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links - Blackberry Smoke | The Dirty Knobs | Shannon McNally | Charlie Starr at Skyville Live | Mudcrutch at the Ryman | Ryman Auditorium
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