Darren Beachley knows and respects the “D.C. bluegrass sound” — even though he doesn’t play it.
If you go
Darren Beachley and Legends of the Potomac featuring Mike Auldridge, Tom Gray and more supporting the Seldom Scene
Where: The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: $25; ticketmaster.com
When Darren Beachley and Legends of the Potomac formed recently, he and his band mates — some of the best known bluegrass players in the region — opted to develop a style all their own and not look back. That may just prove to be the formula for success. “We didn’t get into this per se to sound like a Washington, D.C., band,” Beachley said. “We wanted to play material that wasn’t done by anyone else to make the songs and the sound uniquely ours.”
Beachley, a Frederick, Md., native, and his band mates certainly have the right music credentials to develop their own style. As veterans of such renowned bands as Bill Harrell and the Virginians, the Seldom Scene, the Travelers and, of course, Darren Beachley and the Maryland Line the members are among the best in the format.
“After you accomplish one dream, there are always others down the road,” he said. “After winning so many awards and performing at so many events I realized what is next is to make my own music.”
But don’t think that the band is all about Beachley.
“It is a five-man vision in this band,” he said. “When we go into a rehearsal, there aren’t any ideas that go untried.”
Although the sagging economy has kept many venues scampering for revenue, the bluegrass scene in the Washington area is alive and well considering the crowds Beachley has seen.
“I think people are looking for something different other than canned music you hear on pop music and country music,” he said. “I think people are looking for something real — the real deal — and I believe we are offering up music that is fresh and exciting.”
That’s why you’ll often find the band playing for community fundraisers and benefits or just taking time at “meet and greets” with their fans.
“Our fans always have time for us so we have time for them,” Beachley said. “We feel an obligation to them.”
Expect that fan base to grow as the band makes even more of a name for itself behind its just released album “Take Off.”
“The record is great; I am tickled to death with it,” Beachley said. “I have to pinch myself to make sure it is real. The [band members] are like a bluegrass fantasy picks. I am very blessed I’ve gotten these guys.”
