By Clare Sherman —
Rich harmonies filled Miami Hamilton Downtown on Tuesday, October 7, as The Farmer and the Crow took the stage for the monthly “Down Home, Downtown” series, which celebrates Appalachian culture through live Bluegrass music.
The evening featured performances from The Farmer and the Crow’s own Dale Farmer, Ma Crow, and Wendy Muncy, joined by Linda Scutt on the Fiddle. Before the music began, the musicians expressed their appreciation to the audience for braving the weather to fill nearly the entire venue.
The band played for an hour and a half, offering tunes with natural acoustics and soulful singing. Several songs were traditional Bluegrass works passed down from previous generations, with one song introduction including Ma Crow’s memory of her grandparents singing it. Others were original works by the talented Dale Farmer, who has ample experience in songwriting. In addition to the fiddle, several string instruments were featured throughout the night, including the banjo, guitar, and upright bass.
The intimate downtown location fostered a lively atmosphere: The performers often joked with one another between songs, and the audience featured many returning guests, who clapped and sang along, took pictures, and gave a standing ovation at the night’s end.
Though each member brings decades of musical experience, with Ma Crow’s performances starting around 40 years ago, The Farmer and the Crow originated in 2017 with Ma Crow and Dale Farmer. Dale Farmer created an independent film at the time called “The Mountain Minor,” which featured Ma Crow. The two collaborated musically to promote the film, and they eventually gave an official performance on August 7th, 2021. The dynamic Wendy Muncy joined the duo around two years later.
When asked about his favorite aspect of live performances, Dale Farmer recognized the connections he makes with the audience. He described the feeling of noticing specific audience members, especially touched by the music, and honing in on those people throughout the performance. While it’s one thing to get complimented on musical ability, talking to someone who truly relates to Bluegrass music is beyond special to Dale Farmer, whose own relation to Appalachian music goes back to his grandparents in the Kentucky mountains.
Down Home, Downtown events are co-sponsored by Miami’s own Appalachian Studies program, which is dedicated to researching and highlighting the rich Appalachian culture in the Miami Valley area. All events are free and open to the public. While the program is taking a hiatus throughout the holiday season, Miami Hamilton Downtown Program Coordinator John Vaughn assured the crowd that live Bluegrass music will return in March of 2026. To stay updated on other community events offered through Miami Hamilton Downtown, readers can visit their website.
As for The Farmer and the Crow, Ma Crow will perform at the American River Roots Festival on the Yeatman’s Cove stage on Thursday, October 9th, from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm. To catch up with all the band members, readers can visit their official site here. Linda Scutt is often seen with a musical group called The Corndrinkers, whose Facebook page can be found here.