“It’s hard to match Billy Strings’ blend of traditional and progressive bluegrass with heady jams, but if anyone comes close it’s The Dirty Grass Players. The Baltimore-based group packed the DelFest Music Hall during the early afternoon on Saturday and did just that, mixing originals like ‘Shiny Side Up’ with reinvented covers of Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ and New Grass Revival’s ‘This Heart of Mine’ that brought the burgeoning crowd to a fever pitch.”
— Matt Wickstrom, Holler Country
“The Dirty Grass Players: One of only two bands to make a repeat appearance in Glide’s “Best of DelFest” list, the Baltimore-based Dirty Grass Players laid waste to the Music Hall for the second year in a row thanks to an explosive Saturday afternoon set. Once again performing in front of a capacity crowd whose numbers rivaled some of the wildly popular late-night shows held on the same stage, the quartet of progressive firebrands offered up a healthy mix of originals, including “Grand Voyager” and an intense set-closing rendition of “Shiny Side Up”, along with some rousing covers, such as New Grass Revival’s “This Heart of Mine” and Bill Monroe’s “Wheel Hoss.” With a pair of legendary DelFest appearances now under their belt, in addition to an increasingly rigorous touring schedule, it’s easy to see why the Dirty Grass Players are rapidly becoming one of DelFest’s most sought-after acts. ”
— Dave Goodwich, Glide Magazine
“Shiny Side Up perfectly captures the high-octane energy of their live shows which they have become known for. This is best exhibited by “Shiny Side Up” and “Riptide” (featuring fiddler Jason Carter) both which allow the Dirty Grass Players to showcase the strength of the band and what they do best, simply letting loose and ripping. The murder ballad “Bound to Die” closes the album, which is appropriate as it and the opening “Shiny Side Up” are the most complete songs on the album, both with their lyrical and musical composition. Both songs also best represent the dual nature of the Dirty Grass Players and the music, that ability to stay true to the roots of bluegrass while at the same time giving a peek into the soul of a string band who is known to play everything from Pink Floyd to Lourdes to the Grateful Dead with stunning conviction in their sets. Shiny Side Up validates the arrival of the Dirty Grass Players onto the scene and shows bluegrass is in good hands going forward.”
