North Carolina’s Red Rocking Chair band blends bluegrass, Americana, folk, honky tonk, swing, and country music in an acoustic format. Featuring some of the area’s most prominent and award-winning multi-instrumentalists, the quartet of musicians performed Tuesday nights at Charlotte, NC’s popular neighborhood pub, The Comet Grill, for over 20 years. Collectively, Red Rocking Chair has played venues and festivals across the USA and Europe. This week saw their final Tuesday night performance at the Charlotte nightspot.
“It’s our 1,041st show,” the band announced as they launched into their first of three sets for their final Tuesday night gig inside the packed pub. “We certainly appreciate y’all being with us.”
The performers even offered patrons a complimentary Red Rocking Chair CD featuring 12 of their most popular tunes.
Each musician comes with his own musical pedigree. Jack Lawrence is the band’s flatpick guitarist. In his teens, a job with luthier CE Ward in Charlotte introduced him to Carl Story and landed him his first professional job in 1970. After playing in the New Deal String Band and Bluegrass Alliance, he began working with Doc Watson in concerts and on recordings in 1983. When Merle passed in 1985, Lawrence became Doc’s full-time musical partner.
Dale Meyer has been playing music for over 40 years. He plays guitar, mandolin, resonator guitar, and does lead vocals in the band. Over the course of his career, he has been a session musician and played in numerous bands around Morganton, NC. Dale has performed on stage with George Shuffler, Marty Raybon, Dani Flowers, David Johnson, Etta Baker, and others.
Patrick Crouch plays mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and does vocals with the group. He started playing music as a boy and has worked as a performer, recording artist, recording engineer, middle school band teacher, and enthusiastic promoter of the region’s musicians and venues. He directed the Granite Falls Middle School marching band from 1980-2009. He has played in bands with Clarence Greene, Cecil Palmer, Ron Shuffler, Reggie Harris, and Jim Avett.
RRC bassist, Tom Kuhn, has been playing music around Charlotte since the 1980s. Primarily in demand on electric bass, he also plays acoustic upright string bass as well as mandolin. A solid backup and side man with whomever he performs, Tom sings lead and harmony vocals in a wide range of musical genres.
Comet Grill shared this Facebook post from artist Travis Lee Denton, who presented the band with a portrait he painted of them…
“A little over 20 years ago, the boys of Red Rocking Chair began their Tuesday night residency at @cometgrill. Each member coming from incredibly extensive musical backgrounds. Through those wonderful years- their exquisite picking, warm harmonies, and undeniable charm with their audiences helped them build life-long bonds with bluegrass music lovers from far, wide, and everywhere in between.
About a month ago, they announced that their last Tuesday night performance would be October 7, 2025. With the bittersweet news of this well-deserved departure,[I was asked] if I would help out in commemorating their beautifully impressive tenure there. Needless to say, the sadness of it hit me pretty hard. I, however, also immediately felt honored and inspired to contribute in any way that I could.
Tom, Dale, Jack, and Patrick.. you all have been more than musical mentors to me. You’ve become family, and you’re all absolute legends. Heroes. I hope this gift will always bring smiles to the faces of everyone that truly loves and appreciates what you guys have accomplished. I know I speak for everyone in the Comet crowd when I say that I couldn’t be more grateful for the music you shared with us every Tuesday over the last two decades, and we very much look forward to seeing ‘RRC’ sprinkled on some weekend music calendars throughout the coming years. Thank you, again, fellas. It’s sure been one ‘mighty fine’ time!”
Though their regular Tuesday night shows have come to an end, Lawrence assured that Red Rocking Chair is going to continue to perform occasionally at the neighborhood pub.
“We’ve already booked Saturday nights once a quarter,” he concluded.
Comet Grill is located at 2224 Park Road, Charlotte, in the Dilworth Shopping Center.
