September 4, 2025
The Seldom Scene
Time: 7:00 PM
Venue: McCandless Hall at Athens State University

The Seldom Scene was established in 1971 in a basement in Bethesda, Maryland. The original line-up, our Founding Scene Fathers, included John Starling on guitar, Mike Auldridge on Dobro, Ben Eldridge on banjo, Tom Gray on double bass, and John Duffey on mandolin.

Charlie Waller, a member of the Country Gentlemen, is credited for the band’s name. Expressing doubt that the new band could succeed, Waller reportedly asked Duffey, “What are you going to call yourselves, the seldom seen?”

The band performed weekly at the Red Fox Inn before securing a residency at the Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria, Virginia. The rest is history.

With their inventive take on bluegrass, The Seldom Scene has showcased both original material and interpretations of songs from limitless genres. Long live The Seldom Scene.