The genius behind the music
Darrell Scott writes the songs that make others famous, but he can also sing
By Emma Dozier, contributing writer
Posted on April 3, 2006

If iTunes and iPods are any evidence, college students are also just as obsessed with good music as country music fans are with cowboy boots and hats. And while “good music” may be a disputed term, the amazing quality of Darrell Scott’s music should not be.

Even if you are not a country music listener, the least you can do is appreciate Scott’s guitar skills. As a one-man show, he had the talent and the full sound of at least three musicians. During one of his songs Thursday night at The Pub, he used a guitar that was connected to a synthesizer, so when he plucked out a melody, it sounded like a keyboardist was hiding backstage. Whenever he had a lead guitar lick, Scott kept strumming the bass line on his lowest strings, suggesting that a bassist, or at least a rhythm guitarist, joined him on stage.

His name may not be a household one, but Scott is more famous than many realize. Ever heard of the Dixie Chicks or Travis Tritt? Scott is the songwriting genius behind their hits “Long Time Gone” and “Great Day to Be Alive,” respectively. Although Scott declared “I do my own things these days” to cheers of the audience, he played both of these singles and everyone sang along.

Always an original — he just launched his own Full Light Records so he does not have to conform to a record label’s demands — Scott never played his singles the same way the artists do. For “Great Day to Be Alive,” he changed the lyrics to the third verse a bit and made the chord pattern sound more bluesy. During “Long Time Gone,” like in all the songs he played, he played a minutes-long guitar solo that mimicked the melody of the lyrics and added harmony over top.

Fans love country music for its simplicity and down-to-earth quality, and Scott is a master at both. There were two or three Pub employees ready and willing to road for him, but Scott set up all his equipment with a folded-up piece of paper in his hand to keep him organized.

He mic-checked in a nice red button-up collared shirt, but once he began to play, he got down to a simple white T-shirt, setting the tone for the evening.  Scott was a bit late, only catching the last few minutes of his talented and enjoyable opener, MoneyPenny, because he drove himself with his daughter from Nashville, Tenn.

Scott also talked to the audience through his set list setup as the night went on, saying he might do this song or possibly not that one, suggesting that he was unplanned and plays according to how he feels.  Although he’s been performing since he was 15 years old and was first signed to a record label in 1991, Scott was willing to involve his small Harrisonburg audience in his performance.

Around 10:30 p.m., Scott began to thank the audience for coming, and all live music listeners know that means the end of the show is coming. As he started playing the next song, Scott said, “Don’t worry that this is the last song. I play for twenty minutes.” Scott had been playing for an hour and a half on his feet with no break, but he was just about true to his word — “Banjo Clark” lasted for about 12 guitar-lead-filled minutes, leaving the audience  cheering, recognizing a true, impressive talent.