Tyminski on live shows, new chapters, and coming back to Owensboro
Photo provided by Dan Tyminski
Any conversation with Dan Tyminski is always a good time and full of surprises. Turns out he’s fond of a good cigar, bakes his own bread, and plays in foosball tournaments when he’s not on stage.
The last time Tyminski spoke with Owensoro Living was in preparation for his 2021 performance at ROMP. Since then, he’s been plenty busy and is very much looking forward to returning to Owensboro on March 6.
“Are you kidding?” Tyminski responded when asked about playing another concert at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum. “We LOVE coming to Owensboro. It’s outstanding, right in the heart of the bluegrass world, man!”
Tyminski performed with his band at the Hall of Fame in May 2022, then returned in 2023 for the filming of his episode of the TV series My Bluegrass Story, which he was thrilled to be a part of.
“I remember looking at all the memorabilia [in the museum],” he said. “I’ve told that story [from the episode] several times because it’s been 25 years now since O’ Brother Where Art Thou. But being able to send that story out to the heart of the bluegrass audience through the series was really great.”
On March 6, he’ll be back again with his full band, but one thing he won’t have is a set list.
“I usually know what two songs I’m doing first and second. Then I look at the audience and read the room and see their energy, and the rest of the set just presents itself from there,” Tyminski said, saying the spontaneity flows easily between the band and crowd. “The band is ready for anything at any time. They know what we’re gonna start with and what key we’re in, but then we feel it and go. They’re also free to start a song themselves if they’re feeling it, so I’ve got to be ready at all times, too. We all just ride the moment.”
That means fans at the March 6 show could just as easily hear “Man of Constant Sorrow” (one of his most recognizable hits), his version of “Hey Brother” (his most-streamed song), a newly released single, or something off his most recent album (2024’s Live From The Ryman).
For Tyminski, that’s what makes live performances fun.
“I think a good concert should be a vacation from life,” he said. “A little musical vacation. A battery recharge. A chance to smile and feel some good, positive energy.”
Recent Album, Current Tour
Having as much fun as possible on stage is the exact vibe Tyminski tried to capture on Live from the Ryman, an album that came about by chance.
“I had no plans on a live recording when the show was booked,” he said. “I was talking with a friend about that show coming up, and told him if I had the budget, the Ryman would be a really cool place to record a live show. So my buddy stepped in and made that happen for us. We were so fortunate to have someone believe in the project enough to fund it because recording Live at the Ryman is a dream come true.”
With that album now in the rearview, Tyminski and company are focused on this year’s tour.
“I love what I’m doing,” he said. “I love playing with the musicians I get to play with every night. It’s been decades since I’ve had this kind of excitement and fun on stage. It’s been amazing to take a new chapter and embrace the differences of having to run the show versus playing the side man.”
EDM and Back Again
Tyminski calls being the lead man — as opposed to a side man, as he was for Alison Kraus and Union Station for 30 years or for Lonesome River Band before that — a “new” chapter, but this part of his career has been building for decades. He stepped out for a solo album in 2000 with Carry Me Across the Mountain and again in 2009 for the Grammy-nominated Wheels.
But it was his 2013 collaboration with Swedish DJ Avicii that set him on a new course artistically. After “Hey Brother” became a global smash hit with over a billion streams worldwide, Tyminski signed a songwriting deal and wrote a batch of songs in different genres and styles. He never truly left bluegrass, but he stretched his songwriting wings a bit when he had the chance. The result of those writing sessions ended up being his 2017 album Southern Gothic.
Then, in 2022, Tyminski released One More Time Before You Go, a bluegrass EP which included guest performances by Molly Tuttle, Sam Bush, Dailey & Vincent, and Billy Strings. That was followed by the full-length bluegrass album, God Fearing Heathen, which quickly hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums chart.
Still, Dan says Southern Gothic comes up regularly in conversation.
“It’s amazing to me that every night after we play, someone will say something to me about songs on Southern Gothic,” he said. “So I’m gonna have to start weaving some of those songs into our live shows because people keep asking for them. I don’t see how, as a musician, you can’t play songs fans are asking you for.”
Recent Health Journey
Long-time fans might also notice that 2026 presents a slimmed-down version of Tyminski. He credits that to some scary bloodwork, which resulted in his doctor prescribing multiple medications for blood pressure and diabetes. Not wanting to take the medicine, he instead made the drastic decision to cut out all sugar from his diet for about 6 months and then slowly reintroduce natural sugars back into his diet.
In the process, he also began baking his own bread at home using a sourdough starter he humorously calls “Lester Not-So Flatt.” He now uses that sourdough starter for all types of dough and hasn’t eaten store-bought bread since Covid. On the morning of this interview, for example, Dan had pizza dough rising in the kitchen for supper that night.
Four months later, his follow-up bloodwork was impeccable, and Tyminski was well on his way to losing a total of 100 pounds.
“I feel amazing,” he said. “I would say eating healthy is simple. Not easy. It’s terribly difficult cutting sugar because sugar is in everything we normally eat. But if you can find it in yourself to do that, it’s so good. For the first time in my life, my body is in check. I only wish I had done this earlier.”
New Projects
Tyminski is constantly writing tunes and always has song ideas stored in his little notebook. But he’s more interested in releasing three-to-four song projects on streaming services than whole albums.
“We’re at an age and time where you don’t have to have full-length albums anymore. If I have two or three songs that need to be out in the world, they’re going out. I don’t like the thought of waiting until we have 12 songs now. Once we have songs ready, we want people to hear them.”
As a closing remark, Dan wanted to leave Owensboro Living readers with a friendly plea to support live music at every opportunity.
“Please come see us on March 6, but if it’s not us, please go see someone else,” he said. “I know you can hear anything you want online at any time, but it’s a different experience when it’s live music. Grab a friend, hop in the car, and introduce them to bluegrass music.”
