The Blue Dogs Homecoming Celebration is coming back to Charleston Music Hall on Tuesday, December 29, 2026, marking the band’s 39th Anniversary.
Doors at 7pm | Show at 8pm
The Blue Dogs’ annual December show at Charleston Music Hall has become more than just a concert — it’s a beloved Lowcountry tradition. Over the years and with the help of past special guests like Darius Rucker, Hootie and the Blowfish, Edwin McCain, Radney Foster, Drivin n Cryin, Peter Holsapple and many more local and regional musicians, this night has united fans and friends while it also raised more than $500,000 for pediatric cancer research at MUSC from 2014-2023.
After a year off in 2024, the show returned in 2025 to its roots as a full-on celebration of Blue Dogs music, with a night of all your favorite songs, lots of energy and storytelling, and still with a few special guests and surprises during the evening.
Come ready for a hometown show that’s equal parts reunion, party, and holiday tradition, Tuesday, December 29 at Charleston Music Hall. General admission tickets start at $25. Limited VIP tickets are $100 and include the best seats in the house, a Blue Dogs VIP laminate, surprise merch and 1 Titos cocktail. Stay tuned for announcements about special guests on Facebook (facebook.com/thebluedogs) and Instagram (@scbluedogs).
Tickets available at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/2D0064B90BC59310
SPECIAL GUESTS
ADMIRAL RADIO
Admiral Radio, the award-winning folk/Americana act from South Carolina, is the creative partnership of Coty Hoover and Becca Smith. Named after their old wooden radio, this husband-and-wife team blends heartfelt harmonies, storytelling, and raw sincerity. The duo has six independently-produced albums under their belt including the recently released and roundly acclaimed Heirloom (2026), released by Too Fine Records, the new label by Triple 8 Management (Sierra Ferrell, Kaitlin Butts, Madison Cunningham).
Previously, Good Things Take Time (2024) garnered critical acclaim and national radio play, with tracks like "Look Back and Learn" praised by American Songwriter for its 'power to help and heal', and EP Consider Me a Lighthouse (2025), which includes songs written over the span of 6 years with a lot of buzz surrounding tracks like “Cotton Candy Sky” and “Song for Me”.
Known for their energetic and emotional live shows, Admiral Radio has shared stages with bluegrass legend Del McCoury, folkgrass icon Molly Tuttle, pop-rock sensation Judah & the Lion, and more. They have also earned finalist and first-place honors in prestigious songwriting competitions around the country, including Kerrville NewFolk, the MerleFest Band Competition, Cayamo Soundcheck, and the International Bluegrass Music Association's Official Songwriter Showcase.
CIRCUIT RIDERS
Circuit Riders brings together four accomplished musicians whose shared history, songwriting talent, and unmistakable harmonies have evolved into something entirely their own.
The group began organically at The Southern Bar & Grill in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, when Shane Williams and Warren Bazemore of Finnegan Bell were invited to organize a writers' round. They enlisted longtime friend Bobby Houck, frontman of Charleston's legendary Blue Dogs, and soon welcomed Andrew Hyra, co-founder of Atlanta folk duo Billy Pilgrim, who had recently made Mount Pleasant home.
Each member brings an impressive musical legacy to Circuit Riders. Houck helped establish the Blue Dogs as one of South Carolina's most beloved bands. Hyra made his mark with Billy Pilgrim (along with musical partner Kristian Bush of Sugarland) and the Wagon Wheels, the latter earning an Atlanta Music Award for Best Folk Group. Together, Williams and Bazemore have built Finnegan Bell's reputation on their previously successful Christian-rock duo Siler’s Bald, and continue to delight audiences with compelling original songwriting and intricate harmonies.
The foursome intends to write songs together for a project to be released in 2027.
KYLE DAVIS
Kyle Davis is a singer-songwriter from the Richmond, Virginia, area with a nearly 40-year career who has returned to the spotlight – first in 2025 with his 7th record, Jericho (the previous record was released in 2001) – then in 2026 on NBC’s The Voice, on which he received a 4-chair turn and as of the end of October, he is still in contention.
His voice is one many listeners may recognize from his days on the road in the 1990’s, for the many television placements of his songs, and his name from features in Billboard and Rolling Stone. His career has included touring with artists such as Bob Dylan, John Mayer, and Sheryl Crow – and the Blue Dogs “back in the day.”
SHELBY MEANS
Born in the bluegrass of Kentucky and raised on Wyoming’s high plains, GRAMMY-winning Shelby Means is one of the foremost bassists/vocalists in bluegrass, with nearly two decades of experience in bluegrass, folk, rock, Americana, and country outfits.
Now based in Charleston, SC, Means spent a dozen years in Nashville, TN. During that time she performed most notably as a member of the GRAMMY®-nominated all-women bluegrass band Della Mae. She later joined Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway on bass and vocals, earning her first GRAMMY® win for their 2023 album, City of Gold. Post-Golden Highway, she wasted no time releasing a highly acclaimed solo project, Streets of Boulder (2025), the title cut from which ranked #9 in the top 50 bluegrass songs of 2025.
JOEL TIMMONS
Joel Timmons has spent over two decades traveling the world as a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, band leader, sideman, producer, and surfer. A founding member of Charleston, SC’s brass-forward jam band Sol Driven Train, he has cultivated a grass roots following through his commitment to touring, sonic playfulness, and musical independence. In 2017, Timmons married bassist Shelby Means. The duo has toured internationally and released two Americana albums under the name Sally & George and an acoustic EP as Lovers Leap.
Timmons released his debut solo album, Psychedelic Surf Country, February 7, 2025. Recorded in Nashville and produced by Maya de Vitry, the album nods to Joel’s coastal roots and Nashville years, blending his love for the ocean with his experiences in the heart of country music.
MEL WASHINGTON
Hailing from Charleston, SC, Mel blends gospel roots with soulful Americana grit and folk storytelling. Whether it’s a stripped-down acoustic set in a dive bar or a full-band Sunday revival at a beachside venue, Mel’s music cuts through the noise and speaks to the spirit. His song “Love Wins,” written and recorded in 2020 with longtime Zac Brown lyricist Wyatt Durrett, is typical of the depth and gravitas of many of Washington’s original songs.
A former member of touring rock outfit “All Get Out,” Mel found his solo voice in the tension between faith and doubt, beauty and brokenness — all sung with the weight of someone who’s lived it. His album, Feast or Famine (2023), weaves tales of redemption, heartbreak, and the Carolina coast with raw warmth and unshakable conviction.