Chatham County bluegrass duo brings music to NC neighborhoods

A Chatham County bluegrass duo found a new way to reach their fans during the coronavirus pandemic.

Before COVID-19, husband-and-wife duo Austin and Sarah McCombie expected 2020 to be a banner year for their band, Chatham Rabbits. They had a new album to promote, so in early March they traveled all the way to Las Vegas to pick up a big new purchase.

"We bought a large tour van, and we were going to take that album in our tour van and go all over the country," said Austin.

Then, at 2 a.m. one morning, everything changed.

"Our phones and our e-mail just started blowing up with festival cancellations," said Sarah. "I mean, it was just like, this is a disaster."

The duo had a new van big enough to carry nine band members. They feared they were stuck with a bad investment but put their heads together to consider their options. Then Austin suggested bringing music to people in their neighborhoods instead.

The plan involved a few more investments, including a flatbed trailer and solar panels to be mounted on top of their van so they wouldn’t be dependent on finding electrical outlets or running noisy generators. The sun would power their speakers.

Sarah envisioned the plan as "mini concerts throughout the neighborhood in places where people can socially distance and we do it all through tips."

"We’re like a music food truck, basically," added Austin.

The new plan depended heavily on social media. The two said it was a "rubber meets the road" approach with a "don’t let the pandemic win" attitude.

Chatham Rabbits named their venture the "Stay at Home Tour." They eventually hired a tour manager to help schedule mini-concerts in neighborhoods across their home state, from the mountains to the coast.

"It’s like the best form of grassroots marketing you could ever imagine," said Austin.

With an overwhelming response of more than 400 mini-concert requests, the couple has managed more than 80 appearances during the pandemic.

Their original Bluegrass songs won over many new friends and fans.

"It’s just approachable," said Sarah about bluegrass music in general. "It’s familiar and everybody, especially in the south, here in North Carolina, has a connection to it."

The McCombies are wrapping up their tour for the winter but plan to get back on the road next spring.