CD Review: Girls Guns and Glory - Good Luck

This week I was able to catch up with an old friend, Chris Hersch, who I originally met when he was the banjoist for Oneside. When that band met their fatal end, he was acquired on waivers by Ward Hayden, who along with Paul Dilley (bass) and Josh Kiggans (perccussions) comprise the roots rock-country band Girls Guns and Glory. They tour constantly and fortunately the band route several times into the Washington D.C. area - this time at Georgetown's Gypsy Sally's. On any given evening you are bound to hear a range of music from Hank Williams or Chuck Berry to original songs that play tribute to country music's past - no contemporary Nashville pop here. I'm definitely a homey, but Chris plays a wicked guitar and Ward possesses a vocal style that matches that old time country sound. And these were all on display at Gypsy Sally's; who would have thought this sound came from a group of guys from Boston.

As a bonus, after the show Ward treated me to a copy of the band's latest release Good Luck, which I have listened to continually over the last two days.  The CD contains almost all original material reflecting a more rockin' side - perhaps due to producer Eric “Roscoe” Ambel - who has also produced albums for Steve Earle and The Bottle Rockets. The first track, All the Way Up To Heaven, is a perfect example of this new sound - very tight, sharp vocals, and a unique mixture of rock and country. Be Your Man picks up the pace with some serious guitar; then some are pure fun (Shake Like Jello, Built for Speed), whereas others are serious ballads (One of These Days, Centralia, PA).  The later I remember hearing live and pays tribute to Chris and Paul's home state of eastern Pennsylvania and the abandoned coal mining town.The last three tracks are my favorites, the cover Rockin' Chair Money, UUU, and It's Your Choice - particularly this last song. Each are completely different but all integrate a tight sound and chemistry that the band seems to have developed over the past few years. Can't wait for their next stop to DC, until then Lucky Star remains in the CD cycle. Pair with Boston's Bully Boy Distillery. Cheers.

Oneside @ Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle

I didn't plan on writing about their show last night at Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle, but while watching their performance, that concept suddenly changed. Despite minor sound issues, Oneside had played a good opening set - playing songs off First to Last and some covers. But their second set was fantastic. They opened with John Prine's Paradise and after some more covers and a new song in G, they cranked into a cover of a cover. I've seen the Gourds play a dozen times live, but never heard a live version of their interpretation of Snoop Dogg's Gin & Juice. Until this evening. And Oneside had their own orchestration to the Gourd's classic cover. The audience loved it - particularly those who knew the history. And it was a special request. Who knew. See the grainy video below to see for yourself - yea, it was recorded with a cell phone video - the last time I'll be unprepared.

Oneside is really developing into a tight and fun band to watch. Their stage presence is becoming more entertaining as they interact more with the audience with some nice self-deprecating humor. They are no longer completely depend on Ned to engage the audience; everyone jumped in last night. Then there's the lineup. Where else can you hear strong percussion, electric guitar, electric bass, and an electric banjo. It was also nice to see Chris and Ned swap instruments; Chris is one talented individual. For those in the D.C. area, the band will be at McGinty’s Public House in Silver Spring on Saturday night, then back to the area in mid July. See you then.

Oneside @ RiRa Bethesda

After a night watching the The Gourds, we dragged ourselves out for a second night - why is it so hard now - to catch up with our buddies Oneside. Every couple of months the band spends two nights in the D.C. area, once at Ri Ra Arlington the second at Ri Ra Bethesda. This evening there was a good size crowd, some regulars, some family, and some fans like ourselves. Even members of Scythian showed their support. In fact, Scythian's sound crew is actively recording a few of Oneside's live performances in order to produce an EP or CD which will be available for purchase from their website.

Oneside opened with new material - both originals and covers - intertwined with some of our son's favorites from First to Last. As much as we love their CD, its nice to hear new material - even the covers which the audience sang along to. How can you not when its The band, Johnny Cash, John Prine, among others. The acoustics was crystal clear - probably a result from the audio recordings. For the first time Jake's drumming real stood out - he was jammin. Maybe it was the microphones or Lent - but he was right on. Oneside is a fun bar band. They may not have the following as the Gourds, but the evening was just as fun. See you next time guys.

FloydFest Day 3: Sunday

On Sunday, I started the last day of FloydFest intending to see Oneside’s final act of the weekend. However, technical difficulties delayed their set so I instead headed to the beer garden to watch The Speckers one last time. This trio really impressed me: the fiddles blazing and Mr. Specker stomping in rhythm. The last song I heard from them, as I spotted Oneside taking the stage, was an interesting song from the 1770’s. Yes, the 1770’s. Apparently Mr. Specker heard the lyrics from a French Canadian, who had a distant relative serve under Lafayette in Washington’s army. The song pays homage to General Washington and he created a score for “a top 40 song from the ages”. When the song ended, I returned to the Streamline Hill Holler stage as technicians verified all microphones and amps were working. Oneside started slowly this time, playing Josephine and Lisa – allowing the audience to build and get settled. They played Paradise earlier than usual, which was a big hit. The group behind me kept mentioning how good the song was during the entire set - to anyone who passed by. The band really started rockin’ with Got to Go, Last Radio, and Out of My Tree, and a cover of The Band’s Ophelia. By this time, the band and spectators had thrown their fatigue and hangover overboard and were singing, clapping, and dancing. By the time they closed with The Letter, they had nailed the set. It was great watching the band grab an audience and holding them throughout the show.

After saying what I thought were final goodbyes, I headed up the hill to the VA Folklife Workshop Porch to listen to couple songs by Cadillac Sky. Apparently the band just returned from a trip to France – playing a couple of festivals in that country. They also have a new CD, Gravity's Our Enemy, which I heard a few songs from. The band is scheduled for several festivals on the east coast that I hope to attend. They deserve a longer listen.
Crooked Still was performing on the Main stage, so I grabbed my first ice cream of the day and stood near the stage. They started with an Ollabelle Reed cover, "Undone In Sorrow", and then proceeded to play “Oxford Town” – which got the crowd dancing early. At this point in the show, Chris Hersch, Oneside’s Banjo player joined me and mentioned that he and Aoife O'Donovan had attended the same music school together, As a result he follows the band closely. And Ms. O'Donovan told me afterwards that there were over a dozen artists from that program performing at FloydFest. Chris also instructed me on Dr. Liszt’s distinct style on the banjo – something like most banjo players pluck with three fingers, but he uses four. Crooked Still continued with several songs from the new CD, Still Crooked: Captain, Captain; Pharaoh; and Oh, Agamemnon. It was nice having Chris around because he told me the background to songs such as Pharaoh, an old Georgia Seal Island song. My favorite song of the set was “Come On In My Kitchen”. They received a contribution from the Mill House ice cream engine when the engine popped – at times - in unison with the bass cello. They entire show can be summed how Chris described one song, “That was tight.”

At this point I decided to walk 10 minutes away to Villa Appalaccia Winery. The winery was selling their wines at the beer garden and was located in the neighboring property so, it was an opportunity not to miss. For those who didn’t taste their offerings in the beer garden, here they are.
I returned to the festival to catch Tony Trischka and Double Banjo Bluegrass. Crooked Still’s Dr. Gregory Liszt and Brittany Haas joined Trischka and his band on stage for 75 minutes of picking and fiddling. His previous CD, Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular, contains songs where he was accompanied on banjo by several other notables such as Béla Fleck, Bill Emerson, and Scott Vestal. Dr. Liszt took their place on stage and the ensemble played songs from this CD as well as his latest: Territory. Watching Trischka is a treat and 2007 was a good year for the performer. He was given an IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) award for Banjo Player of the Year 2007. Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular received IBMA awards for Recorded Event of the Year, Instrumental Album of the Year and a Grammy Nomination. Not bad. After playing professionally for over 35 years, he is also somewhat a bluegrass historian – probably the best around.

Soon it was time for Gospel Hour; basically this is how the The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band had advertised their Sunday show. The set opened with only Reverend Peyton taking stage, explaining that the band was going to slow things down a bit and played a longer version of the soft part of “I Shall Not Be Moved”. At some point into the song, Breezy and Jayme entered and casually picked up their instruments. Then, on queue, the three exploded in chorus for the fast section of the song – and the tent erupted. "Slow things down", right. They did play most of the gospel tunes from The Gospel Album, but this is still dance music – a musical style I wouldn’t hear from our parish chorus. They played “Blow That Horn”, “Glory Glory Hallelujah”, “Let Your Light Shine”, and my favorite “Tell All The World John”, with Jayme pounding the pickle bucket. The Reverend also displayed his guitar prowess by instructing us how he creates a bass sound – since there’s no bass player in the trio. He plays the top two strings with his thumb and pointer finger, while simultaneously playing rhythm with the remaining fingers. He started out slow, and then slowly increased the tempo until both hands were flying in unison. Awesome. He also had a great segway into “Mama’s Fried Potatoes”, describing all the great food one group of attendees had given them over the weekend. They finished with “Two Bottles of Wine” as an encore, and then were invited back by the promoters for one last curtain call and song. What an act; look out for the main stage next year.
I took one last look into the Beer Garden and found singer songwriter William Walter playing with Tucker Rogers. I was able to catch one song – which shows that artists have the same problems as everyone else: "Love is Clinging Closer". I’m going to keep an eye on this artist, particularly since his band, William Walter & Co, won the 2008 FloydFest winner of the Emerging Artist Series. Congratulations. I waited around for The Avett Brothers, but after 20 minutes, I decided to call it a weekend. With a 5½-hour drive waiting – as well as dogs in the kennel – I couldn’t wait any longer. Too bad – it was a great weekend. On the walk to the shuttle, I ran into the Villers of Blacksnake Meadery, thanked them for yesterday's visit and headed home. The drive was remarkable painless. Accompanied by the new music from Crooked Still, Blind Corn Liquor Pickers, Oneside, and The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, I was on Interstate 66 in no time. I finished the trip listening to the The Gospel Album, twice – all the while mimicking Jayme on the pickle bucket. However, beware, listening to this album may lead you to lose control of your life (as my Dad would say), While singing and drumming, I didn’t notice the orange fuel light illuminated until I had pulled into my driveway. With perhaps some divine intervention, I had returned home safely. Glory Glory Hallelujah.

FloydFest Day 2: Saturday

Since I retired prematurely the previous evening, I arrived early Saturday after a quick stop at Blacksnake Meadery. The owners, Steve and Joanne Villers, were also attending FloydFest, but they graciously arranged an early morning appointment for me to taste their mead. After an hour visit - it was off to FloydFest and as soon as I entered the festival I heard a booming voice coming from the VA Folklife Workshop Porch. It was Eli Cook – displaying his powerful voice that could have been mistaken for Howling Wolf and not the actual artist. I watched an exceptional performance, just Eli, his guitar and his powerful vocals mesmerizing the crowd. It was difficult pulling away, but I wanted to hear Blue Mule on my way to the Revival Tent to watch the Blind Corn Liquor Pickers. While walking past the Streamline Hill Holler stage, Blue Mule opened with a cover of “Where Would You Be Now”. It was an interesting choice – but I liked their version. At the Blue Ridge & Beyond Dance Tent, the Blind Corn Liquor Pickers were just being introduced. I had started following the ensemble after seeing them scheduled multiple times at the Purple Fiddle. The band consists of Beth Walker on vocals, Joel Serdenis (mandolin) Tom Fassas (guitar) Travis Young (banjo) and Sam Kruer (Bass). What I liked the most about the band is that each member contributes vocals not just Ms. Walker. In fact there is a lot of orchestrated vocals and harmonies. And despite drawing a terrible time slot, the band performed at a high level during the entire set. “You should have seen us yesterday” they kept saying, trying to justify an "illusionary" poor performance. They played really good. They started with a Doc Watson song, “Sweet Heaven When I Die” and their signature song, "Field Cred" which explains why these city-raised folks play country-bluegrass music. They then focused on songs from their new CD, Appalachian Trail. They played the title track, then, “Slash and Burn”, “Moonshine Bill”, “Party Down Below” and “Lost Soul” among others. My favorite was the tribute to a gentleman who passed away at one of their shows in Lexington. “Park Bench” is a very moving song. They closed with a great cover, Townes Van Zandt’s “White Freightliner”. Immediately I purchased a copy of Appalachian Trail and an “In Jug We Trust” and headed back to the shuttle. I had an afternoon meeting scheduled with Oneside at Château Morrisette. The interview is available here and the review of the winery at Wine-Compass.com.

After our visit to Château Morrisette, the band and I returned to FloydFest in time to see the last part of Crooked Still at the front porch (more about this band later). Then it was off for food, ice cream – can’t help myself – and the David Grisman Quintet at the main stage. Travis Young of the Blind Corn Liquor Pickers said that's who he wanted to see the most this weekend, so why not? For over 30 years David Grisman has entertained fans with acoustic string music and today the Quintet did not disappoint. They may have had the largest afternoon crowd of any performer. After 45 minutes I headed back to the Beer Garden in order to listen to Oneside’s next set. The venue was packed as festival goers either escaped the heat or searched for alcohol. I grabbed a Wheat Ale from Williamsburg AleWerks and headed to the stage. (There were two particular brands that I really enjoyed this weekend: the Georgia Brown from Sweetwater Brewery and the Porter and Wheat Ale from Williamsburg AleWerks.) Oneside grabbed the audience’s attention with “The Letter” and “Gotta Go”, as people dancing and clapped along immediately. However, they lost their way during the next two slow songs, “Lisa” and “Josephine”. Apparently the crowd wanted to dance – not be serenaded – although there was nothing wrong in how the band performed these songs. It took a few more arrangements to get the audience back to their earlier groove and by “Last Radio” the band had their full attention – which lasted through Prine’s “Paradise” and the remainder of the set. It was a good set, but the band realized they could do better. As Jake Brooks later remarked, “in order to make it, we can not lose the audience for any song.”

I hurried from the Beer Garden to the “Revivial” Tent to watch Crooked Still’s second show of the day. The band had changed their lineup since I last saw them, with fiddler Brittany Haas and cellist Tristan Clarridge joining the group after the departure of cellist Rushad Eggleston. The other founding members are Corey DiMario on the bass cello, Dr. Gregory Liszt on banjo, and Aoife O'Donovan, with her sultry – bluesy vocals, playing anything necessary. For the past two years this has been my favorite folk-bluegrass act and I was excited to see the new lineup. And so were several others. The tent was packed – nowhere to sneak closer. And as Crooked Still emerged the crowd erupted in a massive cheer and pressed the stage. I learned later from Ms. O'Donovan, that prior to the set, the band was sitting exhausted in the green room, unsure of this show. But when they took stage, the audience’s enthusiasm was infectious and their fatigue dissipated rapidly. What ensued was a lovefest - between artist and audience – both feeding off each other. Even when playing songs from their latest CD, Still Crooked, the crowd dancing and clapped as if they were oldies. When they finally transitioned to songs from Still Crooked and Hop High, well, what do you think? They new lineup was fluid, Brittany Haas and her fiddle adds a new dimension - more folksy. The remaining members were solid, particularly Dr. Liszt on banjo with his great picking and zany comments and Ms. O'Donovan. She was both jovial and sexy especially when she sings, “Come On In My Kitchen”. There were several young kids in the front row and the band won many permanent fans by inviting them on stage for the encore. The lovefest had to end and with the band and audience exhausted the final was signaled with a bow from the band and the new cohorts. The Revival Tent hosted its second signature set, the first from The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band and now Crooked Still. Wow.
Afterwards I trekked around the area, consuming more ice cream and watching a few songs from Amos Lee. Ned deBray, Oneside’s front man, had mentioned that Lee was an artist he wanted to see, so I listened to a few songs – and he was pretty good. I checked his schedule later that week and couldn’t believe the number of shows scheduled in August – he’s practically in a different city each day. (We'd appreciate any Amos Lee fans to add these shows to his page at myjoog.com.) But soon, I was drying out and entered the Beer Garden once again. Immediately, Jake Brooks noticed me and invited me to join the rest of Oneside as they listened to Bucktown Kickback. The two bands had played at Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill in Roanoke last night and Oneside had been very impressed with the band. So was I. They describe themselves accurately as “Americana + Jamgrass + Classic Country = Bucktown Kickback”. They band was formed in 2002 by songwriter Adam Brooks Dudding and interchanges personnel at times during tours. Thus I’m not sure who joined Dudding on this trip. During the set, Ned commented on various aspects of the performance – that as a layman – I had no clue. Regardless of one’s musical knowledge, over the course of an hour, Bucktown Kickback entertained everyone. I can’t wait to get my hands on their current CD, Lost in Your Own Hometown.
After the set, Oneside went to set camp and I proceeded to the Streamline Hill Holler stage to listen to Bluegrass Undergrass and rest. This was another good set – and very relaxing as I lay on the hill. Families played catch with frisbees or footballs and I gained a great appreciation for parents who brought their kids to the event. Next time, I may even make the effort. I dozed slightly during the show, then woke and walked to check out the Revival Tent and found another new favorite in The Speckers. This father-daughter trio performed the type of unique music that I was hoping to find at the festival. How? Each plays the fiddle, with John Specker in the middle and his daughters Lila and Ida Mae on each side. While fiddling Mr. Specker also stomps his feet creating a percussion compliment to the strings. He also contributes most of the vocals, and the sight is rather impressive – considering he has to coordinate fiddling, stomping, and singing simultaneously. It must be a relief when Ida Mae takes over. They describe their sound as Traditional American music and can be considered to be historians for forgotten music. During their set there was a large contingent of young listeners – mostly girls – mesmerized with the performance. I talked to several parents afterwards who were very grateful to find artists that their girls could relate to, particularly if their children played the violin.

A little later I found myself back at the Streamline Hill Holler stage in anticipation for
New Monsoon. Luckily I had watched the band some yesterday and only had time for a few songs before setting camp in the Revival Tent. This band has a huge following, and playing at 8:00 PM, the crowd had their groove on.
By 8:10 I was parked in front of the stage in the Revival Tent, already packed as word had spread about The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band. Promptly at 8:15, the band altered the normal entrance and entered the tent and marched through the crowd in a fife and drum routine – only this was harp and drum. The crowd hit the roof. During the set they played the same songs as the preceding two sets from their CDs: Big Damn Nation, The Gospel Album and The Whole Fam Damnily. See Friday’s show here. By this time, most of us were well versed in the songs as well as the band’s antics which made it just as enjoyable as the initial act. The only difference – a hundred more listeners - plus several other artists watching from behind the tent. After an hour of dancing, laughing, singing, and screaming - they were still my favorite act. I suspect, I was not the only one.
There was still a night full of excellent music scheduled; Rusted Root was playing on the main stage and Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk was setting up on the Streamline Hill Holler stage. Once again I was wiped and wimpily called it an early night. Too much fun.

FloydFest Overview

I arrived home from FloydFest safely last night and hope everyone else did as well. It was an awesome weekend - the music was outstanding and the festival well planned. Thanks Across-the-Way Productions. With four winery reviews and the festival overview to draft - as well as another weekend outing planned - the official FloydFest review, will not be posted until early next week. For now, a brief overview.

I was able to spend several hours throughout the weekend with Grafton, Ned, Jake, and Chris from Oneside - discussing and listening to music. I listened to their excellent debut CD, "First, to Last" over and over again on the drive down - it's a rocking CD. As evident from the large and enthusiastic crowds at each of their shows, others were enjoying their music as well. Not bad for an "Emerging Artist". For the first time I was able to watch perform one of my favorite groups, Crooked Still, as they played multiple sets - with even larger crowds singing and dancing along. This band had perhaps the best show of the festival Saturday at the Revival Tent - which I can only describe as a love affair between the band and audience. Their current CD, Still Crooked, made the ride home much pleasanter. But the most popular artist - by far - was The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band - easily attestable by any of the hundreds who saw one of their four performances.Their next CD, The Whole Fam Damnily, should be released August 5th and from songs we heard over the weekend, this will be an instant classic. Thanks Jayme, Breezy, and Reverend Peyton for a revelating, rocking time.