soihadto, Brewer's Art, The Water and more...

At last year's Food Network Wine & Food Festival we ran into Chef Duff from the Ace of Cakes who informed us that he plays in a band that pre-dates the cable show. The band is the "lyrically" liberated ..soihadto and has been playing together for about four years. Their motto is "hold the vocals"; thus a show is all music all the time. Their sound is part funk, part punk, sometimes techno - something we normally don't listen to on a day to day basis. However since they had scheduled at show at the Orion Sound Studios we decided to pair their music with some fine Resurrection Ale from Brewer's Art and invite them on MyJoogTV. After the tasting we stuck around to tape a few songs for the podcast. That is, we only expected to stick around for the first few - but instead - stayed for the total set - we had totally gotten hooked to their sound. There's a lot of rhythm, subtle percussion and funky bass. And best of all, the electric guitar blended right in - and was never over the top. You just can't help getting into the groove. And as a bonus for staying to the end, their last song of the set was my favorite. Make sure you take a look at our video when released at MyJoogTV. 

Opening the session was a two man outfit that emits way more sound than your usual duo. That's right, The Water is a full band. How do they get that sound. Before each song, they record a guitar riff, or possibly some bass, or piano - and then let that loop through while they jam on the drums or electric guitar. It works. Mostly you sit mesmerized while they interchange instruments and hear this powerful sound emerge. Perhaps later this fall, The Water will join whatever form soihadto evolves into on tour. That will be one series we will not miss.

Paul Thorn & Patrick Sweany @ the Rams Head Onstage

Last night we attended the best concert of the year. Hands down. Paul Thorn with Patrick Sweany opening. Actually the night opened awkwardly as Sweany broke a string the very first song. But after a brief delay he showed why he is a rising star. His soulful vocals reflect a combination of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding and his guitar playing - pretty awesome. Expect a new CD from Sweany early next year. Can't wait.

Usually when an artist is pimping a new CD, you have to bear through the new songs to get to the older songs which made you follow the artist in the first place. That is what I was expecting for Thorn's Pimps & Preachers. Not this time. Yea, he played some old ones like Long Way from Tupelo and Burn Down The Trailer Park and Where Was I?; but his new songs were better than these classics. And as expected, the songs were laced with humor and morality lessons - particularly the lessons that make you think. For instance - "The more I learn they less I know" from I Hope I'm Doing This Right or the entire You Might Be Wrong, which brings up the interesting contradiction that with the diversity of religious thought - someone is wrong. And that coming from the son of a Pentecostal preacher. That also explains the title track - on one shoulder his father; on the other, his uncle - a pimp.He played practically the entire CD, Tequila Is Good For The Heart, Love Scar, Better Days Ahead and the hilarious I Don't Like Half The Folks I Love. The only disappointment is when the show ended - and it ended with classic Thorn as he walked off stage into the concert hall to personally thank fans for attending. Fortunately he's coming back to town next month, this time playing at the The Birchmere and then in October at the The 8X10 in Baltimore. I'm purchasing my ticket now.

Mid-week in Washington D.C

There are two great shows scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday of this week for those living in the Washington D.C. area. To the south, Doc Watson is performing two consecutive nights at the The Birchmere starting Wednesday August 25th. You never know how long this legend will continue touring so this is a great opportunity to hear this extraordinary flat-picking. And to the north, Paul Thorn brings his americana-gospel sound to the Rams Head Onstage where he will be playing classics like "800 Pound Jesus" or something from his latest, Pimps & Preachers. Opening for Thorn is a very entertaining blues artist, Patrick Sweany. Sweany was selected by Roy Book Binder to play at Doc Watson's Merlefest in 2009 on the "The Greatest Acoustic Blues Show on Earth" ticket. The guy can play.

Three Days at WolfTrap

Starting today, Wolf Trap has three straight days of excellent music - particularly for a Sunday->Tuesday night. The series starts tonight with Great Big Sea - saw this Canadian band a couple times at Merlefest - a great set of alt-irish-folk-rock each time. Monday night brings forth Train and NeedtoBreathe. Enough said. The series concludes with heavy metal influenced flamenco artists Rodrigo y Gabriela. The best guitar work you will ever see. Period.

MyJoogTV: Uncle Dave Huber @ Black Ankle Vineyards

Last night we filmed our third episode of MyJoogTV, where we pair musicians with makers of wine, beer, and spirits. This show featured Ed Boyce, co-owner of Black Ankle Vineyards in a discussion of wine and blues with Uncle Dave Huber, a local blues musician. Specifically, we discussed terrior, Black Ankle wines, markets, and the blues. We then filmed a couple songs performed by Uncle Dave. The video podcast should be available at the end of the month.

MyJoogTV: Holy Ghost Tent Revival @ Flying Dog Brewery

Tonight we film our second episode of MyJoogTV, where we pair musicians with makers of wine, beer, and spirits. This show will feature Holy Ghost Tent Revival in a discussion of beer and music with Abby Casarella, from Flying Dog Brewery. We plan on discussing touring, beer labels, Frederick, and anything else that comes to mind. We will then follow HGTR to Cafe Nola where they will be performing this evening. The show starts at 9:00 and best of all, it's FREE; come on out to see a great show. Plus Flying Dog beer is served at the cafe. And the video podcast should be available at the end of the month.

Big Joe & the Dynaflows

One of the most longest serving bluesmen in the Washington D.C. area is Big Joe Maher, who has played in the area for at least the last 30 years. I first heard him with the The Uptown Rhythm Kings, then with the Tom Principato Band, before he started the five piece Big Joe & The Dynaflows. Good Rockin'Daddy is still one of my favorite CDs and since that release this band has continued to master the New Orleans blues and jump swing sound. That's why the WSDC Swing Dance Committee is always in attendance.And this past Saturday, we got a chance to see the band in action at the Reston Town Center for a free live concert. There was a strong turnout and as soon as the music began, the dancers were out front. What a nice way for a family to spend an evening.

Music City Roots

Music City Roots now available in HD feed. | A weekly live radio show from the Loveless Cafe, Nashville, Tennessee. Featuring Americana, Bluegrass, Folk, Blues, Jazz, Rockabilly, Western, Swing, Country, Acoustic, Celtic, Cow Punk, Big Band, Pop, Newgrass, Rock and...

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Desert Rose Band @ Birchmere

This weekend The Birchmere has an interested two day bill with the Desert Rose Band. The band is comprised of Chris Hillman, Herb Pedersen, John Jorgenson, JayDee Maness, Bill Bryson, and Steve Duncan. I'm not familiar with the other artists, but any band with Hillman and Jorgenson onboard is worth seeing. Tickets are $$39.50. Here is the official bio: "The Desert Rose Band was formed in 1985 with primary songwriter Chris Hillman on lead vocals, guitar, and mandolin. Other members, culled mainly from Southern California session players, included banjoist/guitarist Herb Pedersen, guitarist John Jorgenson, steel guitarist Jay Dee Maness, bassist Bill Bryson, and drummer Steve Duncan. Their first single was a 1986 cover of Johnnie & Jack's "Ashes of Love," which climbed into the country Top 30. Their self-titled debut album followed in 1987 and spawned a number one hit in "One Step Forward," plus two more Top Tens in "Love Reunited" and "He's Back and I'm Blue." 1988's Running produced two number one smash hits, "I Still Believe in You" and "Summer Wind," as well as the number three hit "She Don't Love Nobody." 1990's Pages of Life brought their final Top Ten hits in "Story of Love" and "Start All Over Again." Three albums were recorded between 1991-1993, "True Love", Traditional" and "Life Goes On". The Desert Rose band has won three Academy of Country Music Awards and has received several nominations from the Country Music Association and the Grammys."

MyJoogTV: Cadillac Sky @ Tarara Winery

Last night we filmed our inaugural episode of MyJoogTV, where we pair musicians with makers of wine, beer, and spirits. This show featured bluegrass sensation Cadillac Sky in a discussion of wine and music with Jordan Harris, the winemaker at Tarara Vineyard & Winery. Specifically we discussed the similarities with wine making and composing music as well as the shared experience of facing critics - consumers, experts, and within the industry. During the discussion we sampled three yet to be bottled wines in Tarara's new "Nova" series. These wines are made from the best grapes grown in specific vineyards or appellations and the futures are actually already sold out. The episode also includes a songs from Cadillac Sky's performance that evening at the winery and should be ready for download in two weeks. Thanks also to Echo Propp, from WAMU Bluegrass Country, for participating as well.

Cadillac Sky @ Tarara Winery

For those of us living in northern Virginia, we have the unique opportunity Saturday (July 31st) to enjoy fine wine while listening to one of the most explosive bluegrass bands around. Cadillac Sky is playing at Tarara Winery's Summer Concert Series and this is one show you shouldn't miss. Some have described the band as the next Avett Brothers and they were a huge hit at this year's Merlefest. A ticket is only $15, children 7 and under are free, and there will be plenty of wines available. In fact, Tarara's wines have become very impressive under the direction of winemaker Jordan Harris. We will see you there.

FloydFest9 Day3 - Sunday

The last day of any festival starts with a little anxiety. For campers, the gear has to be packed; and then there's the ride home. We had to return early for sitter reasons, so we were determined to see as much music as possible in a shortened day. Luckily Floydfest obliged. We started off with husband and wife team The Honey Dewdrops on the Front Porch. Loved their version of Prine's "In Spite of Ourselves". We were remaining on the porch for Mountain Heart so in the break we rolled down the hill to see a few songs from the Jason Spooner Trio. The trio had traveled down from Maine and they exude a more west coast sound than the folk tunes usually composed in the northeast. We really liked this sound and the trio is a tight little outfit. As soon as we heard Mountain Heart finish their sound check we raced up the hill to grab a seat. This was an extremely informal performance with the band playing requests, responding to questions, and wondering where Aaron Ramsey was - he was actually back at the hotel waiting for a shuttle that never arrived. This was an entertaining set as the band interacted with Jon Lohman and the crowd. Another version of Whipping Post ensued - this time with telephone sounds from the keyboards. There was also a train song and a gospel a Capella. Very nice.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur - we started with the final set of the weekend for the Hackensaw Boys. Another tight performance by the band and the first where Ward didn't have to change a string while singing harmony. They also brought aboard a special guest who jammed right along. Afterward we headed to the VIP Tent for more craft beer and our first look at Town Mountain. Unfortunately we spent more time talking to newly made friends that we could concentrate on the set - maybe next time. Then it was off to hear a few songs from Tift Merritt, Rose's Pawn Shop, and then Bearfoot. I feel for the later, they are trying to find a flat picker and Jake Stargel filled in finely. And a typical great performance by Jason, Odessa, and Angela. We finally found ourselves back at the Beer Garden in order to see The Steel Wheels. We had missed Trent and the boys at Ocrafest and in our last stop at Harrisonburg - so we really made an effort to fit them in. Love their sound. Finally, we had a decision to make, stay and listen to William Walter, stick around for Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, or start the trip to relieve the sitter. Sadly we picked the latter - next year we will stay through Sunday night. But for now, thanks to the volunteers and Across-the-Way Productions for a fabulous weekend. And once again more photos are available at the MyJoog Gallery.

FloydFest9 Day2 - Saturday

We woke early Saturday to the sound of portables being cleaned and shook off the drowsiness to examine the day's schedule. Like all festivals, there were many difficult choices to make on who to see. Like most Floydfest mornings, the day started with Kat Mills in the Beer Garden. No beers served yet, just nice acoustic music to allow us to collect our thoughts and literally charge our batteries. We decided to plan our afternoon around seeing Hackensaw Boys again and Joe Pug with our evenings revolving around the Main Stage: JJ Grey & Mofro, Old Crow Medicine Show, and the Levon Helm Band. What a core lineup, right?

From 10:00 am until 2:00 pm, we basically criss-crossed back and forth across the festival grounds listening to parts of many artist's sets: Mitch Barrett, William Walter & Co., Rocknoceros, Blue Mule, Rising Appalachia, Hackensaw Boys, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, and the Ralph Roddenberry Band. Except for the first and last, we had seen these acts before, all incredibly entertaining. Yes, we could have slowed down and stayed at the same stage - but then you end up missing so much good music. The biggest surprise among these was the Ralph Roddenberry Band - this year's festival theme appeared to be more roots rock and less bluegrass.

The afternoon ended with the main event - finally being able to see a live performance from Joe Pug. We've followed this artists since receiving a two song demo containing Nation of Heat and Hymn #101. We worked instantly hooked; the songs are full of powerful vocals and lyrics. Pug continued this craft with Messenger - just an awesome CD. And today we finally heard live sets to these songs. I don't want to come over as too dramatic, but his performance was chilling - spectacular. We missed his Front Porch performance that day, but we heard Jon Lohman sing his praises for Hymn #101. Watch out for this guy - he is going places.

In order to catch our breath, we headed to the beer garden to hear Possum Jenkins before returning to the Hill Holler stage and Mountain Heart. Foothills Brewing had also recommended Possum Jenkins and since Big Daddy Love was a hit, we figured why not. Plus we were able to try the brewery's awesome Sexual Chocolate stout. We enjoyed that brief interlude - good music and good beer - but returned to meet Echo Propp from WAMU Bluegrass Country. Echo has posted her travelogue of the festival that we recommend reading. Plus she had highly recommended that we see Mountain Heart - a very good "choose". The band is basically a bluegrass band that "crosses over" to other styles. How else to explain their rendition of Whipping Post. This band has the entire package - instrumentals, harmonies, Jake Stargel, humor; you name it. Definitely planning to see them Sunday at the Front Porch.

Besides Joe Pug, the other artist that was a must see was JJ Grey & Mofro. Since our first exposure at ACL in 1994, we watched and listened to Grey mature from a raw blackwater blues artist to a funky, soul, R&B, blues sensation. And now he's touring with a full band - not just Grey and Daryl Hance - but a full band: horns, keyboards, a third guitar. And he did not disappoint - from playing Lochloosa to Everything Good Is Bad to The Sun Is Shining Down to Orange Blossoms. Not convinced that Grey compares to the greatest soul singers of our generation - listen to A Woman. Hats off to the promoters for scheduling JJ Grey - that was the highlight of the day.

While the main stage was being cleared we decided to get a beverage from Starr Hill Brewing, The River Company Restaurant and Brewery, or Foothills Brewing, and see who was playing. The first band turned out to be Tennessee Boltsmokers, a bluegrass band out of Memphis. They had a nice Americana vibe to them as did the next act - Dangermuffin. Our friends, Steve and Jo from Blacksnake Meadery, had recommended this band so we pushed back our return to OCMS to see about the fuss, which is, the trio gets more sound out of an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, and a drum kt than most five or six piece bands. Let's head to the beach.

Instead we headed to the main stage and the rest of the Old Crow Medicine Show. This band has been playing for a decade now, hard to believe, since their breakout CD Old Crow Medicine Show. They are worthy of all accolades, but sometimes I wonder why the Hackensaw Boys haven't reached the same level. Maybe the absence of a hit song? And whereas the crowd exploded when Wagon Wheel started, I prefer their more bluesy roots tunes: Tell It To Me or James River Blues. In any case OCMS puts on a good show and they definitely set the stage for the Levon Helm Band.

This was the second time in four nights that we got to see the old master perform - following their Wolf Trap performance. Even though the set list was practically identical it was still a thrill watching Helm interact with the crowd and the band. And what a band: his daughter Amy Helm, bassist Byron Isaacs, Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, keyboardist Brian Mitchell, Jim Weider, and the entire rhythm section. I could listen to Amy Helm sing all night and Williams vocals on Long Black Veil were still chilling. Then there's Campbell, Williams, and Weider; who all masters of their craft. But the crowd was ready to hear Levon and he mustered all the energy that his frail body can exert and electrified the audience. And the photographers; the paparazzi was out in full force. But the crowd loved him - and we could barely hear the stage when they played The Weight. Another great performance.

After a quick refresher at the VIP Tent it was back to the beer garden and the second set from
American Aquarium. And they didn't disappoint. These guys can rock - their set from yesterday was more alt-country - tonight was pure jamin'. The crowd was all in and demanded a second encore. Good for them. This second encore forced us to drink a few more Starr Hill beers waiting for Rose's Pawn Shop - alt country from the west coast. These guys can also play and were quite impressive with a now standard lineup: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, fiddle, upright bass, and drum kit. That works for me.

Thanks again to the promoters and all the wonderful volunteers for making this another amazing day. And once again more photos are available at the MyJoog Gallery.

FloydFest9 Day1 - Friday

We arrived at Floydfest and settled in just in time for the Friday afternoon lineup. We had several bands on the agenda started with a rock band from Raleigh, American Aquarium. I had seen that they had toured with Sons of Bill and were opening for the Drive By Truckers later this year, so we wanted to check them out. They were just starting into a cover Springsteen's Thunder Road, and we came to find that they are a rock and roll band with the additional of a pedal steel. Makes a nice deviation in their sound. The band rocked through a few more songs just long enough to confirm that we would want to see them again - this time in the beer garden at midnight. Might be trouble. We took a beeline to the Main Stage to see the remainder of Deer Tick set; any band that combines elements of blues, folk, country - your basic American sound - is worthy of a listen. What a great sound. We returned to the Hill Holler stage to catch the rest of Cornmeal's performance. Love Allie Kral on the fiddle - she seems to bring smooth vocals and high energy to each show. This is basically a jam band in bluegrass clothing. I think the beginning of the Hill Holler dust bowl started with this set.

At this point we split, with one part going to the Beer Garden to see what the breweries have to offer and the other to the Main Stage again. I was the other and had received an email mentioning Konono No 1 - a band of Congolese players who play an unusual with their thumbs. Plus their sound system was built from old car parts. They weren't bad - nice percussion grooves - and the crowd was definitely in a dancing mood. I was in more of a beer mood and after a few songs headed to the Beer Garden to enjoy some hefeweisen. See our joint Wine-Compass coverage for the beers and wines on tap. I had missed Charlottesville native Travis Elliott and Richmond based Farm Vegas, but arrived in time to hear Do it to Julia. They were good - which shows how many talented groups are out their sweating in relative anonymity. But not any more, this band is on the radar. Apparently Travis Elliott is another to watch, he expanded from his normal singer-songwriter routine to include many Charlottesville-area musicians to form a rockin' band for the festival. Railroad Earth was coming quickly to the main stage, so after one more brew - it was off to the Main Stage. What else is there to say about this band. They are as talented as talented gets; and I've never seen a bad performance. And Amen Corner has never left the iPod. They played several from this CD as well as many classics - just another great performance.

We left a tad prematurely in order to hook up with the Hackensaw Boys, whom we were planning to feature throughout the festival. We had heard of this band for years, downloading a few songs here and there; but this is a band to see live. Raucous entertainment. We rushed back to the Beer Garden to say hello to find the entrance barred - power was out and so the garden had been cleared until power was restored. That meant good news and bad news. Good that we were not late and would see two other bands, bad that the night would now go into the late hours. In the meantime I just happened to strike up a conversation with Daniel Justin Smith, frontman for Big Daddy Love. The representatives from Foothills Brewery had actually recommended the band, so it was a nice coincidence. If only the beer was flowing. Once power was restored we realized how far behind schedule they were, starting off with some 70's funk and guitar from Soulhound. Soon Big Daddy Love was onstage and this was a real find, without the power outage we would have maybe heard their last song. The band plays Appalachian Rock™, a combination jam band, bluegrass, and roots-rock, sounds similar to some of the early raw Drive By Truckers - with some mountain instruments. I really enjoyed American Sycamore - honest songwriting from the mountains.

It was well past 1:00 AM when the Hackensaw Boys lined-up onstage - and I mean lined up - seven players in a row on the small stage. Co-founder David Sickman had rejoined the boys for the weekend and the band and crowd were ready to jam. And jam they did. An hour straight of organized chaos - sometimes you think they are out of control and then they stop and start in unison. And since practically each member contributes songs, you never know where the music will start. By 2:00 when the stage hands were ready to pack it in, and calls for an encore continued, the band complied to both and jumped into the crowd. They then performed three acoustic songs with fans collapsing into their protective circle. All proves that a live performance is a necessity. And it was time for bed.

More photos are available at the MyJoog Gallery.

Steep Canyon Rangers @ Frying Pan Farm Park

The Fairfax County Park Service provided us with a wonderful opportunity to hear quality bluegrass when they scheduled Steep Canyon Rangers to play at Frying Pan Farm Park. The band have a brief intermission from touring with Steve Martin and traveled north to provide us with their collection of bluegrass, old-time mountain, and gospel music. Most of the material came from their last two releases, Deep in the Shade and Lovin' Pretty Women, with a couple covers thrown in. These are two excellent CDs, and they played many of my favorites starting with Turn Up The Bottle, There Ain't No Easy Street, Have Mercy, Mourning Dove, Lovin' Pretty Women, and Be Still Moses. For the encore they went further back with One Dime At A Time. What a great set list - and it was written in paper - not an iPad (a Steve Martin party trick). And after the show, while we took a family tractor ride, the band stayed an hour later selling and signing gear. For their many fans in attendance it was a great opportunity to interface with the band. We look forward to seeing the Steep Canyon Rangers again wither on the road or at their music festival, the 5th Annual Mountain Song Festival, September 10th and 11th.

Additional photos are available at the MyJoog Gallery and a video of Turn Up The Bottle will be available at MyJoogTV in early August.