HSB Saturday 10-04-08

Dry Branch Fire Squad was a little wet this morning as the show opened up with drizzles, they warmed it up though....and played a good set, with a guest appearance from Warren Hellman (thanks for the show!)

If Flogging Molly played bluegrass inspired music they would be the Waco Brothers. I would say this is punk bluegrass, its a new sub genre....I just made it up. Two electric guitars, a bass, drums and a mandolin. I guess having a mando makes them somewhat bluegrass. If the HSB people say they're close enough, I'll accept that. I can't wait to see them again.

Jean Cook came out on fiddle for part of the set. This most definitely gets my surprise punk element award for the day! WOOO. These guys must stretch before their shows because that many high kicks might otherwise pull something. I have a couple videos that I did, one of Plenty Tough and Union Made and another of Neil Young's Revolution Blues. These guys are fantastic. They're not playing in the area any time soon but I'll be watching for them. I really like this music - its a bit rockabilly. Its funny because just as I wrote that down on my notepad they did a Bo Diddly song. They were phenomenal. Here's the set of photos from HSB.

One crispy veggie burger later was Richard Thompson. He is supposed to be a fantastic guitar player...uhhh....I guess he wasn't bad, just not really my style. It was very jazz like. He wore a beret. The highlight of his set was when he played Black Vincent 1952 (because I love the Del McCoury Band and they covered it). Much more noodling around than Del but...sometimes that happens.

The Desert Rose Band played their big hit from 1987 Don't Walk Away, their pedal steel sounded pretty good. Hahaa they've got enough guitars up there --- three....plus the pedal steel, bass player and drummer. The sun really came out as they started.

The Del McCoury Band came out and cleaned up. A couple old songs followed by Moneyland, kind of a scary thought....when the problems of the economy reach so deep into the heart of the country that even bluegrass is affected.

DMB was fantastic as usual, they get the good 'ol faithful award of the day. Pictures from their set (along with the other DMB pictures I have up already).

Welcoming the night was the Global Drum Project. Upon days of thought I found out how this fits into bluegrass....(think the Kevin Bacon game)...
1. Mickey Hart used to play with this little band called the Grateful Dead.
2. Jerry Garcia was also in the Dead.
3. Jerry Garcia's old band Old and In the Way was bluegrass...and Jerry did stuff with David Grisman.

I honestly didn't think I was going to like an hour of drum solo. I guess it really isn't a drum solo - there were four of them up there, that's not a solo.

There were so many percussive items. There were drums, bongos, sticks, metal things, wooden implements of noise, bells, rattles, gourds, symbols, xylophones...it was awesome.

Sunday's review to come.