This column originally appeared in The Local Voice #83 (June 25, 2009).
Looking Back at the past two weeks…
The Hot Seats, formerly know as Special Ed & The Short Bus, gave a memorable show at Two Stick. Their ragtime approach to bluegrass had great energy and was very entertaining from a song-writing perspective. I highly recommend catching them next time they come through.
Damion Suomi and Sanders Bohlke gave memorable performances mid-week at The Lyric’s Red Star Bar. Damion left the stage for most of the show, performing mic-less a few feet from the attentive audience. It reminded me of another awe-inspiring, mic-less show from Mark Adamec a month earlier in the same venue. Both featured great vocals and a commanding presence. Damion was supported by Shivawn McCarthy on violin, who had quite the presence of her own.
Another highlight of the past couple weeks was the Hill Country Picnic Preview Show at Rooster’s. Performances from the Burnsides, Kimbroughs, Kenny Brown, Jay Lang, Eric Deaton, Little Joe Ayers, and others amped up my anticipation of this weekend’s picnic.
Looking Forward to the next two weeks…
The North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic is my favorite weekend of the year in this area. It’s a laid back festival, usually with 3-4 thousand attendees over the course of the weekend. It’s the perfect size and vibe to enjoy some great music without fighting the usual obstacles of a music festival. One of the highlights of the festival is the creek that runs the length of the picnic site. It is shaded and shallow, making it worthwhile to drag a chair down and cool off occasionally during the day, while still within earshot of the stage.
The music lineup is as strong as ever this year and never really skips a beat from beginning to end. Jimbo Mathus on Friday night and North Mississippi Allstars on Saturday night will be strong headliners, and Kenny Brown’s jam to end the festival Saturday night is always a sight to see and hear, as the stage is filled with a cast of heavyweights in the Blues world.
Things really get kicked off tonight, though (6/25), as George McConnell & The Nonchalants play Roosters. Since forming last year, these guys’ shows have just gotten tighter and tighter, as they tour in support of their Virtual 45 releases, a throwback format in which songs are released in pairs via their web site, much like the “A-side” and “B-side” of a 45 RPM single. Check those out and come out to what’s sure to be a rockin’ show.
Go to Hill Country Picnic lineup >>
Go to past review of the picnic from this site >>
The Local Voice Number 83
June 25-July 9, 2009
READ AT MAXIMUM VOLUME
Download and Read: The Local Voice issue #83 PDF
http://www.thelocalvoice.net/LocalVoice-PDFs/TLV-83-web.pdf
For a complete lowdown of what’s inside this issue, click here.
Filed under: Entertainment, Local Voice Column, Music, Oxford Life, Upcoming Shows
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