Gillian Welch and David Rawlings Bring Melancholy Folk to NCMA

Wow. Take all your expectations of Gillian Welch's mournful voice and David Rawlings's flawless guitar riffs from your favorite albums, whether it be the most recent The Harrow and the Harvest or the now 14 year-old Revival, and sum them all into one balmy evening. If you add a bit more guitar and bit more emotion, as well as interjections from Gillian and David, you just might have what we had the pleasure of experiencing August 3 at the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Fans from all walks of life were pleased-- old fans who had been with Gil since the beginning, or new hip 20-somethings who heard them on NPR. There were children with mothers, falling asleep to the lullaby sounds of slower numbers, and curly-topped youngsters bouncing to the banjo lines, and of course, the Rawlings tune "Sweet Tooth". The brief rain couldn't put a damper on anyone, not even Gillian and David. They were pleased with the temperature drop and claimed it wasn't raining, just "really humid". The rain brought more people to the front, some to dance, others to take cover in the overhang, and more still just to get closer to their folk idols. As a huge Gillian Welch fan, this was probably one of the best shows I've been to so far this year. Local artists came out, surely paying homage to one of their influences-- I think I saw some members from Kickin' Grass Band, Mandolin Orange, and Midtown Dickens.

Gillian and David get the award for mixing the new and the old impeccably. The crowd was especially pleased with "Red Clay Halo", "Caleb Meyer", and of course, "Orphan Girl" was requested at least a dozen times (though, notably, not performed). As an Ohio native, one of my favorites was "Look at Miss Ohio," closely followed by one of the encores "Six White Horses". Their minimalist sound and traditional instrumentation was perfect for this North Carolinian show, providing a sense of belonging when playing "Tear my Stillhouse Down".

I will admit that I probably cried at least twice during the show, enjoying Welch's melancholy melodies and bittersweet harmonies of Rawlings. I wanted to quit looking like such a wuss  so I started focusing on the precision of David's guitar. Then I got caught in a predicament-- whether to focus on the guitar or the vocals. I was soon comforted by a fellow DJ's insight; Gillian's voice and David's guitar complete each other. Awww.

This was the third of four shows I plan on attending at the North Carolina Museum of Art this summer; the line up has been so amazing. Check out blogs about Bela Fleck, Lucinda Williams, and soon to come, The Carolina Chocolate Drops.  As always, if you're looking for the best in Americana, tune in to Americana, Blues, and Company every Saturday from 10-noon.

A Sultry Evening with Lucinda Williams at NCMA

It was a hot Wednesday evening at the outdoor amphitheater at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Muggy, humid, and as Lucinda Williams described, "sultry".  I thought to myself, of course we're enjoying the sultry weather,  as I usually describe her voice as such. For those unfamiliar with Lu's sound,  I like to say that if Janis Joplin and Dolly Parton had a baby, it would be Lucinda Williams.

It was a late start for the show.  Someone spoke of Lucinda's potential stage fright, but I think it was more that she was waiting for the hot sun to go completely down before starting to rock. Blake Mills, an unannounced opener, played mellow guitar before Lu came out. Blake Mills is the former  guitarist for indie rock band Band of Horses, and has been playing backup guitar for various artists. We were to discover one of the artists he has been playing guitar with was none other than Lucinda herself. Some members of the audience were pleased with his work, while some other die-hard Lu fans thought he wasn't doing the songs justice. What do you think?

Speaking of die-hard Lu fans, there definitely is a type. They are strong, middle aged women with husbands (or partners) who usually wear button-up Hawaiian shirts to concerts.  They enjoy picnics from Whole Foods and probably drive Subaru Outbacks. I love these fans. They get up and dance during their favorite songs, shamelessly and happily.  Lucinda provided their favorite songs -- Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Greenville, Blue, and many others. What's your favorite Lucinda tune?

Her lifelong fans, the aforementioned dancing middle aged women, enjoyed the show. Me, a less-than-middle aged woman, found that I prefer the recorded versions. They sound fuller, deeper, and of course, can be heard out of the 100 degree heat.  Despite the heat and the sounds hanging in the muggy air, it was a good show. Most current popular female country/rock  stars lack the depth Lucinda carries. It was a musical treat most young women my age will not get to experience.

If you've never been to a show at NCMA, its a great venue. You just feel sophisticated sitting there. Bring a chair or a blanket and some snacks, and you'll thoroughly enjoy yourself. Their line up this summer has been amazing and is consistently great from year to year. Next week, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will take the stage. Definitely a show you do not want to miss. If you like the music of Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch, check out WKNC's Americana, Blues, and Company every Saturday from 10-noon.

 

Bela Fleck and the Original Flecktones Play Sold Out Show

With an expansive lawn, selling out the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) proves to be quite difficult. However, the first show of the summer season on June 4, did just this.  Bela Fleck and the Flecktones attracted such a varied audience that every inch of the lawn was taken -- whether it be by hip young professionals eating olives, cheese, and wine or older couples eating a hot box of Bojangle's fried chicken.



 

The show started around 8:15PM, the perfect time to sit back and enjoy the 90-something day finally cooling off.  They played  newer music off their most recent album, Rocket Science.  And not to go with the intentional pun, but deciding whether to buy that album isn't rocket science.

 



 

 

This show is different than many in the past few years, as Howard Levy joined the band yet again. Levy, an amazing harmonica player, seems to tie the whole group together. Percussionist Futureman is about as interesting as a percussionist can get. He plays a hand-made drumitar, and has many other unique inventions based in scientific principles and pure awesomeness. If you'reever wondering which one is Futureman, just look for the pirate. Futureman's brother plays bass in the Flecktones and hot damn! is he good. I don't usually like bass solos, but Victor Lemonte Wooten definitely had my attention.  Of course, I hardly even need to speak of Bela Fleck's virtuosity at the banjo.  Futureman made the joke that Fleck is proof that banjo jokes aren't true. Casey Driessen, violinist of The Sparrow Quartet joined in for more of the bluegrass/folk numbers.



 

 

The concert went on until about 10PM, the lightning bugs and ambient lighting of the grounds of NCMA provided a perfect setting for the soft strumming and beats of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. If you missed out on this show--do not fret-- they will be coming back to North Carolina in August! Associate acts Ben Sollee and Abigail Washburn frequent this area, so be on a look out for them as well.

If you need your weekly Bela Fleck dose, you can always tune in to Americana Blues and Company Saturday mornings from 10-12, as we are known to play an occasional Bela Fleck number.

Eye on The Triangle—week of January 18

This week, we wanted to focus our show around Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. To accomplish this, I sat down with Ms. Toni Thorpe of the African American Cultural Center, to talk about the AACC and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Mark Herring took a trip to the Norman Rockwell exhibit at the North Carolina Musem of Art to look at some of Rockwell’s later works that surrounded racial inequality. Also, Jacob Downey went downtown to discuss racial apathy. We will also have readings from authors published in this year’s Windhover, NC State’s literary magazine. Weather, Sports and later some representatives from The Wolfpack Environmental Student Association will stop by to talk about their club.