Vibes

Archives | RSS

Monday, December 3, 2012

Music Menu Jason Isbell at the Visulite Theatre tonight (12/3/2012)

Posted By on Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 8:52 AM

JASON ISBELL
Only the participating parties really know whether Jason Isbell left the Drive-By Truckers because his marriage to bassist Shonna Tucker was falling apart or because there wasn't enough room in Dodge for three talented songwriters. Either way, the split seems to have served all the protagonists well, musically speaking. Isbell might not be the born storyteller than Patterson Hood is, or have that natural George Jones country thing down like Mike Cooley, but he has a leg up on his ex-mates in terms of simple songcraft. His early solo work was more rock-based and seemed an extension of his Truckers' role, but since then, he's developed a niche purely his own. That's evident in his wistful 2011 album Here We Rest, where Isbell created a gorgeous paean to Alabama that balances his home state's rich musical pedigree of rollicking Muscle Shoals soul and rural country folk. That LP cracked the top 100 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart, and "Alabama Pines" was named Song of the Year at the Americana Music Awards. Lesson being, breaking up may be hard but sometimes it's for the best. With Communist Daughter. $15. Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m. Visulite Theatre, 1615 Elizabeth Ave. 704-358-9200. www.visulite.com.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Permalink | Post Comments

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Music Menu Carolina Chocolate Drops at the Neighborhood Theatre tonight (12/1/2012)

Posted By on Sat, Dec 1, 2012 at 8:49 AM

CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS
Characterized as a simple old-timey Tarheel string-and-jug band, Durham's Carolina Chocolate Drops execute a more complex call-and-response between the distant past and present. Breaking into the mainstream with its 2010 LP Genuine Negro Jig, the Drops proved that modern ears could attune to the country blues, galloping banjo, field-holler stomp, and syncopated fife-and-drum beats of African-American roots music. Though they've resurrected unjustly neglected tunes from the faded pop-and-hiss of forgotten 78s, the Drops have never been dry archivists. Their foot-stomping, full-blooded shows prove the pulse of a 1930s tent revival is just a heartbeat away from contemporary hip-hop. The band has always been about context and history, peppering shows with chats about the African origin of the banjo and other nuggets of cultural heritage. Still, longtime followers were concerned when the virtuosic trio recently lost a founding member and transformed into a five piece. Fans need not worry. Expanding their repertoire to include more jazz and folk balladry, the Carolina Chocolate Drops stay connected to their power source - the ancestral Piedmont music they mean to share with everyone.$20/$22. Dec. 1, 8 p.m. Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 36th St. 704-358-9298.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Permalink | Post Comments

« Newer Entries Older Entries »

Most Popular
Most Shared
Most Commented

© 2019 Womack Digital, LLC
Powered by Foundation