The Kickin' Pickin' Bluegrass Party was at Chastain Park Amphitheater last night and was just a great night for bluegrass and acoustic music.Marty Stuart was the headliner on a bill that opened with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver and then a set with The Del McCoury Band. My wife and I celebrated our 20th anniversary at the show and we were treated to some of the best live music I've heard in a long time. We had decent tickets but upon arrival we learned that not many people were expected(shame on Atlanta for not supporting this music as only 2-3 hundred people attended)and were given pit seats very close to the stage. Doyle's new lineup is an incredible bunch of young musicians with talent to spare.It is a testament to Doyle's ability as a band leader to be able to maintain his signature sound and still bring an aliveness to the music that few other touring bands can claim.The new Nashville Rhinestone Nudie Suit look they are sporting took a little getting used to but they incorporate some jokes about it in the show.The guitar player commented about Doyle's very loud and gaudy,rhinestone encrusted coat by saying"I bet that thing makes a racket in the dryer,Doyle!!" Great set of tunes that was a mix of old and new and highlighted by Doyle's mandolin playing,Btw,he was playing what looked like a new Gibson Lawson model with a black top.It sounded really good for a new instrument and the sound man had the entire band dialed in so the overall sound was just right.
The McCoury's put on a good show as well but because of their 3 condenser mic set up it was 3 or 4 songs into their set before the sound was where it need be.It was in the 90's last nite with high humidity and how these guys perform in suits and ties I don't know.Ronnie's Loar has really opened up since the first time I heard it and he seems more comfortable playing it now than when he first got it.He is a phenomenal player with a style all his own.The surprise in their set was how well the bass player, Alan Bartram, can sing! He did Rocky Road Blues and blew everyone away while playing some killer bass lines.I think Del might need to let him do more singing.Great stuff!!
Marty Stuart deserves every accolade he gets for being a consumate showman,storyteller,band leader,and one of the most talented,soulful musicians on the planet.The boy was born with delta country blues in his DNA and he has to be one of the most natural musicians I've ever seen perform.His band is stellar,too! Kenny Vaughn played a Martin all nite and did some jaw-dropping breaks and some twin stuff with Marty that was really inventive.He is my new favorite country guitarist! Harry Stinson played a strapped on snare drum with brushes all nite that kept that 'train'rhythm rolling all nite.He is a great singer as well and just nailed the falsetto part on the old Monroe nugget,"Body and Soul"! Marty brought Ronnie McCoury back out at the end and schooled every mandolin player in the house with a 2 mando version of Rawhide that was amazingly fast and you could tell they were having fun improvising as they traded off breaks.All the bands came out after that and Doyle and Del ended the show with Monroe's classic,"First Whipporwill". To top off a great nite of music ,I got to meet with Marty on his bus after the show and we reminisced about the time I booked him for a show in 1981 into a small club here in Atlanta.But that's another story.All in all it ws a great nite for music in Atlanta made even better by sharing it with my beautful wife,Evelyn,on our 20th anniversary.Thanks for reading this.
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