On Wednesday, January 13th The Infamous Stringdusters charmed a nearly full house at The Station Inn, warming us up on a chilly night in Nashville. That six-pack of young bluegrass-inspired acoustic harmonizers even brought their own microbeer brand from Virginia (see my mini-review below). Their performance was intoxicating in a sober kind of way---a bit too clean, controlled & contrived for my taste. But then I'm a sucker for Appalachian murder ballads & honky-tonk grit. Anyway, I went as a proxy for my German pal Raphael, a TIS superfan busy working on an Arizona cattle ranch.
The Infamous Stringdusters lineup is a non-Dixie geographical smorgasbord: the memebers hail from Idaho, Colorado, Wisconsin, upstate New York & Long Island. From stage left to right, the players strum, pick or slap the following instruments: banjo, dobro, fiddle, double bass, mandolin & 6-string guitar. They play their acoustic instruments well & with enthusiasm. Their repertoire consists of originals in a bluegrass boogie style, with lead vocals embellished by 2- & 3-part harmonies. The Stringdusters' most acclaimed song so far is the title track to their 2007 debut album "Fork in the Road." They swap solos with jam-band gusto--I imagine that both Bill Monroe & Jerry Garcia would dig these guys.
The Stringdusters write and perform with levity, as in the whimsical tune "You Can't Handle the Truth," but they mix in some moments of gravity. For example, the guys dedicated a bluesy compassionate number to the people of Haiti, ravaged by an earthquake this week. Instrumentals & covers are thrown in for variety's sake. They have an admirable rapport with the audience--bassist/singer Travis Book even thanked a lady near the stage for her tropical perfume. His big grin & blissed-out guffaws, however, wore thin on me.
The second set featured a lovefest with guest singer/songwriter/guitarist Sarah Siskind, who's had a song covered by the great Alison Krauss & whose boyfriend is in the band. She told their meet-cute story about an open invitation to jam at a festival in the Rockies, but her songs sounded mediocre to my jaded ears. I couldn't help but think that the obscure part-timers in Folkswagon (from Racine, WI) put on a better, more moving show than these full-time professionals.
The Infamous Stringdusters are doing a weekly January residency at the venerable venue on Twelfth Avenue South, where the audience was overwhelmingly comprised of 20-somethings apparently turned off by the pop pablum that still dominates the mainstream media. In between a heavy tour schedule roaming the byways of America by van, the band released "The Infamous Stringdusters" album on Sugar Hill Records in 2008. Check them out if you like fine string music with pleasant harmonies.
Insider Info: Prompted perhaps by my flattery, Stringduster Andy Falco (guitar/vox) told me that their special guest next week (Jan. 20) will be the acclaimed country star Dierks Bentley. But the boys are trying to keep it on the down-low for fear of a mob scene at The Station Inn, so don't tell anyone else. The club only seats 200 people & the bar is tiny.
Beer Review: I tried the Starr Hill (Virginia micro-brewery) Jomo Lager that the Stringdusters supplied for this gig, but I found it a bit bland compared to the piquant local Yazoo Dos Perros ale. At least the lager was a buck cheaper than the ale ($3 vs. $4 per bottle). I got drunk & lost a leather driving glove--my second this month! What does that Freudian slip suggest?
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