Review: The Bluegrass Ball
The Bluegrass Ball @ The Old Rock House, March 12-13
Fellow music junkie Rex Thomson, a photographer and journalist, has made quite a name for himself over the past few years shooting and writing about bands from the jam, bluegrass, Americana and rock scenes for various publications and his own Rex-A-Vision Facebook page. We’re honored to welcome Rex to the HT Team for the occasional review and photo set starting with this piece on The Bluegrass Ball…
We can all use a little help from our friends from time to time, and when you’ve been in the music business from birth, as Ronnie and Robbie McCoury have been, you make some fairly interesting friends. So when the brothers and the rest of their band, along with guest guitarist Cody Kilby, alongside Travelin’ regulars fiddler Jason Carter and bassist Alan Bartram decided to do a four-night, two-city barn storm run, they went thru their phone lists and called the finest players they could think of to help make it a special weekend for all lucky enough to witness the collection of talent on the stage.
[All photos by Rex Thomson]
Multiple award winning mandolin player Ronnie McCoury was joined on his beloved instrument by fellow wizards of the mando Drew Emmitt, of Leftover Salmon and The Emmitt-Nershi Band, and Jeff Austin of the Yonder Mountain String Band took the stage alongside Robbie McCoury and his five-string banjo. To help keep Jason Carter from feeling left out on the far side of the stage, fiery fiddler Allie Kral, of the band Cornmeal, was brought in to bring an element of grandeur and the lineup for the run was complete.
After two nights in the windy city of Chicago, the ensemble took to the road for a two night stand at the Old Rock House in St. Louis, a beautifully restored room with a variety of tiers to watch the action from, including a well situated U-Shaped balcony/second floor. The multiple vantage points gave viewers excellent angles to see the impressive light rigging in use. In fact, the clubs presentation reminds one of something far more like a concert hall than the classic façade would lead you to believe.
READ ON for more on The Bluegrass Ball…
Given the enviable task of joining the assemblage of players for all four nights of warming up the crowd was Head For The Hills, a four piece out of Colorado. Head For The Hills took the opportunity to heart and on the last night of the tour, took the stage and quickly had all in the crowd dancing on the floor or bobbing their heads as they laid down their tracks. The band offered straight ahead bluegrass, but presented with modern production and amplification showing versatility in their songwriting, with somber numbers to contrast the picking and grinning and a depth of sound and tone that was startling. They finished their set to a round of cheers, and cleared the way for a set by our hosts, The Travelin’ McCourys.
When they’re not backing their legendary father Del McCoury, the band tours as their own entity, taking their music out various tangents, working en masse with other bands such as on their recent CD recording with the Lee Boys and their various guest appearances and special runs such as this Bluegrass Ball tour. Always mindful to take a few moments and show their fans some love, the band took a middle set and showcased some of their own brand of fireworks, with Ronnie uncorking monsterous runs, and notable takes by Jason Carter singing and playing his absolute best during Cold Cold Heart and bassist Bartram leading the band in a song dedicated to their boss, the senior McCoury, Del, who though not present physically, is always present in not just the talent passed down to his sons but in their family resemblances as well. Taking a rare opportunity to amp up and spread out, eschewing their normal “old-time-y” use of a single centered mic they stood alongside each other and ran through their songs with a precision that was inspiring. The musicians’ looks of concentration spoke volumes of their dedication to their craft, as if they were trying to telegraph every note and nuance to perfection.
Taking a short break, they returned to the stage and welcomed their first guest, Allie Kral, to their midst. Bringing a wild streak that immediately changed the tone and tenor that had come before, Kral dueled and dueted with Carter, a player whose work her appreciation for is well known. As soon as the first number was unspooled, Jeff Austin and Drew Emmitt were summoned to the stage, and a three headed mandolin monster was born.
The next song quickly devolved into a spotlight for the talented trio of Emmit, Austin and McCoury on their eight stringed beauties. Each of the musicians traded licks and face-splitting grins as they went ‘round the circle time and again. As they finished their jam section of the piece a loud cheer rose from the crowd and the players looked out, as if having forgotten there was anyone else in the universe while they were lost in the moment. And so it went for the next 40 minutes, songs would be introduced, and at any moment, from one side of the stage to the other, one, two even three of the stellar squad would be laying down breathtaking examples of skill and dexterity.
Banjoist McCoury would move fingers faster than the eyes could see, and Kilby would show the tricks and tradecraft he had picked up from his years working with Ricky Skaggs and the Kentucky Thunder. Acting as co-hosts Austin and Ronnie McCoury took turns singing leads and directing traffic with subtle nods and out right encouragement to go for it. Kicking all the “Non little mini guitar things” – apparently the term for mandolins in Jeff Austin-verse! – the three pickers took a couple of numbers to themselves, with a ten minute version of the Yonder tune Death Trip featuring the jam session of the evening, as the three took turns trying to get reactions from their peers, bringing nothing but their best.
After a rousing run through the next few tunes, the band then pretended to leave the stage, huddling and waving eyes away as they chose a closing track. A call went out from Ronnie for the “Head For The Hills boys” and they quickly answered, joining the stage and packing it to its capacity. Jeff Austin dedicated the evening’s last song to Owsley “Bear” Stanley who had passed the day before. A counter-culture luminary, Austin started up Fire on the Mountain receiving massive cheers before Austin corrected the crowd’s errant assumption that it was the Grateful Dead’s song, but instead it was the bluegrass standard of the same name. With a furious finish, the Bluegrass Ball ended, leaving people exhausted but ready for more. Let’s hope the future gives it to them.
