Bluegrass and Blues Fest Kicks Off With A Twang
By Sarah Cobarrubias in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 23, 2012 8:00PM
Upon arriving Saturday afternoon, it seemed Auditorium Theater might not be the ideal setting for day one of the Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival, which focused heavily on bluegrass. As gorgeous and acoustically-inclined as it is, the venue has no standing room and a fairly strict seating policy, which doesn’t allow for the type of footloose hoodang that the genre incites. But this didn’t keep the loyal bluegrass fans down, and by the end of the night, the fest’s launch night seemed more like a hoedown than a seating-room-only concert.
The crowd was pretty composed through the opening acts and stuck mostly to their seats, even through The Giving Tree Band’s impressive, symphonic folk-rock set. Things began to pick up when Joe Purdy graced the stage. The troubadour performed solo at first, wooing the crowd with his bluesy, down-to-earth folk and coy humor, until he invited The Giving Tree Band - who he claimed to have met for the first time the day before - to join him on stage, adding some pleasant harmonies and rich instrumental to Purdy’s ballads.
The openers impressed, but let’s be honest—we were there to see the seasoned bluegrass musicians who were the night’s headliners. Once David Grisman and his band took the stage, the faint smell of pot smoke began to waft and people stood in front of their seats, clapping and stomping to his jazzy bluegrass instrumentals. Del McCoury and his band followed, bringing a remarkable vigor with bluegrass stylings true to tradition, from the classic instrumentation (banjo, mandolin, fiddle, guitar, and bass) down to the howling harmonies. The set had a distinct communal feel, and each of the five members had his moment in the spotlight and a chance to lead a tune.
This communal feel continued on into the next segment of the show, Big Mon Jam, a tribute to the late Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe. It started out with Grisman and McCoury playing “My Long Journey Home,” and it felt a lot like we were sitting in on two old friends just making music together. The Travelin’ McCourys (which consists of the backup members of The McCoury Band) soon joined in on stage, and together they played a handful of Monroe’s songs - many by audience request - including “Letter From My Darling,” “I’m in Despair,” “I’m Blue, I’m Lonesome,” and “I’m Going Back to Old Kentucky.” By the end of the set, people were whooping and dancing in front of their seats and in the aisles, despite the herding efforts of security.
The whole night culminated with the Bluegrass Ball, which brought guitarist Bill Nershi (of The String Cheese Incident) and mandolinist Jeff Austin (of Yonder Mountain String Band) on stage with The Travelin’ McCourys. The collaboration resulted in an incredible, foot-stomping energy with songs like “Pretty Daughter” and “Raleigh and Spencer.” The show ended on cheesy note with “Jellyfish,” a slinky groove that featured Nershi spitting out lyrics like an emcee.
In all, day one of the Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Fest was a night of knee-slapping delight. The fest picks up again this Saturday at Congress Theater for its second and final night, which will showcase more contemporary acts that take inspiration from roots music, including Drive-By Truckers, Dawes, and Joe Pug,