It’s hard to tell if attendees to the Wednesday morning showcase were there for the talent or for the free brunch. Whatever drew them, the crowd left fully satisfied. After all, what’s better than free food and bluegrass?
Even while the buffet line was still crawling along, Rural Rhythm stars The Roys took the stage with the solid songlist that satisfied everyone’s hunger for down-home bluegrass. Lee and Elaine put on their usual highly polished performance, punctuated by numbers from their latest release. The pair’s solid songcrafting skills were on full display, along with the top-notch accompaniment their fans have come to expect.
Following the Roys, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen served up a heaping helping of hard-driving grass. Introduced by Darby Brandi, California Bluegrass Music Association President, Solivan proceeded to live up to Brandi’s gushing praise. One major change to the band is the addition of Steve Roy on bass. Joining the group just two weeks ago after the departure of Stefan Custodi, Roy performed flawlessly, contributing strong tenor harmony to his rock-solid bass playing.
Musical dessert was ably provided by venerable Blue Moon Rising, who nailed down another great performance. These guys continue to get better and have established themselves as one of the premier bands in the bluegrass world. Highlights were Brandon Bostic’s heartfelt rendition of My Sitting Window, with a hopping cover of Merle Haggard’s Living With the Shades Pulled Down proving that “the Hag” just might have a little bluegrass in him after all.
Sponsored by Rural Rhythm Records, Tom T. and Dixie Hall’s Good Home Grown Music, and the California Bluegrass Music Association, the showcase event left the attendees fully satisfied – and yet craving for more.
