Saturday, May 9, 2009

Moreland & Arbuckle, Gravel Road

Staying on our ongoing theme of 21st Century Blues... on Friday night, we had a fine bill of entertainment that warmed our hearts. Moreland & Arbuckle, the tirelessly touring trio from Kansas, brought their tasteful, vintage sound. To open the show, the Seattle-based Gravel Road made their Highway 99 debut and delivered a compelling brand of dark blues, a style which delightfully marries the traditional sounds of the Mississippi low country with a minimalist rock sensibility. As we've said, Blues, like any genre, can be a lot of things. Like fans of any art form, we long for the old masters, the pioneers who made it possible for all who followed. But we also embrace the present and enjoy those who are doing it now, honoring the forefathers (and foremothers) while bringing their own contemporary elements to the party. And that's what Friday was all about. As we think of comparisons to other genres, we love rock & roll originators like Ike Turner and Jerry Lee Lewis, and we also love modern artists on the charts today like Green Day and Kings of Leon. Speaking of good music, we've got to wrap this entry up because the Crossroads Band's I-5 Harmonica Houseparty is blowing the roof off the joint at the moment. Do you know any roof guys who work Saturday nights? (pictured above, Moreland & Arbuckle; video below, Gravel Road closes their set by paying tribute to R.L. Burnside)