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The Tan And Sober Gentlemen + DriftwoodLive at Flat Iron
Wednesday, April 09
Doors: 7pm // Show: 8pm
$20 / Day Of : $25
Born and raised in North Carolina, the T an and Sober
Gentlemen began taking the songs, stories, and tunes that
make up their beloved state’s musical tradition before they
could talk. The music of the Carolinas, (and Appalachia in
general) stems from the marriage of the Irish fiddle and the
African banjo, which first met in the American South before
the Revolution. The T an and Sober Gentlemen aim to bring
these traditions full circle. They play Irish tunes, ballads, and
pub songs right next to the Appalachian fiddle tunes of their
youth, melding the two into what they call “Irish-American
hillbilly music. ” Meanwhile, they have earned a reputation as
one of the South’s hardest-hitting live acts, playing at blazing
tempos, and putting every last bit of energy they possess
into the show. The result is a raucous celebration of the
Carolinas’ Irish heritage, with drinking, dancing, and
merriment galore.
Music has guided Driftwood to hallowed ground many times since its founding members, Joe Kollar and Dan Forsyth, started making music as high schoolers in Joe’s parents’ basement.
Whether the Upstate New York folk rock group—which today also includes violinist Claire Byrne, bassist Joey Arcuri, and drummer Sam Fishman—are converting new fans on a hardscrabble tour across the country or playing to a devoted crowd at hero Levon Helm’s Woodstock barn, the band’s shapeshifting approach to folk music continues to break new ground. And yet in many ways Driftwood’s latest work, the transformative December Last Call, finds the group
coming home.
Recorded in that very same basement where the Driftwood dream began, December Last Call lyrically reflects on the recent past, musing on the ways the group grew up, together and apart,
through curveballs like new parenthood or pandemic shutdowns. But sonically, the band’s sixth album looks confidently to the future, experimenting with new sounds while staying true to the
bluegrass roots that built them. Across the album’s nine tracks, the band often leans into
hard-rocking electric guitars and driving percussion: On “Every Which Way But Loose,” we get a foot-tapping beat and a sweeping chorus, and on “Up All Night Blues,” the band shines with an ambling, sing-along-able reflection on the challenges of new motherhood. But other tracks, like standout closer “Stardust,” take a simpler route, allowing bare-bones vocals and acoustic instrumentals to underpin a deeper emotional message.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
221 Summit Ave, Greensboro, NC, United States, North Carolina 27401
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