Post by MaxQuad on Feb 10, 2007 13:51:41 GMT -5
Such a surprisingly sparse crowd for such a talented musician. Puzzling. A few hundred folks were fortunate enough to brave the unseasonably cold (yes, unseasonably cold!) Western New York weather to experience the latest incarnation of young Chris Thile - most recently of Nickel Creek fame.
Thile, now in his mid-20s, has put Nickel Creek on hiatus and is touring to support his latest album, How to Grow a Woman from the Ground. In addition to Thile's mandolin, the five piece band includes Noam Pikelny on banjo, Gabe Witcher on fiddle, Greg Garrison on bass, and famed Bryan Sutton on acoustic guitar. Collectively, these players are known as the How to Grow a Band.
Songs from the recent album were prominently displayed in the set, which was a generous 105 minutes in length. Traditional bluegrass and contemporary bluegrass were fairly equal parts of the mix. Chris Thile's vocals are featured in some tunes. In others, the musicianship of the band is designed to be front and center. Each player, wonderful in his own right, is allowed by Chris to shine individually in a style similar to Bela Fleck's leadership of The Flecktones. The peformance could be built exclusively around Chris Thile's extraordinary mandolin playing, but thankfully he is generous in featuring each musician frequently throughout the evening.
The stage dynamics make it clear that thses musicians are enjoying their time together - and that they respect each other enough to be genuinely playful on stage.
The small crowd did not dampen their enthusiasm or good cheer. Even when the songs were quiet and sad, one somehow felt comfort, as if in the company of friends. The stage was essentially sans equipment - a couple microphones, a few monitors on stage, and the band. Amplification was not the focus, so the intimacy of the setting and music was enhanced. The playing was often soft and haunting. At other times it was energy-filled bluegrass played at its best. Overall a wonderfully satisfying concert to experience. If you have a chance to see them soon, do not hesitate to buy a ticket.
MQ
Sometimes Why opened the show - three young females whose music is generally slow, quiet, and spare, reminiscent at times of Cowboy Junkies. The audience was quite appreciative.
Thile, now in his mid-20s, has put Nickel Creek on hiatus and is touring to support his latest album, How to Grow a Woman from the Ground. In addition to Thile's mandolin, the five piece band includes Noam Pikelny on banjo, Gabe Witcher on fiddle, Greg Garrison on bass, and famed Bryan Sutton on acoustic guitar. Collectively, these players are known as the How to Grow a Band.
Songs from the recent album were prominently displayed in the set, which was a generous 105 minutes in length. Traditional bluegrass and contemporary bluegrass were fairly equal parts of the mix. Chris Thile's vocals are featured in some tunes. In others, the musicianship of the band is designed to be front and center. Each player, wonderful in his own right, is allowed by Chris to shine individually in a style similar to Bela Fleck's leadership of The Flecktones. The peformance could be built exclusively around Chris Thile's extraordinary mandolin playing, but thankfully he is generous in featuring each musician frequently throughout the evening.
The stage dynamics make it clear that thses musicians are enjoying their time together - and that they respect each other enough to be genuinely playful on stage.
The small crowd did not dampen their enthusiasm or good cheer. Even when the songs were quiet and sad, one somehow felt comfort, as if in the company of friends. The stage was essentially sans equipment - a couple microphones, a few monitors on stage, and the band. Amplification was not the focus, so the intimacy of the setting and music was enhanced. The playing was often soft and haunting. At other times it was energy-filled bluegrass played at its best. Overall a wonderfully satisfying concert to experience. If you have a chance to see them soon, do not hesitate to buy a ticket.
MQ
Sometimes Why opened the show - three young females whose music is generally slow, quiet, and spare, reminiscent at times of Cowboy Junkies. The audience was quite appreciative.