The drummer for the North Mississippi Allstars, Cody Dickinson, has the music in him! In the groove from beat one, the band opened their recent Bearsville Theater show with a smokin’ version of “Sitting on Top of the World”. Following Cody’s lead, the band set up the groove, and when, and only when, the groove was established, did they start the actual song! That’s just how I like it done! I wanted to go out for a smoke, but I was transfixed! I literally was not able to leave the room until the song ended!
The band plays at a level far beyond their years, and why shouldn’t they? Both Cody and his brother Luther have a second generation musical pedigree handed down from their father, Memphis legend Jim Dickinson. You could do a lot worse than absorbing music at the feet and on the knee of Jim Dickinson. That’s how you get the music in you!
The Allstars are mostly a blues band, but at times I could swear I was listening to The Grateful Dead or The Allman Brothers Band, circa 1971! It’s these small variations on a theme that keep the Blues eternal!
In a band such as the North Mississippi Allstars, with two very prominent and well known members in Luther and Cody, there is a tendency for the two brothers to suck the oxygen out of the room, but I feel special mention must be made of bassist Chris Chew, a mountain of a man who holds his bass strung high on his chest, plays lefty, and of course, with no pick.. Covered in tattoos and looking like he’d be more at home in a hip hop crew than a rock band, Chris has nevertheless managed a mind meld with the two skinny rock n rollers and, in the process, they’ve all driven the Blues into the 21st century!
I’d be remiss if I completed this review of the band’s performance without mentioning that during one song, Cody sat at the drums, keeping the beat going with his feet, and at the same time picked up a guitar and soloed with Luther! He plays the guitar as good as he plays drums, and maybe, just maybe, is a better guitarist than his brother! It makes you wonder what else this multi-talented group is capable of. I, for one, will be watching and listening to find out!
My thanks to WDST for bringing this fine band to town, and to Drew at the station for making this review possible.
And now for this week’s live music picks.
Thursday, November 10 – FURTHER, the latest incarnation of The Grateful Dead, returns to Madison Square Garden for one show. If you’re a Dead Head, you’ll be there. If you’re not, you won’t.
Friday, November 11 – Not one, but two really, really great shows tonight. If you’re downstate, TROMBONE SHORTY pulls into Terminal 5 in Manhattan. If you’re a regular reader of this column, you know how I feel about Trombone Shorty! If you didn’t read my review last September of their performance at Bluestock, go to www.reservoirmusiccenter.com or this newspaper’s website, www.thetownsman.com, and read my column of September 8. Nuff said!
Closer to home, the great JOHN HIATT is at The Bardavon for one night, and this should really not be missed. Hiatt is one of our best rockin’ singer/songwriters, and should have a much wider audience than he does.
Saturday, November 12 – The only show in town tonight is the Ramble at LEVON’S. If you can, go. Opening act is Bow Thayer and Perfect Trainwreck.
Sunday, November 13 – For rock n rollers, one of this week’s Picks of the Week is at Madison Square Garden tonight. It’s the only flat out rock band to hit it big in the last twenty years, FOO FIGHTERS with one of my top two bands, SOCIAL DISTORTION, opening.
If your ears are still ringing from the weekend’s musical faire, and you need a break, head into Kingston for BILL MAHER at UPAC.Bill won’t damage your hearing, but he will make you laugh, and think.
Monday, November 14 – Tickets go on sale at 10 AM for Roger Waters at The Times Union Center in Albany on June 28, 2012.
Tuesday, November 15 – For upstate Dead Heads, FURTHER is at The Times Union Center in Albany. For rockers, my favorite band, THE SUPERSUCKERS, is at The Chance in Poukeepsie, and of course, that will have to be my other Pick of the Week. Finally, if you’re downstate, HANK WILLIAMS III is at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, in Brooklyn.
Every show this week actually deserves to be a Pick of the Week, so, don’t be shy. Get out there and support live music.
Have a great week.
The band plays at a level far beyond their years, and why shouldn’t they? Both Cody and his brother Luther have a second generation musical pedigree handed down from their father, Memphis legend Jim Dickinson. You could do a lot worse than absorbing music at the feet and on the knee of Jim Dickinson. That’s how you get the music in you!
The Allstars are mostly a blues band, but at times I could swear I was listening to The Grateful Dead or The Allman Brothers Band, circa 1971! It’s these small variations on a theme that keep the Blues eternal!
In a band such as the North Mississippi Allstars, with two very prominent and well known members in Luther and Cody, there is a tendency for the two brothers to suck the oxygen out of the room, but I feel special mention must be made of bassist Chris Chew, a mountain of a man who holds his bass strung high on his chest, plays lefty, and of course, with no pick.. Covered in tattoos and looking like he’d be more at home in a hip hop crew than a rock band, Chris has nevertheless managed a mind meld with the two skinny rock n rollers and, in the process, they’ve all driven the Blues into the 21st century!
I’d be remiss if I completed this review of the band’s performance without mentioning that during one song, Cody sat at the drums, keeping the beat going with his feet, and at the same time picked up a guitar and soloed with Luther! He plays the guitar as good as he plays drums, and maybe, just maybe, is a better guitarist than his brother! It makes you wonder what else this multi-talented group is capable of. I, for one, will be watching and listening to find out!
My thanks to WDST for bringing this fine band to town, and to Drew at the station for making this review possible.
And now for this week’s live music picks.
Thursday, November 10 – FURTHER, the latest incarnation of The Grateful Dead, returns to Madison Square Garden for one show. If you’re a Dead Head, you’ll be there. If you’re not, you won’t.
Friday, November 11 – Not one, but two really, really great shows tonight. If you’re downstate, TROMBONE SHORTY pulls into Terminal 5 in Manhattan. If you’re a regular reader of this column, you know how I feel about Trombone Shorty! If you didn’t read my review last September of their performance at Bluestock, go to www.reservoirmusiccenter.com or this newspaper’s website, www.thetownsman.com, and read my column of September 8. Nuff said!
Closer to home, the great JOHN HIATT is at The Bardavon for one night, and this should really not be missed. Hiatt is one of our best rockin’ singer/songwriters, and should have a much wider audience than he does.
Saturday, November 12 – The only show in town tonight is the Ramble at LEVON’S. If you can, go. Opening act is Bow Thayer and Perfect Trainwreck.
Sunday, November 13 – For rock n rollers, one of this week’s Picks of the Week is at Madison Square Garden tonight. It’s the only flat out rock band to hit it big in the last twenty years, FOO FIGHTERS with one of my top two bands, SOCIAL DISTORTION, opening.
If your ears are still ringing from the weekend’s musical faire, and you need a break, head into Kingston for BILL MAHER at UPAC.Bill won’t damage your hearing, but he will make you laugh, and think.
Monday, November 14 – Tickets go on sale at 10 AM for Roger Waters at The Times Union Center in Albany on June 28, 2012.
Tuesday, November 15 – For upstate Dead Heads, FURTHER is at The Times Union Center in Albany. For rockers, my favorite band, THE SUPERSUCKERS, is at The Chance in Poukeepsie, and of course, that will have to be my other Pick of the Week. Finally, if you’re downstate, HANK WILLIAMS III is at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, in Brooklyn.
Every show this week actually deserves to be a Pick of the Week, so, don’t be shy. Get out there and support live music.
Have a great week.
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