Hello everyone. I
hope some of you are celebrating the Eagles long deserved Super Bowl victory
and others feeling the unbearable sting of the loss. But I’m not here to talk
sports, I am here to talk music, specifically the Nectar’s residency by noted
banjo picker Pappy Biondo. Kempepedia is proud to present the first of a 4 part
series Plentiful Pickin’: The February Nectar’s
Residency of Pappy and the Pards 2018.
The
residency was announced back in December. I was geeked beyond belief. 4 shows
on a night that works with my 2 job work schedule. I figured Cabinet wasn’t touring in February.
I was off by a little bit because they announced their indefinite hiatus a day
or two after the residency announcement. Wow. I will miss Cabinet but they are
a much different band now than the one I discovered back in 2011. It’s great
they evolved and I loved what they were currently doing. But time marches on
and was really intrigued about the residency.
A whole bunch of
musicians. No one was doing any more than 2 shows. A lot of JJ Cale. Cosmic
country and cosmic bluegrass. Those both sound like something I have been
searching for but didn’t know it. Some of the players I had heard of and some I
hadn’t. Biggest name to me is Gordon Stone. Someone remarked he really doesn’t
play out too often so that should be a big deal. Again, all a 20 minute walk from
my crib. Kclinger’s was further from my place on E. Hanover St. February
finally got here and after seeing Pappy play all night with Grass is Dead only
2 nights before, I was stoked!
Pappy and the Pards, Feb. 1st, 2018, Nectar’s,
Burlington, VT
Set 1
I’ll Go Stepping Too, Susquehanna Breakdown, Back to the
Basics, I Told Them All About You, Catfish
John, Little Maggie, Gold Rush, Machine Gun Kelly>Clinch Mountain Backstep, Call Me
The Breeze
Set 2
Yakety Yak, Sunday 60 Breakdown, Poor Man’s Blues, Pine
Billy, Old Home Place, Baby Girl, Nashville Blues
The Pards tonight were
Pappy Biondo - Banjo and Vocals, Doug Perkins – Guitar, Matt
Flinner - Mandolin, Pat Melvin – Bass, Caleb Elder – Fiddle, Russ Lawton -
Drums
You can stream it
here
A Cabinet song to
open the residency and to touch on how Cabinet sounded way back when?!?!?!? Fantastic
opening statement. This evening was going to be all about that high and
lonesome sound. Back to the Basics featured some nice harmonies that were as
comfortable as a worn wood floor. Catfish John was played at a nice steady
pace. Gold Rush had a lot of fiddle as promised and several teases of Dixie. I have seen Pappy perform Call Me the Breeze
with 3 different bands in the last 6 months. This arrangement is my favorite.
Skipping along with a lot of fiddle. On to the second set!
No one in their
right mind would call Yakety Yak, a tune from the rock and roll era of the 1950’s
by The Coasters a bluegrass tune but it sure does work with this group. My
favorite part is the drum solo with brushes by Russ. His set up was one long
drum, a bass drum, and a cymbal. He also played standing up.
Poor Man’s Blues
was probably my favorite tune of the night. Pine Billy is just plain fun with
the crowd participation. A rather dark and melancholy version (especially with
the lights) of My Old Home Place was really powerful and a nice example of how
the arrangement of a song can totally change the meaning of the tune. After Baby Girl Pappy says they have time for
a few more songs. A few became one as they did a 17 minute version of Nashville
Blues. The song is just sick. Love the jam that ends at the 13 min mark. Upon further research, it is Nashville Blues>Shockin'> Dear Ol' Dixie
When I got to the show, it was just flurrying.
That turned into a surprisingly strong storm that dumped about 3 inches by the
time it was over. Lots of people were caught by surprise, walking around
downtown in heels and nice dress shoes. I wore sneakers because I was planning
on dancing hard. But as I blazed a trail for home in the blowing snow, I was
struck by the beauty of it. And my incredible fortune to end up in Burlington,
a place where music is the thing. Can’t wait until this Thursday for an evening
of cosmic country and a JJ Cale set.
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll
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