Hello,
hello, hello. As a nor’easter howls across New England, I am snug in my tiny apartment
with a cathedral ceiling. One last review to hang on the internets, so here it
is. Kempepedia is proud to present Pappy and the Pards, Live at Nectar’s,
Burlington, VT February 22nd, 2018.
Pappy and
the Pards
February 22nd,
2018
Pappy and
the Pards are
Patrick
Biondo – Guitar/Banjo/Vocals
Gordon Stone
– Pedal Steel
Pat Melvin –
Bass
Sean Preece –
Drums
Justin Mazer
– Electric Guitar (Second Set)
Set One
New River Train, Louis Collins, Diamond Joe, Grandpappy,
Walking Catastrophe, Love Please Come Home, Clinch Mountain Backstep>Turkey
in the Straw>Close Enough, Catfish John, Nashville Blues
Set Two
Since You Said Goodbye>Crazy Mama>Cocaine>Call Me
the Breeze, Dead Flowers, Rabbit in a Log, Old Farmer’s Mill>High on a
Mountain Top, Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow, You are My Sunshine
You can stream it here
Pappy was seated
on a stool for the entire first set. This set was the most laid back out of the
eight sets. Diamond Joe was great and Pappy really conveys the contempt the narrator
has for Diamond Joe. Grandpappy is a nice laid back new tune. Walking
Catastrophe is another new tune with a shout out to Cabinet’s home town of
Scranton, PA.
It is safe to say that anything Pappy’s sings
sounds better with a pedal steel guitar. Gordon Stone is a master of that
instrument. Loved the Clinch thru Close. Turkey in the Straw is one of those
songs that was probably one of the first tunes many musicians learned. I have
probably seen Pappy sing Catfish John more than any other tune. It never gets
old. And Nashville Blues was the perfect high energy way to end a set. Nashville
Blues featured a great solo from Mr. Pat Melvin. He played 3 of the shows and was
definitely the MVB (Most Valuable Bassist) of the residency.
The second and final set of the residency was
my favorite of all the sets. Justin played across town at the Ryan Montbleau/
Yes Darling show at the Higher Ground and then came to Nectar’s to throw down
some nasty licks. The whole run of Since You Said Goodbye through Breeze was
fantastic. It was like there was all this pent up energy from the first set
that nobody noticed and then exploded. Nearly 40 minutes! What a way to kick
off a set!
I was 15 in Ocean
City MD with my family. I came across 2
musicians playing on a small stage directly off the boardwalk. While bantering
between songs, one remarked that the next song was written by the best country
music writers of all time. That song was
Dead Flowers by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. Once I discovered Sticky
Fingers, it quickly became one of my favorite songs by anyone. I knew Pappy
played it because he performed it with Gatos Blancos in 2017. I don’t like
asking musicians to play specific songs unless asked, so I didn’t request it.
But lo and behold here it was! I was the only person yelling and clapping. You
can hear me on the recording lol. The pedal steel was the perfect complement to
an already perfect tune.
Mr. Stone really
shined on Rabbit. Cabinet tunes made a return with Old Farmer’s Mill into High
on a Mountaintop. Mountaintop is one of my favorite bluegrass tunes and it is
always a treat when I hear it. Love the jam that begins about 7 minutes in Ain’t
Gonna Work Tomorrow. And then a delicate take on You Are My Sunshine to close
it all out.
And as February
ends and we march closer to spring, the residency is over. What an amazing
time. Met some cool new people as my new life up here gets better and better.
Feel proud to be part of a vibrant musical community and look forward to the
future.
Furthur!
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll
