The Wood Brothers Tour Stop - Grass Valley, CA
The Wood Brothers stop in Grass Valley
Pictures and Words: Jim Brown
Music Fan Magazine tries to keep our show notes in smaller, bite-sized pieces. This is what we thought of last night’s set:
The Grammy-nominated Wood Brothers made a stop in Grass Valley on Tuesday night for yet another sold out performance on this year’s tour calendar. Celebrating their eighth studio album release, “Heart is the Hero,” The Wood Brothers put on an excellent show demonstrating their next-level musicianship over and over again.
I haven’t been able to see The Wood Brothers live until now but following them on Spotify I was hoping the night was going to be the tight presentation of vocal harmony combined with just the right amount of electric guitar that I'd been listening to over the years. Oliver Wood, lead singer (overheard being referred to as “the tall one” or “the guy with the hair” from one spectator…probably seeing them for the first time as well), opened with something unfamiliar to me, but immediately grabbed the audience with his guitar work and lyrics, which could be clearly heard over the venue's sound system (Meyer Sound System). His voice is distinct. He's able to manage volume and sing as if he's sitting in the living room with you sharing a bourbon, but it carries a back-end raspiness that really dirtys things up on songs like “Luckiest Man,” one of The Wood Brothers big hits. I’m no vocal coach, and can’t sing a tune myself, but it sure is impressive to watch someone else do it and to be able to convey their message and lyrics even deeper with a perfect application of musicianship all around.
So, Oliver gets going, all is well, then brother Chris jumps in with the bass work and vocals matching every bit of the tall guy’s talent…amazing. Chris has a deep history in jazz, or I guess jazz fusion to be more accurate, which is probably why there was a stand-up bass on the stage, and it wasn’t long before it was brought into service. Gee I wish I had one of those! At one point, during what I think was “Line Those Pockets,” watching Chris closely I couldn’t figure out how anyone could slap a fretless stand-up bass while singing, while being in sync with the others -- really great stuff.
We're into the set about 45 minutes or so and Jano Rix decided to leave the drum kit and come up front with the brothers to play “Keep Me Around,” putting a beat down on the actual top of an acoustic guitar with a carefully placed set of brushes. I didn’t understand what was going on at first, was the drummer going to play strings? Thankfully no, it was used in another way, which was good because this was also election night, and nobody wanted any more surprises!
You can read all about The Wood Brothers elsewhere, their influences and what size shoe Oliver wears if you look hard enough, but for this snackable size review I'll sum it up by saying these guys are worth the entry at twice the price. Between the stage full of guitars, the stand-up bass, the incredible drum kit with a side keyboard and the combination of perfectly matched vocals in front of a very receptive sold-out crowd, The Wood Brothers cemented their place in my regular vinyl rotation (all for sale at the merch counter) and I will listen closer to their lyrics for the deeper meaning between the heartbeats.
If the Wood Brothers are coming near you…go, see the show!
What does our Fan Meter say?
Music Fan Magazine Meters:
Smoke Meter: None really. Weird because this is totally smokable music, and we were in Grass Valley…strange but not dissapointed!
Fight Meter: Not a bit, not even in the beer line. There were more pleasantries exchanged in the audience than a Sunday morning bible school, very nice vibe!
Sing Along Meter: The crowd did not disappoint here! I’m sure The Wood Brothers could feel the energy from a sold-out audience singing along to more than one of their songs -- good but not obnoxious.