(Crappy pic of the outside of the club)
Last Saturday Billy and I went to watch the Whiskey Folk Ramblers at club Dada in what used to be the thriving Deep Ellum portion of Dallas, TX. It was a hot night and the band was to play the outdoor stage but at least the beer was cold and we were able to sit comfortably near the band in what I would call the audio “sweet spot”, not too much bass and not getting our heads peeled off by guitar.
(Dallas parking sucks in general, but parking with a motorcycle is a lot easier)
Club Dada itself was nice by Deep Ellum standards meaning, crappy parking arraignments, overpriced beer (but not too overpriced) and restrooms that would gag a cockroach but the sound system was good, the sound engineers knew their stuff and it was relatively easy to get service at the bar. Also the door guys were friendly; something that 10 years ago would have been unheard of, when the scene was jumping. The fact that they provided actual chairs to sit in was a nice touch as well.
(It was a dark, muggy night)
The crowd seemed to be largely very early to mid twenty something, there were some of the kind of guys who wear skin tight jeans sagged around their butts and some of those who wear what Billy referred to as “man Capri’s” pants with those shoes that look like socks with a bit of rubber thrown on the underside of them. However there were many bands playing that night so it’s a given that this might not have been the typical Whiskey Folk Ramblers crowd. Needless to say, two bikers in their 30s did stand out a bit and the gold vests only made the distinction more obvious. But everyone either kept to themselves or was polite to a fault and we had no troubles. The crowd seemed to be really into the music and that’s what it’s about after all.
(Crappy pic but you get the idea, there was a band, some people, some beer)
The Whiskey Folk Ramblers have been described in the Dallas Observer as country and old Americana pop with “a shot of youthful energy” (Jesse Hughy, Dallas Observer 2008). Personally I’d describe them as modernized folk Americana mixed with Red Dirt country music and a splash of Polka and Klezmer thrown in for good measure. The band is very rhythmic with a lot of soul and I found myself tapping my foot and/or slapping my knee in time with a giant, cheese eating grin on my face for probably half the show. I really loved it and it’s sad that these guys do not get more local attention than they currently do. The Whiskey Folk Ramblers are easily one of the more talented bands playing in the State of Texas as a whole and North Texas is blessed that they call our local digs “home”. With the upright bass guitar thumping to a shuffling drum beat and churning acoustic guitar, punched with some horns, mourning accordion lines and of course a plucky banjo, this isn’t your typical “rock-N-roll” or “country” live show. The singer reminds me somewhat of Johnny Cash if Johnny Cash actually had any vocal range to speak of. (I love Johnny Cash so this isn’t a dig at the man…I’m just saying the guy lacked vocal range) This band has something that is very special and terribly rare in music these days…soul and an original sound. Now I know what you might be thinking, some bands are called “original” when the truth is what they really mean is “they suck”, but this is not the case here. Let’s put it like this, if you like Bruce Springsteen’s Seeger Sessions, Johnny Cash, most rockabilly, Bob Dylan, etc. you’ll love this band. If the Children of Bodom and cutting yourself is your bag, you’d probably be best served to spend your time and money elsewhere. Either way the band put on an energetic, tightly played live show with excellent crowd interaction. Nobody had to beg the audience to come up to the front near the stage and the enthusiasm was truly organic. My only regret is that they didn’t have more time to play, maybe next time.
Will I go see another Whiskey Folk Ramblers show? The answer is obviously yes. Two thumbs up for the Whiskey Folk Ramblers.
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