April 28, 2017
The Steel Wheels kicked off their 2017 tour with a rousing cd release show in front of a packed house at the Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville, VA. The band hit the stage with a truckload of energy and the crowd fired it right back to them, artist and audience pushing each other to greater heights. The give and take felt more like a sporting event at times, with the crowd hooting and hollering, and stomping their feet as if it was a home playoff game.
The band was celebrating Wild as We Came Here, their gorgeous new record, recorded last fall in a renovated Maine farmhouse. During the course of the evening they played the entire album, along with plenty of their well-known tunes. It was evident that the band had been itching to get out and play and they seemed ecstatic at the prospect of sharing new material. The crowd response seemed to liberate the boys, turning their performance into a mountaintop experience.

Lewisburg, WV - I had pictured a quaint little town in the mountains of West Virginia, blanketed in snow and looking like a postcard memory. At least, that was the thought when I booked the tickets. I didn't expect a spring-like 60 degree day. By now I should know to never trust a groundhog. And who knew there are five Carnegie Halls in America?

The evening air felt more like April than February, as we walked the short distance from the car to the venue. A feeling of anticipation hung in the air, the hope that a night of good music might cleanse our souls from the division and rancor dominating so much of the airwaves these days.

And we were rewarded, by a stellar performance from Eric Bibb and Michael Jerome Browne, in the music they made, and in the unity they inspired in the audience. Higher truths and aspirations reigned for two hours on a balmy February night, proof that self-serving partisan politics will never be able to overshadow a great song, much less great performers of the caliber of Bibb and Browne. In the midst of fracture, they remind us of the beauty people can create, of what the psalmist lauded about brothers who dwell together in harmony.

The two gentleman settled in to their seats on the stage and set about the task of turning a concert hall into a living room experience. And they made it look effortless. To see Bibb in concert is to see an artist who is comfortable in his own skin, and who treats the stage like his own back porch. 

The show started with the classic blues song, "Going Down Slow." After the tune, Bibb joked that he was happy to be playing in tropical West Virginia. Next up was "Silver Spoon," a song Bibb described as his life story. The lyrics map out the arc of the bluesman's journey, and invite the listener to join him on his path. Michael Jerome Browne embellished the tale with fluid and emotive slide guitar breaks.

Browne provided some more melodic magic on "Bring a Little Water, Sylvie," from Bibb's 2015 tribute album, Lead Belly's Gold. The chiming notes from Browne's mandolin added a joyful spark to a wonderful song, and Bibb's vocals were warm and full of affection for the tune. They would return to mine some more of that gold later in the set.

"Dolla' in my Pocket" served to whet the audience's desire for the forthcoming album Migration Blues. The song was well-received. The Rev. Gary Davis classic, "I Heard the Angels Singing," a staple of Bibb's live show, sparked a Holy Ghost response from the audience as they clapped along and shouted and hollered when the song drew to a close. Bibb, clearly pleased by the response, remarked that he did not realize there were some holy rollers in the house.

Another highlight of the evening was "With My Maker I am One." The intensity of Bibb's guitar playing, anchored by a steady bass line, drove home the point that we all have to serve somebody. Bibb followed this by telling the story of Rosewood, a dark moment of racial hatred and violence sparked by a simple lie.  The centerpiece of the 2014 release Blues People, "Rosewood" is a call for change that challenges us to do better.


Throughout the night, Michael Jerome Browne displayed a particularly deft touch, knowing just where to come in, and where to lay back, in each song. The American-born Browne has lived most of his life in Canada, and began immersing himself in the blues at an early age. The multi-instrumentalist expanded Bibb's already broad emotional palette with turns on slide guitar, mandolin, and blues harp. His knack for knowing what is needed seems to operate on the level of instinct, and Browne's instincts are spot-on.

In true Pete Seeger fashion Bibb had the audience sing along on a couple of occasions. The best moment came when the Carnegie Hall crowd raised their voices on the old spiritual, "Needed Time." In a matter of minutes Bibb had created a sense of community, and all in attendance were aware that something special was happening.
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Eric Bibb's laid back style and easy demeanor has the effect of drawing the audience in, and creating a sense of intimacy among strangers. His passionate delivery of songs like "Angels," or the show closer, "Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down," energize your soul and ask you to believe that we can make this world a better place. I'm on board. Catch this train, it's a ride you don't want to miss.