Concert Review – .357 String Band
Let me put it to you as straight as I can people: you need the .357 String Band in your life. Life is better with the .357 String Band. The world is a better place because the .357 String Band is in it.
Am I still high as a Georgia pine off of 1 1/2 hours of music over 24 hours ago, and thus speaking in grand terms I will regret later? Possibly. But if the .357 String Band rolls through your town and you’re sitting at home watching reruns of Law & Order, you will be the one regretting it my friend.
In my Best Albums of 2008 article I put their latest Fire and Hail as No. 1. But a huge test for me for any band is if their music is as good in the live environment, and I have to say, the .357 String Band was not as good. It was BETTER.
On a Monday night, added on short notice to the tour schedule, and to an audience straining to make double digits, the .357 String Band emptied the kitchen. Their energy and technical prowess cannot be conveyed in words, and their showmanship was a 10.
The .357 String Band is made up of 4 musicians at the top of their craft. Playing acoustic rhythm and the heart of the band is Derek Dunn. Everything seems to pivot around him, and he is the muscle that pushes the blood through this explosive band. Joe Huber on banjo and Jayke Orivs on mandolin are the ringers of the group. These are the guys that set your hair on fire with their top notch technical prowess. If anybody can play their instruments faster than those two men, I’ll eat my hat.
But the guy that impressed me the most in the live setting was the bass player, Rick Ness. It is so easy to look over the bass player in a band, esp. in recordings, but as far as I am concerned Rick matches in skill, creativity, and energy, any other member of the band, and possibly any other upright bass player out there. Yes, I said that.
I have a new favorite bass player, and his name is Rick Ness. I have seen other upright bass players that can slap with such skill you never miss the drummer, and others that can belch out triplets that make you wonder if your really hearing and seeing what you think you are. But Rick adds elements I’ve literally never seen, like bringing his fretting hand around the opposite side of the bass neck to slap an extra open string during a run, and I swear the dude spent most of the time with one or both feet off the floor, literally riding his upright bass while playing it. Plus his squeeze is Rachel Brooke, which means he can pretty much 1up and other stag out there.
Think of the technical skills of someone like Dan Infecto or Zach Shedd, combined with the energy and stage presence of Joe Buck AND Jimbo Wallace all at the same time. That is Rick Ness.
Compared to their recordings, which again last year I ranked below none, the .357 String Band’s fast songs were faster, their dynamics more definable live. One of their recorded songs that took some warming up to for me was a cover of Those Poor Bastard’s “Glory, Amen.” Possibly because that song stuck to me from the original artist, it was hard for me to appreciate the .357 version. But live, that was my favorite song of the set. Also, the banjo player Joe Huber shouted instead of sang at times during his songs that added a new, more energetic element to the live show.
You feel when watching this band, each member is pushing the others, to increase the energy, hasten the pace, to be the best person on stage. They are four equals in talent that become greater than the sum of their parts when that first downbeat rings out.
On a personal level, their just great guys as well. They’re not droolers (as some might expect), but not pointy-nosed intellectuals (like myself) bitching about how music should be, and why they are better than everyone else. Just down to earth people, approachable, easy to talk to guys.
If you ask me, as musicians, recording artists, performers, and people, it is hard to find any one to put above the .357 String Band in the current REAL country movement. It’s as simple as that.
.357 String Band Albums:
PS: I also did an audio interview with the band before the show which I hope to have tweaked and ready to post soon.
Also for all of you back east who’ve been pointing and laughing at the long musical drought I’ve endured for the last year, we’ll the tide is turning. .357 on Monday, Bob Wayne tonight, Devil Makes Three in a couple of weeks, and Scott H. Biram in about a month! I’ll be bringing you as many reviews and interviews as I can!
Bates
April 29, 2009 @ 3:37 pm
Badass dude! Whenever you ranked .357 String Band at number one for Best Albums of 2008, I immediately bought it. I do not regret it one bit. Can’t wait to see them. Do you ever get backgrounds on bands when you interview them? I’d be interested on how they started.
The Triggerman
April 29, 2009 @ 6:12 pm
I try when I have the time. Didn’t go much into that when talking with them cause we were a little short on time, but they have a cool story. They pretty much were all into punk and metal, and got doing the bluegrass thing by accident.
If you want to hear another interview with them, they we on Outlaw Radio episode 37, and you can listen to it if you click on the “Outlaw Radio” button in the gray menu bar.
Gillian
April 29, 2009 @ 8:49 pm
Great review! These guys are not to be missed live.
The Triggerman
April 30, 2009 @ 12:53 am
Thanks for reading Gillian.
George Jones Shows Signs of Age and Hard Living | The 9513
April 30, 2009 @ 9:04 am
[…] The Saving Country Music blog is high on the .357 String Band (MySpace) and bass player Rick Ness after witnessing a recent concert. […]
Autopsy IV
April 30, 2009 @ 1:15 pm
Yes!
.357 are a must see anytime they are in town.
IBWIP
April 30, 2009 @ 3:01 pm
I met rick ness at the rachel brooke show and he was cool as hell. really down to earth. top notch guy in my book. i missed seeing them when they were “near” but wont miss them next time they come around. thanks for the review my brother from another mother!
Tommi
May 5, 2009 @ 11:15 am
brilliant live band!!
Tommi
May 5, 2009 @ 11:16 am
Brilliant band!!
Yosh
May 9, 2009 @ 6:48 pm
The .357 String Band is one of the only sounds I can appreciate these days.
Rick and I have been close friends since our teen years and I can tell you that he has forced his hand into his chest, removed his own heart and placed it into that upright. But that’s not to say the other’s haven’t.
Keep an eye on Joe. His writing is getting better and better, not to mention the breakneck banjo.
The Triggerman
May 9, 2009 @ 11:52 pm
Yes, the maturation of Joe on the second album was something I noticed for sure. I did a quick interview with the band and I asked him about that very thing. Not to take away from the other guys, but he has the knack for penning the bluegrass song.
Saving Country Music » Blog Archive » Interview - The .357 String Band
May 18, 2009 @ 11:17 am
[…] You can check out a review of the show the interview came from HERE. […]