The small but raucous crowd at the Kent Stage on the 29th was treated to virtuosic instrumentation, some good-ole fashioned folk-blues and fictional adult star Rando Riggs when the Wood Brothers and company rolled through town like a warm Southern breeze.
Seth Walker, a lone man and his clean blues guitar, was the opening act. The dapper troubadour played licks that recalled the classic Southern Delta Blues, very reminiscent of Little Son Jackson. He implored the audience to clap and sing along, and after a couple embarrassing attempts, he managed to secure an impressive amount of audience participation.
The Wood Brothers took the stage after a delay due to technical difficulties as uptight as the chai tea they were drinking. No introduction or greeting came forth as the band jumped right into their first song. Perhaps they simply wanted to lead with their best foot forward. Chris Wood, formerly of Martin, Medeski, and Wood fame, has such a complete mastery of his stand-up bass that it is hard to imagine his wiry frame not plucking, banging, or bowing out sublime bass lines. Oliver Wood may not match his brother’s prowess, but he can still get his steel-bodied guitar to croon. It also appeared there was an imposter on stage, as the Wood Brothers were joined by a drummer. After the first couple songs, Oliver reassured the audience that there was no need for alarm, but that Jano Rix had joined the band for this tour.
A few expertly-played songs later, the band began to loosen up. Oliver shared that a show in Boston, the drunken crowd had misunderstood Jano’s name and had rather dubbed him “Rando Riggs” to which Chris added, “He has a porn star name now.” “Rando” became a minor celebrity and received drunken catcalls at the break of every song. Oliver went on to talk about the Wood Brothers’ new album, Smoke Ring Halo and commented, “Even though it has yet to be released, the album has sold well under a million copies.”
Oliver’s guitar dripped with Southern sensibility like good bourbon while Chris’s bass lines showed the jazz and rock influences he picked up in MM&W. The result is a rootsy sound that isn’t quite folk, not quite blues but all rock and roll. The band is not afraid of experimentation, even having Rix play what has been dubbed a “shit-ar” which was a beat-up acoustic guitar devoid of strings used as a percussion device. Highlights of the show included the title track from Smoke Ring Halo, “Shoofly Pie” and of course, “Luckiest Man” which brought the crowd to its feet. For their encore, they called Seth Walker on stage and did a number featuring his blues guitar.
These were true masters of their craft, and while they attracted only a meager audience, those there reacted with enthusiasm. A sizeable portion of them were swaying and stomping to the beat at the back of the hall. What they lacked in affability, Chris, Oliver, and yes, Rondo more than made up for with aptitude. While this was the Wood Brothers first trip to Kent, judging from the crowd’s response, they have a dedicated fan base who hopes it won’t be their last.
