I still remember the first time I heard Rusted Root. It was the song Virtual Reality, which was part of the soundtrack for the movie "Twister". I remember hearing the song and the lyrics about how we're all living in a land of virtual reality and thinking, "Man, this rocks!". It wasn't until some years later, however, that I really learned about Rusted Root.
At that time, I was a 20-something year old single guy. My friend Reba had an extra ticket an promises of a cute roommate coming along with us if I would only drive them from Roanoke, VA to Norfolk for the concert, followed by an overnight stay in a waterfront hotel courtesy of her dad's frequent flyer miles.
Making a long story short, I had an absolute blast at the show, and that had nothing to do with the cute little blonde whom I ended hooking up with, walking by the water after midnight, and snogging in the area between the two beds in our hotel room while the rest of the floor was covered with smelly hippies.
What got me was their style. At once a riot of color, as it were, their style is a vertigo inducing blend of rock, blues, jazz, percussion, drum, folk, and other genres I am not educated enough to name. Very few other bands play instruments that range from an electric 6 string to a washboard played with metal spoons to an oversized gourd, to African drums all while blasting out high energy danceable percussive songs that can't help but get stuck in your head.
That's what lead me to my fourth Rusted Root show a the Lincoln Theater in Raleigh, NC.
My only regret for the evening was that I did not bring my camera along, as I learned too late that they DO allow photography there, unless the band requests a ban on cameras. So all I had to use was my shitty cell phone camera. You can see the pictures I did manage to take on my flickr gallery, by clicking HERE.
The show started off with Dana and I getting some very good seats on bar stools on the Balcony; a spot so close that we could see the color of their eyes and not be crushed in the sea of undulating bodies that made up the area closest to the stage.
The opening act was a trio called One Flew South, a group who reminded me a lot of old style folk singers a la Simon and Garfunkel. In fact, my first impression of OFS was Simon and Garfunkel with a third singer. Their harmony was impeccable as was the acoustic guitar works and the energy of their long jams during some songs.
Being unfamiliar with them, the only song I can name specifically by this Nashville, TN based group is Paperback Writer, a cover of a Beatles tune that they performed. I can say, however, that I really enjoyed their performance and look forward to the release of their debut album in late April.
After OFS left the stage, there followed a brief intermission (brief by about 30 - 40 minutes) to allow for the stage to be set for Rusted Root, sound checks to be performed and so on. Finally, the time had come, the lights dimmed, and the band we had come to see made their way out to the stage to open their part of the show.
They proceeded over the next couple hours performing old hits with a power and effort that I have not seen since that first Rusted Root show at the Boat House all those years ago. I was ecstatic that Dana got to see this show. She fell in love with them after her first show at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, but as I told her, the last couple shows I caught seemed tired in comparison. This night we got to see the Rusted Root that I fell in love with. This was the night we got to see them in full force, full of piss and vinegar and ready to bring the house down.
The absence of Jenn Wertz and Jim Donovan was felt, but if nothing else, that seemed to be a catalyst for their performance at the Lincoln Theater, urging them on to more energy, more frenetic activity, and ultimately that kind of pure music magic that only happens once in a while at a live show. The kind of event where everything just falls into place. All the musicians are spot on, the sound board is hit just right, the lighting is timed and cued correctly, and in short, the universe aligns to give the audience that moment of awe.
The last couple shows felt tired to me, as though they needed a vacation. This show seemed fresh and new. And to top it off, I got to hear something that I have NOT heard at a Rusted Root show since Norfolk: new music. The band has, in addition to their various solo projects, been working on a new album, due out later this year. We were delighted to hear some new songs and that taste left me giddy anticipating the release of the new album.
All in all, we had a great time. The beer was tasty, the music was awesome, and I even got to dance a bit, along with pretty much the entire audience (except for the people on the opposite balcony who just stood there watching us former and current hippies go nuts). This was a rare night, and both bands were spot on and managed to "hit it".
Afterward, I also managed to say high to Liz Berlin and get her to autograph a copy of her solo album that I had picked up that evening as well. She was a delight and just beamed that I was asking her to sign her own album instead of a Root album. I was reminded then of the time in Norfolk where I got to meet Patrick Norman, Jenn, and Jim Donovan after the show there. I think every one of them is about as nice as can be, and all are very talented musicians, both solo and together.
I look forward to the upcoming album release and to many future shows as they tour over the next few years.
Das Aggregator!