Henhouse Prowlers/Kentucky Waterfalls/Barley Brothers; January 2, 2008; High Noon Saloon

Three bands, ten musicians, no drums. While that’s an unusual night at the High Noon, it’s business as usual for any traditional bluegrass band. Middle band the Kentucky Waterfalls aren’t bluegrass, but the duo gets along just fine without any one keeping the beat. They weren’t my favorite band of the night, but they sure seemed to be everyone else’s. The surprisingly large crowd seemed to have shaken off whatever hangover they might have had the day before and was ready to start 2009 with a party. The crowd sang along and danced up a storm to the Waterfalls’ collection of classic and newer country standards. Katie Powderly and Evan Murdock both have good voices, but the songs they did as duets just didn’t blend the way those of the couples they were trying to emulate always did. Or maybe it was just that visually it was hard to put words made popular by June Carter Cash, or even Lucinda Williams, together with the dreadlocked Katie. I certainly can’t argue with the songs they chose since I probably have most of them in my CD rack at home

Openers the Barley Brothers have had a standing gig at the Alchemy since forming earlier this year. Until recently it was on Tuesdays, which meant that I was never going to get there (because of Honky Tonk Tuesday of course). Now that they have switched to once a month on Thursdays I should finally make it. The High Noon’s big stage had to be a lot different than the Alchemy’s cozy corner where they play unplugged, but they seemed to adapt well. A trio consisting of Brian O’Donnell on fiddle, Colin Baszali on banjo and Jeff Burkhart on guitar, they draw their material from traditional folk and bluegrass songs, the occasional vocal taken by either Jeff or Colin. They all play in other bands together, Brian and Colin in the Cajun Strangers and Jeff and Colin in the Dirty Shirts so they share an easy rapport on stage. In fact other than bumping a microphone once or twice, their transition to the High Noon stage seemed pretty effortless.

They weren’t the only ones who weren’t used to the big stage. Chicago’s Henhouse Prowlers usually play their sets with the whole band gathered around one microphone. In fact, it is sort of their shtick, and they apologized for all having their own mikes. (Although with the surplus of space it seemed a shame that they relegated their upright bass player to the back row.) It was a good decision; as the volume of the boisterous crowd grew throughout the night, it would have been difficult to hear them. And since their instruments are also un-amplified, that meant you likely wouldn’t have been able not to hear their Dobro player who was impressive. Though it seems unlikely, if you were to believe the band they had just picked him that day to fill the void left by their fiddle player who couldn’t make it. All of the musicians were great, but it did start to sound a little samey after while, often my complaint with this type of music. Still it was good to get out and hear something new.