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The origin of Knoxville’s The Dirty Guv’nahs is a heckuva fork in the road, where a choice made by one person swept five others from their intended careers to the music business. Justin Hoskins, bassist, was told that a local charity show was needing an opening act, and he volunteered his non-existent band. That show has been cited as looming between one and three weeks away wherein Hoskins gathered his former roommate, James Trimble, and the remainder of what would be a six-member band. They quickly rehearsed some songs and a life pursuit.
Maybe it’s as simple as that, but it’s fortunate that they made James Trimble their lead singer “because he was the worst guitarist,” a fork within the fork, as he quickly grew to develop not only a powerful singing voice but an extroverted, charismatic stage persona a la Mick Jagger.
Maybe concert reviews shouldn’t start with a band bio, but it feels right here because this band seems close in ways that other bands are not, evidenced from friendships forged from their university years to today, many years after jointly deciding to cut back their touring to concentrate on things that matter more. And, when that means they only play five shows per year, it’s a visibly joyous opportunity for the band, unburdened by a lengthy tour, to go out and slay their audience.
Their opener, Dallas, TX based Yes Ma’am Band, laid down the gauntlet, with – similar to the headliner – their own blend of positive roots rock music and visible enjoyment. With only a handful of singles to their credit, they surprisingly brought their own set of merch-wearing fans, and why not? They have some great songs and quickly found an appreciative audience in Atlanta. Give “Harwood Blues” and “Got it Good” a try.
But, it was the Guv’nahs night. You might say James Trimble insisted on it. The Dirty Guv’nahs, unfortunately or surprisingly, are not a band that everyone recognizes. They have really good albums, and their 19-song set is close to a perfect playlist. “Morning Light,” “Revival” and “Goodnight Down in Georgia” were an awesome start to set, the latter winning the home state crowd but also humorously playing into an evening long theme of Tennessee and Georgia, because… football season is now here, and it’s the SEC. Trimble would later dedicate a song, usually to an attractive woman in the audience, to a guy wearing a Vols jersey. It brought out the best kind of boos.
Musically, the band just nails everything. Pete Townshend once commented that it took John Entwistle to keep The Who from taking off. Here, it takes the band to keep Trimble from taking off. However their music might be described – roots with an emphasis on melody, southern rock, blues – Trimble has the range and dexterity to pull it off as each song has its own needs. And live, you know he feels it because he visibly shares it, whether at the mic of prancing around the stage.
And it’s not that the band is overshadowed. There’s ample room for each to display their craft, perhaps most noticeably on “New Salvation,” which offers up a lengthy jazzy space for keyboards and guitar. Lead guitarist Cosmo Holloday deserves special commendation, not just for his playing but his ability to remain unmoved by the distracting energy that Trimble thrusts upon him (who would eventually garner a smile from him).
To the audience’s benefit, this wasn’t “just” a six-man band. Many of their songs feature a female voice, and Tomi Robb added that extra sauce when the melding of male and female voices elevate both. They also invited Jason Thompson who supplemented many songs with an extra aural layer of bass sax.
There wasn’t that “slow” spot in the setlist, where people sit down or head to the bathroom. Even one of their newest songs from Roots, “Prodigal,” (criminally under-streamed at this point), rocks the place, just at a slower pace. Closing the set with “We’ll Be the Light” and “Baby We Were Young” led to a very literal mic drop.
The band didn’t give their energy time to diffuse backstage. They promptly returned for the encore with “Sweet Old Tennessee,” another song from their newest album which seemed a teaching moment for the audience to soak in what should become the band’s closing, sing-a-long, anthem. The title doesn’t hint at its introspective theme, concluding with, “Sometimes life is complicated / Sometimes the whiskey needs ice.” It’s that good, even if you’re not partial to Tennessee.
The band didn’t give their energy time to diffuse backstage. They promptly returned for the encore with “Sweet Old Tennessee,” another song from their newest album which seemed a teaching moment for the audience to soak in what should become the band’s closing, sing-a-long, anthem. The title doesn’t hint at its introspective theme, concluding with, “Sometimes life is complicated / Sometimes the whiskey needs ice.” It’s that good, even if you’re not partial to Tennessee.
They followed with songs from two of their musical inspirations, The Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post” was well-suited for a Georgia audience and definitely a crowd favorite. This wasn’t the first song that begged the question how a band that doesn’t tour much can nail a song like this, but they did. And The Band’s “Weight,” aside from the passing of Robbie Robertson, was a smoother, feel-good ending to send the audience into the night.
Additional photos follow.
Setlist:
Encore:
Setlist:
Hot tip for gas money for touring artists: Take a clue from The Dirty Guv’nah’s “Blue Rose Stroll.” A lyric like “If you got a dollar lay it down” might have the audience tossing cash your way.