Setlist:
Encore:
Thanks to Mia Murray for sharing her photos of The Revivalists, “all rights reserved.”
Tipped-off by a friend from Boston who is a giant fan of Sammy Rae, I’ve got to say he was right. Sammie Rae is the ringleader, much like Andy Frasco the previous day. She’s everywhere on stage, and staying glued in place is forbidden to all the members, who seemed to have a great time of it as well. They’re versatile across styles – rock, pop, funk, etc., so there’s not a sameness to the music either. Not being familiar with their songs, they played a cover of Genesis’ “That’s All” with far more exuberance than Phil Collins ever did. A great band to catch when they come to town.
A toast at 4:20 on 4/20 of Sweetwater 420. Why not use the occasion to thank all the staff and volunteers for their work? Well done!
Sure, it looks bluegrass. And why not? The two-time Grammy-nominated artist is a phenomenal mandolinist. You’ll hear slower songs that ring of Emmylou Harris or Allison Krauss, but when it comes to bluegrass, she incorporates jazz influences into the bluegrass mix. Having recorded her first album at age 11, it’ll be interesting to see where she takes her sound. Several people were shaking their heads, beyond satisfied at the end of her set.
Get ready for Zach Person. The Alabama native is an up and comer, having guested with Atlanta’s own Eddie 9V recently at Terminal West followed by a duo set with Rhett Shull at Vinyl. At Sweetwater, he was an “artist-at-large” sitting in with various bands, and he also held the Kush VIP stage for a more intimate audience where jaw-dropping was aplenty. Another blues rock ace is on the rise, bold enough to tackle Hendrix… and sings better.
Definitely a weekend highlight performer.
The Ries Brothers played at Shaky Knees last year, and they opened Sunday with a s.l.o.w. start when it comes to arrivals.
Didn’t matter. This Jacksonville duo has tremendous energy and gave it their all. They make it fun to watch – both brothers drumming, using a hollowed baseball bat and a drumstick to play guitar It’s easy to get caught up in the gimmicks – drinking beer from a hollowed baseball bat and then playing slide guitar with the bat, fiddling with a mandolin, etc., but their music is crazy good, too.
“Street Lights,” with artist-at-large Natalie Brooke on (unrehearsed) keytar was a blazer (and made it obvious that Kevin loved having a foil to play with), and “Corner Store” were highlights. Brothers Charlie and Kevin can bring it, whether rock, blues, funk, pop or whatever, and deserve a better time slot on Atlanta stages.
