There are bands that fade with time, after which there are bands like Blackberry Smoke that one way or the other proceed to get higher with each passing yr.
Saturday evening’s present (7/25) on the Ryman Auditorium marked the second evening of the band’s two-night stand on the Mom Church, and from the opening notes of “Scare the Satan” to the closing chords of “Ain’t A lot Left of Me,”the sold-out crowd was on its toes. There wasn’t a lot sitting occurring all evening, as followers sang alongside to just about each tune in a efficiency that felt extra like a celebration than simply one other cease on the tour.
As I watched the band work by way of a virtually two-hour set, I couldn’t assist however assume again to the primary time I noticed them. I used to be lucky sufficient to attend Blackberry Smoke’s very first label showcase in Nashville after they signed with Southern Floor Data. Even then, it was apparent there was one thing particular about Charlie Starr and firm. That they had the songs, the musicianship and, most significantly, the authenticity that Southern rock has all the time demanded.
Quick ahead 25 years, they usually’re celebrating a milestone few bands ever attain and they aren’t merely surviving—they’re thriving.
A number of years in the past, Nashville.com requested readers to vote for the highest present Southern rock band. Blackberry Smoke didn’t simply win the ballot—they gained it by a landslide. Judging by the response contained in the Ryman Saturday evening, I’d say that title nonetheless belongs to them.
What has all the time separated Blackberry Smoke from the pack is their capability to mix Southern rock, nation, blues and slightly gospel into one thing that’s unmistakably their very own. Charlie Starr’s songwriting has solely deepened with age, and the band continues to play with the boldness and chemistry that solely comes from spending a quarter-century collectively.
The setlist was an ideal mixture of fan favorites, newer materials and deep cuts:
SET LIST
- Scare the Satan
- Let It Burn
- Dwell It Down
- Good One Comin’ On
- Crimson Moon
- Medicate My Thoughts
- What Comes Naturally
- Ain’t Gonna Wait
- Ready for the Thunder
- Want in One Hand
- Everyone Is aware of She’s Mine
- Sleeping Canine (with a snippet of “Midnight Particular”)
- Azalea
- Shakin’ Palms With the Holy Ghost
- Ain’t Bought the Blues
- Stressed (with a “Issues Goin’ On” intro)
- One Horse City
- Previous Scarecrow
Encore
- Fairies Put on Boots (Black Sabbath cowl)
- Ain’t A lot Left of Me
Highlights have been plentiful. “Ready for the Thunder” introduced one of many loudest singalongs of the evening, whereas “One Horse City” reminded everybody why it has develop into one of many band’s signature songs. The Black Sabbath cowl of “Fairies Put on Boots” was an surprising and enjoyable addition earlier than the band closed the night with the all the time highly effective “Ain’t A lot Left of Me.”
One of many issues I’ve all the time appreciated about Blackberry Smoke is that they by no means attempt to be one thing they’re not. They don’t chase developments or reinvent themselves to suit what’s fashionable. They merely write sincere songs, play them exceptionally nicely and let the music converse for itself.
Twenty-five years is an unimaginable accomplishment in at the moment’s music enterprise. If Saturday evening’s efficiency on the Ryman proved something, it’s that Blackberry Smoke isn’t slowing down anytime quickly. If something, they’re simply getting higher with age.
–Jerry Holthouse
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