Captain Gravel
Captain Gravel works hard. On any given night when the group performs, they generally draw a large and rather enthusiastic crowd. Tonight, they're down a member – upright bassist Ingrid Eyen – but that doesn't stop them from getting the crowd to clap and boogie.Bouncy-kneed Miller McNay on the mandolin and banjo picker Binkle Roberts are generally the greatest focal point in Captain Gravel. Between McNay's chord shredding aplomb and Roberts' charming showmanship, the band spins off to a heck of a start.
Early in their set, they pull out a selection from their latest album, Mountain Lair. The fiery dynamic and bounce-kick rhythm of "Beg, Steal or Borrow," is nothing new to the group, and fiddler Michael Connely aptly saws his way through one roaring fiddle solo after another.
Three songs later, the room is pumping to the group's swing, and there's a constant faint smell of tequila in the air.
For several numbers toward the end of Captain Gravel's set, you can see members of the Wilders, having just arrived, peaking their heads around the corner to get a load of the locals. The end of each song wins considerable appreciation from the night's headlining band.
The Wilders
The Wilders are the bluegrass group that head-bangs together. If you turned off the sound and just watched, perhaps this band would look like they were playing heavy metal or even hard-core rap songs. But tune in to the music, and you'll hear plain ol' Kansas Old Time music and bluegrass.Fiddler Betse Ellis starts the set off ripping and sawing through an instrumental rocker. Owens' bow is so quick, snapping a photo is near imposible, and forget her bandmates behind her, rocking like they're halfway through a Metallica cover.
Earlier tonight, they were in the suburbs playing a low-key set in a neighborhood park for families, children, and dogs. "This [set]," guitarist Ike Sheldon chimes in, "is for the s***list." And with that, they break into an old time number called "Rock in the Woods."
A touching moment comes along when Ellis and bassist Nate Gawron leave the stage for a number, and Sheldon joins Wade in a cover of Buck Owens' "There Goes My Love?"
The Wilders have been working hard, too. It's been two weeks since their performance at Rockygrass sent them out on a tour that'll keep them busy through October. Nonetheless, the group seems fit for bringing the house down on this late summer night in Seattle.
Bill Monroe's "White House Blues" fills out a set that's sharp with covers and old time tunes. With a handle on their crowd, Sheldon announces, "This here's a song about the assassination of the president ... but don't get your hopes up, it's McKinley."
