This week's musical adventure took us down to Newark for a bluegrass concert by Johnny & Jeanette Williams, Louisa Branscomb and Joe Zauner as part of the Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music series.
Among my varied popular musical experiences, I've seen in concert megastar arena-rock bands, feminist singer-songwriters, folk groups, reggae bands, a New Age flute player, and the uncategorizable chainsaw-wielding Wendy O. Williams and the Plasmatics, but until Friday night I can safely say I had never seen a bluegrass band. I'm glad I finally remedied this sad shortcoming: they were wonderful! Johnny played the guitar; his wife Jeanette played a novel upright electric bass; Louisa played mandolin and guitar; and Joe (whose day job is an attorney) played one mean banjo. They did a lot of their own original songs, as well as some country classics, gospel tunes and even a bluegrass version of the disco standard "I Will Survive." One song I particularly liked, "Dear Sister," was written by Louisa and was based on Civil War letters written by some Confederate ancestors of hers.
It was a great Southern-tinged evening (at one point the band asked if Newark was north of the Mason-Dixon line) with sweet harmonies and much foot-tapping among the audience.
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