Family And Religion
* Earle, McCoury -- bluegrass at its best
Wayne Bledsoe, News-Sentinel entertainment writer
* 03/13/99
The Knoxville News-Sentinel
(Copyright 1999)
* There are few things more shocking than seeing bad boy Steve Earle
in a three-piece suit.
Walking onstage with the Del McCoury Band Friday night at the
* Tennessee Theatre, Earle dressed and played the part of a bluegrass
lead singer. And even Earle's countryish rocker "Copperhead Road"
* was transformed into a first-rate bluegrass number.
Earle opened the show backed by the Del McCoury Band, minus lead
singer-guitarist Del, and plowed through a selection from the new
album "The Mountain," on which the McCoury group backs up Earle.
The live performances of the album's songs generally exceeded the
recorded versions. Highlights included Earle's "Dixieland" and a
fine new train song, "Texas Eagle."
Del McCoury joined the group for the song "I Still Carry You
Around," and then Earle turned the remainder of the set over the
McCoury and his band.
Featuring mandolinist Ronnie McCoury, banjo player Rob McCoury
(both sons of Del), fiddler Jason Carter and bassist Mike Bub, the
* group is a bluegrass powerhouse. Despite the set being marred
slightly by loud, obnoxious comments from inebriated audience
members, the group still managed to shine.
When Earle returned after intermission for an intimate solo
performance, his chilling tale of a death-row guard, "Ellis Unit
One," finally quelled the noisemakers. They remained relatively
silent when the entire band returned for an excellent closing set.
It was a shame that anything should detract from a concert that
featured such pristine sound. Instead of the standard microphones
and monitors for each band member, the entire group gathered around
one central mike.The warm natural blend of the instruments and vocals
more than made up for a lost sounds.
Earle and the group finished the show (helped out by a tiny, but
spunky, McCoury grandson) with a cover of Townes Van Zant's "White
Freightliner Blues" and Earle's own "Hillbilly Highway."
* Earle's foray into bluegrass may be a temporary thing since he's
already planning a new rock album. But as long as he's engaged in
* it, his excursion into bluegrass should not be missed.
