words and photos by Stephanie Augello

Guitar Pickin’ Man

Picture yourself walking down Broadway in Nashville, TN.  It’s about 7Pm on a Friday, and you’re on a road trip.  You decide to stop in the country music capital to see what the beer tastes like.  A door to one of the strip’s many bars is ajar, so you step inside.  The door guy charges you $2, and tells you they’re serving Bud on draft for $3 a pint.  Inside, the walls are adorned with giant photographs of country music legends.  Gene Autry.  Johnny Cash.  Willie Nelson.  Patsy Cline.  Something from the speakers sounds like Kentucky bluegrass blown south to a big city; infused with a twang of nostalgia, and seeing anyone else who might also be a friend of the devil.  Picture Brandon Nelson McCoy, and you’ve successfully pictured Georgia’s own succession to the history of country music sensibility.

Originally from Calhoun, GA, McCoy moved to Savannah to study English at Armstrong University.  Many literature aficionados also prove themselves to be great songwriters, something that McCoy, who’s been writing lyrics since he was 9-years-old, clearly understands.  About a year ago, Brandon made his live debut when he played five songs as an opener at Tantra, in what he describes as a “. . . very nerve-wracking experience.”  Despite the stage fright, something clicked, and in July, he launched Brandon Nelson McCoy & The Sad Bastards.

Show Support

Fronted by McCoy, The Sad Bastards have been Thomas Worley (drums), Andrew Plymire (bass) and Kyle Martin (lead guitar).  Brandon Nelson McCoy is expanding his sound, and will be debuting the Sad Bastard String Band on Friday, February 4th at The Wormhole.  In their bio, they describe themselves as a  “. . . recently gathered group of musicians who . . . share a great love of bluegrass and acoustic music, and would love nothing more than to play some songs for you.”  In addition to McCoy, the ensemble will include Anthony Teixeira and Cory Chambers, who are both new to the Savannah music scene.  Teixeira recently moved “to Savannah fresh from a hike up the Appalachian Trail,” and Chambers has landed in Chatham County via Atlanta.  Brandon’s passion for songwriting and live performance is unebbing, and it appears that he has found other players with which to enhance his creations.   States McCoy, “I couldn’t imagine NOT playing music.  It seems like I’m stuck with it, and it’s stuck with me.”

Take Stock

This Friday, the Sad Bastard String Band will split the bill with local favorites Dare Dukes + the Blackstock Collection, as well as west coast troupe The Red River.  Dukes’ most recent live performances were this past November.  The veteran musician has been “trying very hard to limit performances lately,” so as to better focus on recording his new record.  Not surprisingly, concurrently committing to both practices is a challenging thing.  Since the fall, he has been “plugging away” at his record.  He recently spent four days in Athens, tracking both piano and accordian.  Fond of creative camaraderie, Dare has added to his musical mix with this recording process, enlisting the minds and talents of Thayer Sarrano (acoustic piano/Of Montreal), JoJo Glidewell (accordian & piano/Modern Skirts) and Claire Campbell (back-up vocals/Hope for Agoldensummer).  He has not just resigned his musical pathway to the state of Georgia, and last month spent a day in Brooklyn recording TV on the Radio’s horn section (trumpet, trombone, sax, and clarinet) for six songs on his new record.

With his new album, Dare Dukes is furthering his friendship and professional association with Jim White, who is producing one of its tracks.  White has been a “major voice in the off-kilter alt-country landscape” for over a decade, and has worked with artists such as Joe Henry, Amy Mann, Tucker Martine, Laura Veirs and David Byrne.  He has also released many a compilation via Byrne’s label, Luaka Bop.   Dare views the opportunity to collaborate with Jim as “a giant honor, ” as the latter is not only a master of his craft, but “a very nice person too.”  I had the chance to witness one of Jim’s sets, and occasionally correspond with him.  From my experience, I must say that, I fully agree with Dare Dukes’ statements.

The River is Wide

During one of his previously mentioned last live performances, Dukes shared the night with The Red River, a nomadic tribe of 8 people, abilities, voices and sounds.  Their latest release, Little Songs About the Big Picture has been widely acclaimed, with Performer Magazine describing their compositions as “Beautifully written songs full of life and youthful splendor.  The Red River is music’s best kept secret.”  They have been pretty universally proclaimed as being sincere, soulful and joyous:

There’s a warm sentimentality here, like flipping back through those seemingly inconsequential things that bring a soft smile to the edges of your mouth, that you don’t know that you remember until you remember them.  Sonically, imagine that you took a warm bath in a dark room with Grandaddy playing in one ear, and The Polyphonic Spree in the other.

-2011 Press Release

Like Dare Dukes and Brandon Nelson McCoy, the members of The Red River are proponents of artistic teamwork and good cheer.  They play for the sheer love of production, and are always enthralled at the possibilities that emerge when sharing their gifts with others.  So, with that in mind, enjoy this fabulous night of Savannah music, and get down to The Wormhole on Friday to engage your spirit.