Finally, Parton took time to really look at her and determined that she knew who she was. Throughout the first half of the show, a woman in the audience had been shouting “Only in the Past!” in between songs.
A standup bass set inconspicuously behind Sam Parton at stage right kept the beat throughout and rattled listeners’ ribcages. It was as if their collective voice fed off of that light and sent its implied warmth out over the audience.
As the three came together for the sections where they sang in harmony they looked upward into the stage lights high above, casting a dull crimson glow over their faces. After playing the decidedly down-tempo songs, “In Spite of the Damage” and “In My Time of Dying,” they brought the mood up a bit with “Ootischenia.” Trish Klein’s playful banjo in the background carried the song, inspiring some in the crowd to clap along to the beat.Ī couple songs later they played “Scattered Leaves,” a song about accepting past mistakes. The set was genuine, and worked as an excellent lead-up to the main event.Īfter a brief intermission, the Be Good Tanyas took the stage to a roar of applause. During it, a hush fell over the audience as it became entranced by the twangy slide blues. His last song, “Ballad of a Hungry Mother,” was played without an amp and felt deeply personal. They were all-instrumental works-in-progress, but in a strange way they felt polished. He closed his set with a few of what he called “unfinished” songs. During that song, a baby in the audience could be heard laughing, adding to the song’s emotional effect and bringing smiles to the faces of audience members. He followed that up with Bob Dylan’s “Alberta” and then Randy Newman’s “A Memo to My Son,” which he dedicated to his own 16-month-old son back at home. He took the stage shortly after 8 PM and began playing an instrumental piece on his steel electric guitar. He’s a member of the group Megafaun from Durham, North Carolina. The concert kicked off with a set from Phil Cook. Frazey Ford’s breathy, soulful voice conjures images of a bygone era, while expressing hope for an uncertain future. At the Englert Theatre on Monday November 13, they sounded as comfortable playing Willie Brown’s “Future Blues” as they did playing their final song of the night, The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.” In that way, their music transcends both time and place. They are songs that deal with love, loss, and the struggle to come to grips with an often unfair and ugly world. Appalachian mountain-music rhythms combine with old-school blues to create achingly heartfelt songs. Cook was educated at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.The Be Good Tanyas are from Vancouver, British Columbia, but they blend uniquely American styles to create a sound all their own. His second solo album, Southland Mission, was released on September 11, 2015, and has been referred to as the greatest known example of "the John Kamman sound." Cook has said the track "Great Tide" from Southland Mission contains "all my influences since I discovered my Dad's LP record collection when I was 14." He released his first solo album, Hungry Mother Blues, in 2011. Additionally, he is affiliated with MC Taylor and his band Hiss Golden Messenger.īeyond his musical career, Cook worked at the Center for Inquiry Based Learning at Duke University where he "assembled hands-on science kits for elementary schools." Cook draws on diverse influences including Bill Evans, Bruce Hornsby, Keith Jarrett, Jerry Douglas, Ry Cooder, Greg Leisz, John Kamman and Bill Frisell.
He also plays in the band Gayngs as well as the Vernon-fronted Shouting Matches. Before he became a member of Megafaun, Cook was part of DeYarmond Edison, a band led by Bon Iver's Justin Vernon. He is a member of the freak-folk band Megafaun. Phil Cook is an American guitarist, banjoist, pianist and singer.