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The cure for what ails country
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Santa Barbara News-Press
Popular country music is on life support. Nashville keeps pumping out more cowboy-hat-wearing pop music and bastardizing the original American folk music so badly that it's now a shell of its former self.
The feeding tubes are visible, the respirator audible.
Every flacid song from Tim McGraw, every "American Idol," Leanne Rhymes-hopeful is slowing the hospital-ward blip of country music's heartbeat.
But it's back in the twangy genre's roots where the life support for this ailing empire thrives. It's on the road with hard-working, underpaid artists where this heritage survives. It's in the bars, audible in the clicking heels trotting a two step.
The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash are the CPR that's keeping country music breathing.
The band brought together some 50 people at SOhO on Thursday night to dance from their hearts.
Nights like these are the reason country music is still alive. Bands like the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash are the reason country music is still vital.
"You're not the biggest audience we've played for in Santa Barbara," singer-guitarist Mark Stuart said. "But I just want you to know you're the best group of people in Santa Barbara."
The Bastard Sons gained in popularity during the height of hype surrounding the movie "Walk the Line," based on the life of Johnny Cash.
Stuart said it's the fans that show up without the press and without the hype who really love the music and make what he and the Sons are doing worth it.
Stuart took the stage as a man in black: black western shirt, black jeans, black boots and black hair. He led his band like a country legend with his skinny legs and barrel chest.
The group played a commanding set, drawing cheers after every song. Sensing the audience had heard enough ballads from the opening acoustic acts, Mr. Stuart stuck to the band's honky-tonk and rockabilly songs.
Guitarist Jay Bennett skillfully handled his Fender Telecaster. He dropped his pick seamlessly between his middle and ring fingers so he could finger pick the slide guitar, only to roll it right back up to strum rhythm without missing a beat.
Bennett worked the single-pickup guitar effortlessly, laying back at the bridge to maximize reverb and striking a spaghetti-western sound out of his leads. At other times, he would strum over the pickup during rhythm sections to get full-bodied sound from the chords.
Bennett's style is indicative of the whole style of the band. There are no new tricks in Bastard Sons' bag. The group takes a classic sound, writes great original songs and plays the hell out of them.
Mr. Stuart gave the audience some advice for loosening up at a Bastard Sons show.
"You've got that, 'aw, my ass is stuck to the chair,' thing right now," he joked. "I used to suffer from it, too. You know what's a good cure? A little bit of alcohol." After that bit of encouragement, the audience was up and dancing to "The Road to Bakersfield."
Thankfully, the group only played one Johnny Cash cover. The Sons proved that even though they share Cash's name, they're not living off his namesake.
The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash is an original band that would be at home on Sun Records playing their brand of authentic rockabilly.
Opening for them were two solo acts with bands at their respective homes who couldn't make the trip.
Tim Jones, based out of Los Angeles with his group Chevy Downs, played a solo set of acoustic guitar and piano ballads.
The songs were underdeveloped for a solo performance, and since the Chevy Downs is a solid group, Jones would have benefited from the presence of his entourage.
The singer did have a couple standout tracks in the aptly titled "Country Time" and the anti - lovers' song "I'm Not Putting You On (When I Tell You to Take Off)."
Both were catchy and earnest in their delivery.
Conversely, Cam Penner sounded right at home performing solo. The Canadian singer and guitarist played harmonica on some tracks, filling the void left by the band that usually accompanies him.
Penner joined the Bastards Sons of Johnny Cash for a five-week tour in Europe and the United Kingdom. The audience was receptive and the Sons asked him to come along for the California tour.
"I always wondered how my Canadiana would mix with Americana," Mr. Penner said after his set. It mixed beautifully. Penner's soft voice and delicate delivery welcomed the audience into the heart of his songs.
At one point, Stuart of the Bastard Sons sang that he didn't want to be king of the world. But maybe he'd consider being king of country music; then he and the Bastard Sons could help bring the genre back to its former glory.