Friday, June 20, 2008

Concert review: The Sweetleaf Trio and The Blackland River Devils at Fairmount (June 19)

By Brenna Rushing

The newly opened Fairmount in Fort Worth was a gay bar transformed into a live music venue/bar. The idea stemmed from a group of friends made up of musicians who were down and out when their favorite bar, McHenry’s, closed down. They wanted a place that could be a venue for different types of music, as well as a cool bar.

myspace.com

Fairmount's interior

So it was out with the stripper pole and in with a DJ booth.

The Fairmount opened in late March of this year. Lindsey, one of the bartenders, says that it’s getting busier by the week. The main crowd consists of musicians, but on this night there was a diverse mix of people.

The drinks are bountifully poured, and the specials surpass many bars in the DFW area.

The bands Sweetleaf Trio and Blackland River Devils were performing last night at the bar. They are both considered country, so the audience consisted of a mix of rockers and country fans. It was a sluggish night for the crowd, there were between 10 and 15 people in attendance.

The Sweetleaf Trio started at around 10:30 p.m. and played for an hour. The lead singer is Sunshine, a young woman who plays the guitar and writes for the group. She has a confidence in her singing, meaning you can’t miss her voice. She combines a country twang with simple humorous lyrics.

The Sweetleaf Trio

There’s a banjo player and a mandolin player that are a father/daughter team. Justine, “The Banjo Queen,” is the fire of the group. She can play the banjo like she was born with it in her hands. On many occasions you could find her eyes closed while she is playing, showing her ease for the instrument.

Her dad plays the mandolin in much the same way, fast and strong. On the cover song, “Constant Sorrow,” he played the mandolin and sang backup while the two girls sang the leads. It was one of their best of the night.

Due to the banter thrown back and forth between Justine and her dad, Justin, it’s obvious they’re family. It helped add color and authenticity to their group.

Most of their set was cover songs, but they did sing one of their own which was entitled “Poor Me.” Sunshine told the crowd she wrote the song on some railroad tracks while she was thinking of how bad she has it. The song somehow incorporated Jesus, Britney Spears, and Jesse Jackson all in a few verses.

Since Sweetleaf is a small band just trying to do what they know and love, they had a guitar case operating as a tip jar on the stage. During their set, many people showed their appreciation by adding to it.

By 11:30 p.m. the Blackland River Devils were on stage and ready to go. They consisted of three younger men, who all sing and play an instrument or two.

BRD incorporates two guitars, a mandolin, and a harmonica into their sound. The fourth member was MIA on this night.

Mandolin player Darren Kobotich has a tough persona but a friendly smile and cheerful nature on stage. He played the mandolin with passion and intensity, like it was his first time to get to play it.

Most of their songs were instrumental, which fits for a bluegrass/jam band from the south. Their MySpace says they are from DFW, as broad as that is.

Surprisingly, BRD seemed to have less of an audience, but it was rather late when they began. Some people might have had work in the morning being that it was a Thursday night.

They opened with “If Only For A Little While,” with just the two guitarists playing. The band played for about an hour, ending close to midnight.

At one point a woman at the bar shouted, "Yeehaw!" to show her appreciation to the band.

Because both bands brought different sounds together, they played well off of each other. Each incorporated many of the same instruments, but hearing both play you couldn’t guess it. They use them in very diverse ways.

The Fairmount is a great place for live music, and seems to be doing well enough on business. The idea behind the bar is appropriate for Fort Worth; the city needs a place like this.

See more stories in:

• Arts > Popular Music > Bluegrass
• Arts > Popular Music > Country
• Arts > Popular Music > Jam Bands