The Wood Brothers–Oliver and Chris Wood with multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix–are bringing their tour to a sold out Taft Ballroom on April 17 with the incredibly impressive Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers as the opening act. The trio has an enormous sound that is going to blow the roof off the intimate Taft ballroom.
The Wood Brothers meet the classic definition of rock and roll. Bassist Chris Wood is a highly-regarded jazz musician whose first claim to fame was as part of the acclaimed jazz group Medeski, Martin, and Wood. His walkabout bass lines mesh perfectly with brother Oliver’s bluesy guitar riffs and unique singing voice. This melding of styles and talents results in a raw folk-rock sound that lands in a sweet spot between outstanding musicianship and the approachable, celebratory sound of The Band. And like The Band, The Wood Brothers’ have an unmistakable bounce and groove that pervade all their songs, whether slow or fast, that keeps rooms like the Taft Ballroom (and often much larger) sold out across the country.
Honestly, I assumed the show was slated for the larger theater and was shocked to find out it was in the ballroom when I checked the Taft website to confirm that the show was sold out weeks in advance. So if you have your tickets, thank your lucky stars and listen to their latest album One Drop of Truth while you kill time before the 17th. If you didn’t get your tickets, listen to the album to remind yourself not to sleep on them the next time they announce an area show!
