The local Americana music gods surely must have been pleased with their offering Saturday night as the Wilders took to the outdoor stage at Knuckleheads in front 200+ fans with the Rural Grit All Stars, a bluegrass collective that recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, for four plus hours of soothing rootsy sounds.
The RGAS, led by Mark Smeltzer and K.C. Stanton, a.k.a. Rabbitkiller and Rapjack began the evening with their rendition of "American music." Smeltzer, one half of the Experimental Instrument Orchestra, sang backup and played his frying pan guitar on their cover of Primus' "My Name is Mud." Often the opening selection at Rural Grit's Monday night matinee show at the Brick, the song was met with some laughter and mild confusion. Clearly, this crowd came to two-step the night away. First though, they would have to hear selections from the rotating cast of musicians that also included members of the Wilders.
Turning folks into believers was Rural Grit staple and perennial crowd pleaser was Cheri Woods who delivered her spoken word performance of "Pressin' the Shoe" and "Greasy Fingered Dragon Slayer" with a 12-piece RGAS backup. Another favorite? Smeltzer's four-year old son, Noah who joined his father onstage with his homemade cello.
At the end of every Rural Grit Happy Hour, the musicians play a "jubilee" song. Everyone gets on stage and plays whatever they brought, sometimes to a room of people with fewer people in the audience than onstage. The evening's selection was "Wrecking Ball," a Rural Grit classic that would sufficiently prime the crowd for the honky tonk stylings of the Wilders.
I immediately recognized the opening song from my list for the best picks of 2008. "Broken Down Gambler," a foot-stompin', fiddle-heavy selection that, when it was over, would make mustachioed lead guitarist and frontman, Ike Sheldon say, "Betse Ellis, ya'll, goddamn!" It was bad ass. Even ol' Pa Ingalls would have busted a nut.
Ellis, who's hot fiddle action is an essential part to the Wilders' traditional formula also performed "John Henry" from her solo CD released in April, Don't You Want To Go?,"No. 7" and a traditional fiddle tune, "Julie Ann Johnson."
The night didn't only belong to the band that The Pitch named Best Local Band last year. Many of the RGAS came up jam style and joined in, like while playing the Smeltzer original, "High Steppin' Country Girl" and "Pat's 25," which included upright bass player Chris DeVictor and the other half of E.I.O., Amy Farrand. Most of the playlist though, was an amalgamation of the Wilders originals and old covers from Buck Owens, Hank Williams, Tommy Blake and a twangy version of Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69." Things got even more stomptastic when drummer Chris Dolembo (Rex Hobart & the Misery Boys) came into the mix on the old blues standard "Arkansas Sheik" and stayed for the rest of the set.
This was the Wilders' first local show since February and their current schedule doesn't have anything listed semi-close to KC until the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. The band begins a UK tour at the end of this week that will run until their final date at the Borough Theater in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales on July 21.
Earlier this year, the Wilders' first-ever full length, 20-song EP, Someone's Got To Pay was awarded the Independent Music Award for Best Alt-Country album and Ike Sheldon's original song, "Hey Little Darlin'" was the vox populi (people's vote) choice for Best Americana Song.
Set List
Broken Down Gambler
V-8 Blues
Kansas City Star
Get Up Kid
There Goes My Love
Julie Ann Johnson
High Steppin' Country Girl
Death Letter Blues
Collard Greens
Honky Tonk Mind
How Mountain Girls Can Love
?
Summer of '69
My Bucket's Got A Hole In It
Pat's 25
No. 7
John Henry
Hey Little Darlin'
Arkansas Sheik
My Final Plea
Fireball Mail
Honky Tonk Blues
Happy That Way
Sorry I Let You Down
Honky Tonk Habit
Wild Old Nory
Encore
Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy
Photos by Mike Walker.
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