CARBON LEAF’S BLUE MOUNTAIN HOEDOWN AT THE HAMILTON

The backbone of Carbon Leaf’s sound is it undeniable Virginia and Blue Ridge Mountain musical heritage; Their solid, multi-part harmonies come straight from the gospel of Bluegrass while their rhythms and rhymes suggest lessons in songwriting gleaned from the General Store’s front porch. Six songs into their over twenty song set at the Hamilton on June 20th, the band unplugged and (slightly Eagles style) all gathered at the front of the stage to deliver a fiercely intimate performance of “One Prairie Outpost.” While again evoking the idyllic image of musicians gathered at the Country Store on a weekend night, the group also demonstrated a lesson in staging that all musicians could learn. It was astounding to see how much intimacy could be created just from rearrangement on stage – all the members gathering at the front felt like it shrank the stage and the Hamilton about three sizes that day.