Live Review: Chatham County Line

Chatham County Line (photo: Denton Poteet)

Live Review: Chatham County Line, Friday, December 17, 2010, Variety Playhouse, Atlanta
by: Denton Poteet
12.21.10

When I saw Wu-Tang Clan at Center Stage on Wednesday night, there were at least nine microphones on stage at any given time. When Chatham County Line took the stage at Variety Playhouse the following evening, they only had one. The four members leaned forward and back, sharing the small space around the microphone fluidly. It’s fascinating to watch them affect the sound based on their relative distance from the mic, and it calls attention to their airtight chemistry.

Chatham County Line (photo: Denton Poteet)

Chatham County Line might not be the first band to use a single microphone, but they make great use of the tradition.

The single microphone setup was only used during the first of the band’s two sets, though. This was a special holiday show for the band, and it was cleaved into two halves.

The first half was a traditional acoustic bluegrass set, the kind of thing the band normally plays. It featured the four core members of the band on acoustic guitar, fiddle, banjo, and upright bass.

After an intermission, they came back out with a few helping hands and delivered an electric set, with the notable additions of drums, pedal steel, piano, and electric guitar to the mix. The additional musicians included opener Johnny Irion, as well as the two guys who backed him earlier in the evening.

Chatham County Line – “King For A Day” (Tom Petty Cover)

The second set had an appropriate atmosphere for a holiday show. The basic sound was still the same, still rooted in bluegrass and traditional country, but it was a rock show version of the stuff found in the acoustic set. There were more covers and more volume. The band seemed relaxed, like the first set was their day job and the second was a chance to cut loose.

That’s not meant as a knock on the acoustic set, though. If I’m being honest, I enjoyed the first set slightly more than the second. I spend most of my spare time at rock shows, so it was fairly bracing to sit back and take in something so direct.

When the music is that stripped down, you can’t hide behind sheer volume, effects pedals or stage presence. Talent becomes a bit more critical, and Chatham County Line has it in spades.

Editor’s Note: Denton Poeteet is a regular contributor to DeadJournalist.com. He is the also the author of Little Advances. You can follow him on Twitter @littleadvances.