The Corduroy Road, Madeline, and Possum Jenkins at 40 Watt

The freezing cold temperatures can’t keep the town of Athens inside on the first Friday night of the Spring Semester at the University of Georgia (USA).  Downtown is already busy with the clicking of heels and the faint scent of cigarette smoke as I walk to the 40 Watt, one of the oldest venues in Athens.  I got inside a little after 9 p.m., when the doors open, and I was one of the first people there.  A band called Possum Jenkins was the first to take the stage.  Possum Jenkins can be described as Southern rock with a hint of the blues.  I was never tired of their clever lyrics and entertaining stage presence.

Possum Jenkins is from Winston Salem, North Carolina.  The band consists of five members, but what I most liked about their performance was the individual versatility in the band.  Throughout the performance, the drummer and guitarist switched places, three different band members took the lead vocalist role, and three of the members are guitarist, drummer, and vocalist.  With that sort of talent, it would be hard not to rock a live show! They had rustic appeal with a twang of the harmonic while they sang “Because at Least We’re Not Still in Tennessee.”   The eleven song set was a combination of soulful vocals and powerful beats.  Their most recent album, Collection of Bad Habits, possesses a combination of Americana and southern rock with a touch of funk and blues.  I grabbed a CD from the concert, and have been listening to it since I left the 40 Watt that night.

The second band up was Madeline and the White Flag band.   She had a folksy,  beautiful and somewhat haunting voice, with songs that were upbeat yet soft.  Her music was like a combination of Feist and Regina Spektor; whimsical and comforting while entertaining the listener.  Accompanying Madeline Adams were three other members that make up the White Flag band including a bass, guitar, and drums.  Perhaps the most entertaining member of the band was the drummer, who throughout the entire ten song set had the most animated facial expressions I’ve ever seen in a performance.

As for the main attraction, The Corduroy Road was everything I wanted them to be in a live show.  They were energetic, fun, and genuinely seemed happy to be performing.  With their unique blend of Americana, Bluegrass, folk rock, and old-time country, their energy on stage was as electric as a punk rock show.  Their engaging stage presence made the audience feel a part of the music, and gave me the elated feeling that everything would be alright as they sang the words “Baby, give me your hand I’ll lead the way, It’s going to be rough now, but it’ll be ok, ok? On down the Corduroy Road.”  Nothing can replace the feeling of the music so loud that it beats through your chest as you stand right in front of the stage.  The Corduroy Road put on one hell of a show.  Their appearance matched the music, with plaid shirts and the right amount of scruff; they looked and sounded the part.   Elijah Neesmith, who played the stand up bass, impressed me with his talent on both this amazing instrument and his vocals.  Along with Elijah, Drew Carman was impressive when he sang, played the guitar and harmonica simultaneously during the show.

As I was watching their close to twenty five song set performance, I met a group of guys from Rochester, Minnesota who traveled seventeen hours to see The Corduroy Road. Now that is dedication.  I talked to the rowdy group of friendly guys and found out that they had been to their show the night previous in Atlanta, and were following the band to Macon for their concert the next night.  The band most graciously acknowledged the group during their show, and the guys proceeded to whoop and holler in support of their favorite musicians.  Seeing the interaction between the audience and a band is my favorite part of the live performance.  Listening to The Corduroy Road as I write this will never the same as standing in front of them and watching them do what they do best, share their music with whoever wants to listen.   And that is exactly what they did.

Caroline Baggett, Athens Contributor (UGA)

Related posts:

1. Abbey Road on the Market
2. Revitalization Plans Underway for Abbey Road
3. The K-Macks and Vinyl at Rye Bar – Athens, GA