at the request of digiburn and because this show was momentousIf you weren't in NoDa tonight then you missed a fresh new band that took no prisoners and rocked Charlotte at The Neighborhood Theatre. They dazzled and amazed. They're called The New Familiars. Heard of them?
Haha, not a newly formed band but definitely a newly rejuvenated one, tonight The New Familiars were just what the doctor ordered...
They say that with change comes opportunity. It seems to me that The New Familiars decided to grab opportunity by the horns and run with it upon the departure of Eric-Scott Guthrie (banjo/mouth harp/vocals) and the addition of multinstrumentalist Jordan Klemmons, former guitar player of The Afromotive. Tonight their performance was neither better nor worse than past performances... but it was much better than I expected. It was different... in a very good way. There was ho hype about the addition of pedal steel, electric guitars, and keyboards. No announcement as to who would replace the original member who had announced in March that he wanted to pursue his music in a different direction. The band made no official announcements, downplaying and only supporting Guthrie's decision. All that was said preceding the show was that they were excited about going a new direction and were excited about what the future holds. I was told that they wanted their fans to formulate their own opinions yet drummer Daniel Flynn pulled me aside moments before they took the stage to warn, "Watch out... we're about to rock your world." Boy was he right!
As always The Neighborhood Theatre was kind and hospitable hosts, being the type of venue that welcomes their patrons with smiles and a hug. Sound wise I wasn't really digging the mix. Sometimes being very muddy, while at others, especially early on being so bright that I wished I had earplugs to smooth out the highs that were piercing my ears. No disrespect to the sound technician, who is masterful when mixing sound in the past. My ears were begging for something. Especially more Jordan Klemmons and Justin Fedor (mandolin). Perhaps it was preplanned to keep Klemmons mixed towards the back so as not to overwhelm the audience with change. Perhaps it was intentional to bring Josh Daniel (electric guitar/dobro) to the front... I don't know but I sure wanted to hear more Klemmons and more Fedor in the mix. Besides that this was a smoking hot show through and through.
Taking the stage with a vengeance and new material. The New Familiars shocked us by opening with a catchy tune called Saltshaker, then backing it up with 16 tunes of old and new which included fan favorites 'Got This Disease', 'Annaline', 'The Fall of Icarus', 'Mills River' and their twist on Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick in The Wall'. To close they slowed things down with their tearful take on The Temptations 'My Girl' before finishing with a blistering version of the Rolling Stone's 'Loving Cup', a highlight of the evening that had the theatre crowd singing/screaming at the top of their lungs "Give me a little drink from your loving cup... Just one drink and I'll fall down drunk!"
Considerably different from past shows, tonight's 2+ hour set still had that butt shaking wiggle fans are accustomed to but tonight things were noticeably different. Tonight The New Familiars injected it full of fist pumping guitar driven southern rock! I expected... well I really didn't know what I expected but I didn't expect THAT!
It didn't take long to notice that The New Familiars were enjoying themselves on stage. As if they felt relief from the crowd reaction to their new sound. Smiles stretched across the stage and infected the 500+ in attendance who braved a spectacular thunderstorm to welcome the hometown boys back from tour weary battle. The member change happened only four shows earlier so "bumps" in the road was to be expected yet major mistakes were at a minimum. Had I not known better I would have thought the lineup had been together for some time. Klemmon’s didn’t attempt to fill shoes. He didn’t attempt to mimic Guthrie’s parts. Klemmons instead placed his own stylish chops on top of what The New Familiars claim they’ve had been wanting to move towards. Man it was good!
Pre show I noted that there was little talk by fans of the member change, as though there was already acceptance. Beforehand nobody knew whom the Guthrie replacement was going to be but was pumped for the show to begin. Their were rumors floating around but many people did not know who Jordan Klemmons is… they do now. There was an obvious vibe filtering throughout the venue of anticipation. Pre show I heard a lot of chatter inside and outside the venue but no negativity about Guthrie leaving the band. Some discussed past shows, others were hoping for favorite standards, but nothing-indicating trepidation for the future. Still others chatted about the upcoming Eric-Scott Guthrie show May 24th, also at The Neighborhood Theatre. There was really little talk of disappointment... only that Guthrie would be missed. Before the show I had a young fan claim that he felt like he was "about to explode (with anticipation)." Adding, "no matter what happens tonight those are my boys". I think he wasn’t alone in that thinking and The New Familiars gave their fans nothing to worry about. In fact they gave fans plenty to look forward to.
As they pushed through their single set of new originals and classic New Familiar standards, I heard fans remark about the future with comments like “Things are gonna be ok” and “Who would have thought they would sound this good already.” Devoted fans , if at all concerned, had their worries extinguished by the announcement that they’re putting the finishing touches on a new album. When asked what they thought about the newest Familiar the crowd responded with resounding thumbs up. With each song they played, the crowd fed back equal appreciation for the new material as they did the familiar material of old. It was the same great songs only now with a new twist. Gone was the sound that often leads new fans and critics to compare them with the Avett Bros. After tonight the comparison can be thrown out the window and the window slammed shut! Tonight was a sneak peak into the future... and the future looks good! I thoroughly enjoyed what they offered and how they offered it and if the buzz after the show is any indication, those in attendance, the devoted fans who’ve seen this band go from playing tiny coffee houses to sold out theatres are ready for the next chapter to begin.
Whereas in the past The New Familiars could be described as high energy Americana, they've now taken bluegrass and folk, thrown in an ample helping of southern rock-n-roll, laced that with their high energy americana, and seasoned it with a dash of psychedelic... What came out of the pot was a musical stew for the rock-n-roll soul.
Whether in a coffee shop before 30 people, a theatre before 800, playing county fairs, or kicking up dust at a festival, this is a group that effortlessly forces booties to shake, bodies wiggle, and feet to stomp; but never before had I felt the urge to involuntarily throw my arms in the air with two-fisted pumps. Wherever I went tonight, from the front of the stage to the back of the balcony, the vibe was heartwarming and one of acceptance of Klemmons and his multiple instruments. The crowd loved the newest Familiar and the direction the New Familiars' sound seems to be heading.
One can only imagine the great things that are going to come their way after a few more rehearsals, a few more shows together, and one or two festivals under their belt with this lineup... If the media doesn't jump all over them now then it will be hard to hold faith in the music business. For me it only took a few songs into tonight's set to realize they had tapped into something really special. It was a little rough around the edges but that was to be expected considering the little time they've had with their new member and his multiple instruments. Let's remember that the band had only a few rehearsals and four shows together to transition from 2.1 ----> 3.0 but in my opinion tonight's show left me feeling like I do walking out of an Acoustic Syndicate show or a String Cheese Incident incident - exhausted, excited, and yearning for more.
With the addition of Klemmons and with a guitar driven sound... there’s a fresh new jam band on the scene when jam bands have become boring and stagnant. From what I experienced tonight, The New Familiars have found a winning combination for what it takes to spread their wings and fly baby fly.
That being said The New Familiars 3.0 can't be pigeon holed into any one genre. Tonight they jammed long and hard, they ripped our hearts out, and at times made heads bang! Hooting and hollering was abundant. I’ve never seen
held into the air at Familiars' shows of past. I've never seen fans jump up for a stage dive... well not until tonight! Tonight was something completely different. Tonight they lived up to the adjectives in their name... new and familiar.
It appears they’re using the member change as an opportunity to give listeners something like NOTHING we've heard before.... just as Flyyn warned me about, they rocked my world tonight. We’ve never heard anything like it from The New Familiars and not from any band in the americana and/or jam band scenes. I sure hope I'm right in thinking the opportunity for change is good for all... the band, the fans, and the scene. Tonight was fresh, it was new, it was a statement as if, "Ha! Take that nay Sayers! What do you think about us now?!?!"
