We just started working with Alabama Shakes this year but I had yet to see them live.  We have been working with Justin Townes Earl and The Civil Wars so I was happy to see them make an appearance.  Other highlights of the show included the house band that featured such legends as Buddy Miller and Don Was.  Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes commanded the stage during their performance of “Be Mine.”

Joy Williams and John Paul White of The Civil Wars were awarded the Vocal Duo/Group of the Year award.

Bonnie Raitt was in attendance to accept a Lifetime Achievement award and then treated the crowd to a performance at the end of the show.  John Hiatt joined her on “Thing Called Love.”  The Mavericks also performed towards the end and their sound just filled up the room.

A generous combination of Shure mics, both wired and wireless covered the stage.  SM58’s were the main elements of choice.

_________

The show ended, but my night was far from over.   I heard about a new vocal group called and watched a few of their videos online.  They are a new group that formed in Durham, NC with a great vocal blend and music that sounds like its straight out of New Orleans with a percussive hint of Blast!

I met several members right after the awards show and told them I would make their midnight show at The Rutledge.  I arrived a bit before their performance and met the rest of the band.  Half of the band are siblings and the rest compliment the others’ talents.

There have been several instances when I’ve gone to see a new act and thought that they have already outgrown the stage they are performing on.  This was one of those times.  They are ready for bigger stages and I’m almost certain that more crowds will get to experience their sound.  It’s pretty fun to watch them and see how passionate they are in the moment.

Look them up and you may find a new favorite for your music library.  They’ve got my attention!

Ryan

Pretty funny eh?  Glad to see that this video is approaching 1 million views.  Josh is a great artist and as you can see, has a way with BIRDS!

So you are probably wondering – what does The Civil Wars have to do with this and what about Right Place, Right Time?

Last year, Josh invited me to a show at The Belcourt Theatre to see him perform with Bluegrass legend and Josh’s mentor Tony Rice.  After that great show, I was hanging around by the sound board and the house engineers asked me if I had been to the show the night before.  I said “No, who was it?”  They said it was a great group, a male and a female, called The Civil Wars.  It was great and Taylor Swift was here tweeting about the show.  Intrigued, I grabbed my iPhone and did some research right at that moment.  Looking at their bio… Joy Williams…I know who that is. I had met her before at a Dove Awards show when she was a Christian artist.  She sounded great back then, and even better now.  But who was this guy John Paul White?  Their harmonies sounded so great together as I watched the video for Barton Hallow, I had to find out more and reach out to their management.  I did, and the rest is documented in my earlier blogs.  They signed with Shure, have gone on to perform with Adele, win 2 Grammy Awards, and get a ton of great exposure.  I was so glad to be in the Right Place at the Right Time.

So what are some of your Right Place, Right Time moments?  Have YOU heard of Josh and/or The Civil Wars?  If so, where were you when you did and what were your reactions?

Ryan – Feb 2012