Bucksworth / Hawkeye / Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash / East Mountain South
Live show at the Mint in LA - Saturday, July 13

Bucksworth, a five piece band from Riverside county, kicked the night off with a twang. (Ok, ok, I promise to stay away from cheesy puns the rest of the article. Honest. Well, I'll try anyway.) Their first song,"Two Bits," offers up the damn catchy chorus "Amp ain't got no tone" - if that's not a musical call to arms, I don't know what is! Mark and Lisa Nemetz's vocals have a smooth, comfortable harmony that fits together perfectly, especially on songs like "Don't Work So Well" and "Thank You L.V.," which had a very Gram Parsons & EmmyLou Harris type of feel. Lead guitarist, Joe Hill, achieved some gorgeous tone with his Telecaster - cleaner and sweeter than most Teles could ever dream of being. "Middle of the Road" was a stand out for me, starting out with a crowd-rousing clap-along and leading up to a sizzling solo by Hill. Another stand out moment was Mark pulling out a mandolin for "Haul Alone," which also happens to be the title of their latest album, although the song doesn't seem to appear on it. Their closing song "Star" showcased the excellent rhythm section of Dan Hill and Mark Cummings with a tight, driving beat and a sound that somehow reminded me of the Doors, but I can't quite put my finger on why. All in all, Bucksworth put on a great show and I can't wait to see them in the area again soon.

Hawkeye was on next and opened with keyboardist Carl Byron playing an almost revival style organ leading into their first song "Tequila and Morphine," then switching over to haunting accordion. On the second song, "Decision," guitarist Rick Sanchez pulled out all the stops with a blazing Telecaster solo. The whiskey and honey vocals of Kalai King and Dawn McCoy complement each other beautifully, especially in the new song "I Don't Want to Fight." Dawn also did a terrific job leading the Jackson Browne-influenced "Home." One of the highlights of the set was "Sight of Me" - the song on its own was one of my favorites of the night, and just when I thought it couldn't get any better, they blew me away with an over the top reprise. Drummer Jeff Bell and Bassist Henry Benjamin gave their full support during the set, alternating solid, straight ahead rhythms with country beats and tasty fills. By the end of the set Hawkeye had captured the full attention of the packed house, rewarding the audience by closing with the irresistible, and irreverent, rocker "Don't Give Me Reasons." Hawkeye is a band to watch for the future, so check them out!

Next up was one of the fast rising stars of SoCal Roots Rock, Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash. Hailing from San Diego, this band has been garnering all sorts of accolades lately. It seems like I'm seeing their name every nowadays, so it was a real treat to check them out in person. And you know what I discovered? They deserve every bit of praise they're getting and more. Mark Stuart's powerful growling vocals sent shivers down my spine, especially on "Marfa Lights" and the mesmerizing "Last Goodbye." If dark desert nights could sing, they'd have Mark Stuart's voice. Deane Cote's guitar playing was some of the best I've seen in a long time - featuring beautiful pedal-steel type fills ("Burn Down") and lightning fast runs ("Cannonball"), all played on a Tele. (Notice the Telecaster obsession yet? Apparently I'm not the only fan though - all the bands had one!) He also pulled out a Les Paul for song that sounded amazing as well. Drummer Joey Galvan impressively handled a variety of styles, from the raw Neil Young-esque "Wind It Up" to the poignant "Tears of Gold," where he manages to play a brush in one hand and tambourine in the other - which seems to me like patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time! And let's not forget bassist Clark Stacer, who's playing was intuitively seamless and backing vocals provided the perfect counterpoint to Stuart. They wound up the 15-song set with the hooky "Damage is Done" and thundering applause. I have to admit, I don't have as much detail here as I'd like due to the fact that I kept getting so absorbed in their music that I forgot to take notes! I do know that they have a new album, "Distance Between," coming out on August 22nd, and it's definitely going on my to-buy list.

Closing out the night was East Mountain South, an acoustic duo whose quiet mountain melodies were just the right touch to soothe the crowd after their Bastard Sons high. Kat Maslich and Peter Adams opened the set with a lovely
a cappella folk song . (I wasn't able to get the song titles for their set, so I'll have to be a little more vague here.) Kat has a voice that's ethereal and earthy at the same time, somewhat reminding me of Sheryl Crow on her most tender songs, and Pete's backing vocals added a understated warmth and fullness. They were also joined by a percussionist whose name I didn't catch, but whose performance on a single cocktail drum was fascinating to watch. He added unexpectedly funky grooves, almost sounding at times like a hip hop drum machine track - yet fitting into the Appalachian folk inspired guitar and Wurlitzer keys like it was the most natural thing in the world. They also invited Kalai King from Hawkeye on stage to sing back up with Kat while Pete took the lead on John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery." They brought the evening to a close with "Old Virginia," bookending their set with another traditional folk song. Listening to East Mountain South, you need only to close your eyes to be transported from an LA nightclub to a rural kitchen table, just after suppertime. The perfect ending to a perfect night. •