Delayed but at last Molasses Creek took the stage at First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills tonight. The concert was first scheduled for the spring of 2020, but COVID restrictions closed the concert down.
Brought to the Outer Banks by the Bryan Cultural Series, the concert by Ocracoke’s finest band and best musicians was a vivid reminder of just how good all five members of the band really are.
The night started with Gary Mitchell on guitar, Dave Tweedier, fiddle and Kim France on upright bass. They performed a few songs then Coyote—Marcy Bremer and Lou Castro joined them.
What followed was an evening of magic.
The instruments are classic bluegrass—minus the banjo. But there was no drum and no electric instruments. But the music was anything but bluegrass.
Sure there were some echoes of bluegrass from time to time, but much of the music was far more reminiscent of Django Reinhard and his gypsy swing for the 1930s. And there were some great reminders of how classical music can become the the sound of a contemporary tune as Lou Castro of Coyote and Molasses Creek fiddler Dave Tweedier some truly unique sounds.
A lot of what the musicians performed were original compositions. Marcy Bremer especially, has created some wonderfully heartfelt songs about life on Ocracoke Island.
More than that, though, and what truly makes them stand out as musicians, is their willingness to take chances. Witness taking on the Beatle classic “Because.” To get the full, rich harmonies of the recording, the Beatles first sang the song and then, being in the studio, they overdubbed that creating remarkably complex harmonies.
There is no overdubbing in a live concert…with acoustic instruments only. But that didn’t stop Molasses Creek from taking it on. They hit the harmonies beautifully and then took the arrangement off in their own direction.
Truly a memorable night of music.
There is still a lot happening on the Outer Banks. Fall is a great time to visit and a Brindley Beach Vacations home is the best on the beach.