Friday, January 7, 2011

Gibson Brothers & Spinney Brothers - The Brothers Concerts

The Gibson Brothers and The Spinney Brothers will be presenting a pair of concerts in New England on January 15th and 16th.  The Brothers Concerts will kick off at 7:30 PM in the auditorium of the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, MA for an event sponsored by the Boston Bluegrass Union.  The second concert will be held at 12:00 noon at the Bellows Falls Opera House in Bellows Falls, VT.  Tickets are still available for both events. 

The Bands
 The Gibson Brothers

The Gibson Brothers found "instant" success this year after working to hone their song writing and performance skills for twenty hard working years on the road. The most evident symbol of this hard won success was their two IBMA awards for Song of the Year and Gospel Song of the Year.  Along with that, their song "Ring the Bell" topped the Bluegrass Unlimited charts for most of the year as did their  album of the same name for Compass Records .  Long favorites in the northeast, this year was a breakout for Eric and Leigh Gibson along with their deeply experienced, highly skilled band. Mandolinist Joe Walsh, the newest member of the band, will have copies of his wonderful new CD available at both concerts.  The brothers' newest CD Help My Brother will be released later this winter. The Gibson Brothers' work is highlighted by some of the best song writing to be found anywhere.  Both Eric and Leigh are fine writers in their own right.  They select a few fine covers from classic bluegrass and the occasional rock song from writers like Tom Petty and select songs perfectly fitted to their singing and the band's sound from other contemporary song writers.  Their stage personality and the power of their commitment to their work shines through in every performance of every song.  The only problem with a Gibson Brothers performance for their fans lies in there never being enough time for them to showcase their more recent work while responding to the requests for well-loved songs from their catalog.  What a problem to have!

Eric & Leigh Gibson

Mike Barber

Clayton Campbell


Joe Walsh

How to Get to the National Heritage Museum


The Spinney Brothers
 Spinney Brothers Photo from their Web Page

I haven't had the opportunity to hear or see the Spinney Brothers.  Eric Gibson says this about them: "Leigh and I met and heard the Spinney Brothers in the early 90s, and we took an instant liking to them and their music. They work hard at their craft -- singing, playing, writing, and entertaining -- and I've always felt that we've all been on a similar mission. We are proud to be paired with them. That's enough for me.  The Spinney Brothers come from Nova Scotia, but their music is most heavily influenced by the first generation of bluegrass players.  They, too, have been touring for nearly twenty years, giving them plenty of time to develop and refine their own style and sound.  Here's a sample of their work from last year's Joe Val Festival in Boston.



Sunday's concert will begin at Noon in the Bellows Falls Opera House in downtown Bellows Falls, VT.  This is the first time that Jenny Brook promoter Candi Sawyer has produced an event at the Opera House, but judging by the information on its web site, it looks and sounds like a fine venue, recently renovated to provide facilities for both live and filmed events. The Bellows Falls Opera House is located on the first floor of Rockingham Town Hall in the center of downtown Bellows Falls, Vermont.  Town Hall was constructed in 1926 in the Classical Revival Style and has a distinctive six-story clock tower. The building is a Bellows Falls landmark and serves as the cultural and civic heart of the community.   The Rockingham Town Hall underwent a $3.7 million renovation from 2004~2006 that restored the Bellows Falls Opera House to accommodate both movies and live performances.  Tickets for this event can still be ordered on line from the Opera House or directly from the Candi Sawyer at (802) 380 - 4106.  

Here's a map showing how to get to the Opera House:


These two concerts represent a rare opportunity to hear two contrasting brother duos whose commitment to the sound and style of brother harmony singing characterizes their work.  See you there.

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