Andrew Combs is a lot of good stuff bundled into one complete package. He’s a little bit country, a little bit indie and a little bit rock n’ roll, all topped with a ten gallon hat. Hailing from Dallas Texas, the self titled country soul singer took the stage on Saturday evening at Lincoln Hall to open for Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers. The young Texan warmed up the crowd with his raspy, melodious voice, with one particularly enthusiastic fan getting a special thank you from Combs “There’s one in every crowd. Thanks dude, you’re the reason we keep coming out.” Emily is an especially addictive track – give it a listen below.
Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers took the stage next. The lovely Ms. Bluhm is all lean grace and class – sipping from a glass of red wine (the last person I saw drinking wine onstage was Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello at Lollapalooza. Mr. Hutz on the other hand was swigging from a bottle and spraying it on the crowd, so you know, maybe a tad less classy…but definitely a lot of fun.)
The San Franciscan band fit perfectly in the “uncategorizable” category along with Mr. Combs. They were a little bit folksy, a little bit indie, a little bit hippy and a little bit country (Ms. Bluhm was definitely rocking a rather large belt buckle.) The band’s twang pairs nicely with Ms. Bluhm’s melodious, husky vocals and the group will take you on some nice rambling folksy jaunts – definitely worth checking out when they come to your town.