What do you get when you mix bluegrass
instrumentation, pop/rock songwriting, and expert vocal harmonies? You get my most recent
pleasant surprise Down The Line. Down The Line straddles the fence separating traditional
forms of music (bluegrass & folk) from more modern commercial formats (pop & rock)
and makes the resulting hybrid so appealing it is a wonder they are not being played on
every WXRT-ish radio station in the country. The show I witnessed at the Double Door saw
the DTL boys sandwiched between much more typical rock bands and this seemingly odd
pairing did nothing but emphasize the uniqueness of their show. The band (violin/ mandolin
man Dan Myers, bassist/guitarist Dave Rothkopf, acoustic guitarist Levi Britton, and
djembist/vocalist Derek Fawcett) took the Double Door stage like the bluegrass outfit they
almost are (read: no drum kit), stood four across, and launched into
"Superstition" by Stevie Wonder. Myers attacked the song’s hook on his
electric violin as the other three laid down the funk behind him and the large crowd
assembled started to move. After this opening stylistic jolt, the band showcased their own
material, much of it culled from their CD Welcome To Flavortown. Their original
music was not as funky, instead inhabiting the region between CSNY and The Eagles.
What made Down The Line stand out from the acoustic music hordes that populate Chicago
is they level of skill each member brought to the stage. Each is a talented
instrumentalist in his own right as well as an outstanding lead and harmony singer. The
four-part vocals were spot-on the entire set and lead vocal spots were continually
swapped. In other words, this show was a little more involved than your average
strum-and-sing coffeehouse type of acoustic act. The songwriting was strong also and many
of those present seemed to know the tunes, which is always a good sign. Overall, Down The
Line turned in a great set of tuneful, well-played acoustic rock and soul music and proved
to those who saw it that the old-school skills of singing, playing, and writing will
always be valid.
