The Malpass Brothers at The Pines...

Last night the Angelina Arts Alliance brought the Malpass Brothers to the Pines Theater. They are a North Carolina band playing the traditional "old country" of Cash, Haggard, the Louvin Brothers, Ernest Tubb and more. As I enjoyed the show last night I thought to myself that I have played in bands doing all these songs, just not as good. 

The Brothers, who have toured with Merle and the late Don Helms who was the steel guitarist for Hank Williams used vintage instruments. That Martin and Epiphone guitars look old. Harder to tell about the Fender amp in the photo as many classic models have been reissued and from the audience they can be hard to tell from a well cared for original but the sound is the same. I hear people say, "music don't sound good anymore!" Sometimes that's because bands are not using the equipment that made the sounds you heard on classic records any longer.   

The backing band were young guys. This steel player was 26, the bass player 24 and the drummer a recent high school graduate. 

Note the Fender Telecaster Bass that the string bass player used on a few tunes. I'm guessing an early 70s model because of the humbucking pickup. Probably vintage and not a reissue because he turned his belt buckle so he would not rash the back. I've see thousands of shows and I am not sure I have ever seen one of these with he humbucker on stage. As I say, it's why music don't sound the same.   

There is also quite a bit of hillbilly comedy involved in the act. Cathy, who has heard about every joke had not heard the one about the camel sucking mud. His a clip of the jokes:

The Malpass Brothers were great. The brother harmonies that you get with blood kin singing together for years were spot on.

 This was our last Pines show on our season tickets. We have had great seats for great shows but seems like next season is not quite as compelling to me and while we renewed our Temple Theater seats we let this one go and will probably just buy single tickets for the shows we are interested in. 

 

Check out the Malpass Brothers for good country fun. Another act I suggest if you like the hillbilly/rockabilly/western swing thing is my Facebook friend Deke Dickerson.

Now excuse me while I drag out a Fender amp, a hollow body guitar, a tic tack bass and practice.