Last Thursday night, Georgia southern blues rock group Blackberry Smoke brought their acoustic guitars to an energetic crowd at the State Theater in Ithaca, NY.
It wasn't a sold out show, but the older crowd brought enough energy to make it sound and look like it sure was. Blackberry Smoke are one of those groups that it's hard not to dance to, and last Thursday night the crowd finding it hard to sit down through their entire set. The 19 year old band brought some energy and fun to Ithaca's State theater. The acoustics sounded great, and they played a surprisingly number of covers as well.
It's still a heavy blanket of spring here in Upstate NY, and the temperature was a bit chilly when BlackBerry Smoke came to Ithaca at the State Theater Thursday night. The opening band came on stage right on top and introduced themselves from being from England and having just recently moved to the country. The husband and wife duo came on stage with just an acoustic guitar, but that didn't stop them from being cheerful and praising how great Ithaca is. Despite being from England and having just an acoustic guitar, it's clear that the new due has their roots deep in Americana blues music.
Shortly after 9pm, Black Berry smoke graced the stage with their acoustic guitars. It was going to be an acoustic kind of evening, but the aging crowd sure didn't mind it one bit. There were also some young couples and friends in attendance, eagerly waiting to catch the band live for the first time.
One of the best things about BlackBerry Smoke is that they are really great story teller live, and they didn't shy away from that one bit Thursday night. One of the best stories they told was how one of their songs were written about when a guy had a sparkling Corvette that was always parked in front of his house and the day he cheated on his wife she ran the poor vette right over before taking off.
BlackBerry smoke opened up with "Columbus Stockade Blues" and continued with a handful of their own songs and hits like "Believe You Me" "Sure was good" and "Best Seat in the House". Even though the band hails from the deep south, they brought the southern charm with them and were able to get the crowd cheering and shouting from all corners of the State Theater.
As a 50th anniversary tribute to the Allman Brothers Band, the group played an impressive version of "Ain't Waisting time no More" which was one of the highlights of the evening. They also performed "Old Shoes", a Tom Waits cover along with several Grateful Dead songs honoring the cities connection and history with the band.
Overall, it was a good concert, and the sound quality was good enough to hear all the acoustics and microphones clearly. The show actually could have been a bit longer, but still, the band had enough energy to get the crowd going for their entire set and then some.
A-
All photos by Leo Pareti of Ida Mae and Blackberry Smoke, Ithaca State Theater, April 4, 2019:
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