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| photo by Will Piper |
Bluegrass music is special and timeless. No other genre can get folks up and dancing from the youngest of concert goers to the youngest of heart. No other genre provides a better soundtrack to laid back vibes and good times, or in the case of Chicken Wire Empire's performance this past Wednesday, a truly picturesque summer evening in downtown Milwaukee's Pere Marquette Park.
Milwaukee's own Chicken Wire Empire delivered an on-point, stellar performance that saw the quintet play two sets of music comprised largely of original numbers with some well-placed covers peppered in. Chicken Wire Empire's progressive bluegrass sound puts them on par with many of their regional or national bluegrass contemporaries. Summer in Milwaukee provides a myriad of musical options for folks, and the attendees who came to Pere Marquette Park for their River Rhythms concert series were treated to an all-star performance from a band who is hitting its stride as one of the best contemporary bluegrass acts around.
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| photo by Will Piper |
While Chicken Wire Empire has been a staple in the Milwaukee scene since 2014, this past year has found the band tighter than ever with a line-up of players who are able to vibe off of each other musically to create masterful jams and give the old-timey sounds of bluegrass a distinctly modern flavor. In late 2017 the group released a film
All it Takes that showcased the individual and collective talents of the five unique musicians who comprise Chicken Wire Empire. With a solid and consistent line-up, of Jordan Kroeger on upright bass and vocals, Ryan Ogburn on mandolin and vocals, Greg Brundage on guitar and vocals, Jon Peik on banjo and vocals, and Ernest Brusabardis IV on fiddle, the band has continued to progress, push, and gel as both individual pickers and as a collective unit. What may be the best quality about Chicken Wire Empire is the way that each of the players gives the others the space to soar and improvise within their tracks. Like many great contemporary bluegrass groups, Chicken Wire Empire varies their sound and performance so that no tune is ever played exactly the same way.
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| photo by Will Piper |
Highlights of the group's two set performance at Pere Marquette Park included classic Chicken Wire Empire numbers like "Joe Eddy," a great narrative story tune sung by Jordan Kroeger, that emerged in the second set and got audience members of all ages engaged and dancing. In addition, "Shotguns and Doublewides," a tune primed for the group's upcoming new record, found Ryan Ogburn tearing it up on lead vocals and mandolin, and the group providing a multi-directional jam in the central part of the tune. Well-placed covers like Bruce Hornsby's "The Way it Is," the traditionally arranged "Jack A Roe," and Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" were well-received and given the contemporary bluegrass treatment that only masters like Chicken Wire Empire can deliver.
If you are a fan of bluegrass, or just great music in general, please make an effort to check out this exceptional group of world-class musicians who are picking at a festival or venue near you!
Setlist (compliments of Chicken Wire Empire):
Set I You Were On My Mind*, Reckless, Throw Me A Rope, Still In Love With You > 9lb Hammer, Jack-A-Roe > Jam > Jack-A-Roe, Ballroom Girl, Lumpy Bean Pole & Dirt, The Way It Is, Meet Your Maker
Set II
Happy Birthday, Vincent Black Lightning, Joe Eddy, Dont Think Twice Its Alright, Summer And Me, Girl Of My Dreams, Shotguns > Jam > Doublewides, I Ain't Broke, I'm Badly Bent, You Belong To Me, Easy Chair, Wheel Hoss
*Unfinished
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