Joseph Huber with Al Scorch- Anodyne Coffee Roasters- 5/5/17

photo by Will Piper

Joseph Huber in so many ways embodies the positive spirit of Milwaukee as a man who knows the special quality of making his home in "The Good Land."  He's a songwriter who pens his tunes from the vantage point of a keen observer.  He writes from the perspective of a working man.  He is inherently humble and promotes the work of others' more so than bask in compliments of his own.

Huber sat onstage before a packed-to-the-roasted-coffee-smelling-rafters at Anodyne Coffee this past Friday with patched jeans, a flannel shirt and a grin spanning from ear-to-ear. His longtime band mates and collaborators Jason Loveall (on fiddle) to his right and Eston Bennett (on upright bass) to his left, were by his side and a single bottle of Miller High Life sat beside him.  A multi-instrumental virtuoso, Huber strapped a bass drum peddle to one foot, to use to bang against a suitcase behind him, and a tambourine to the other foot, to help enhance the rhythm of his tunes.

artwork created 5/5/17 by Danny Duffy

Huber's show was raw and riveting-- all about the substance of the tunes and the way that they bring people together.  Looking around, you'd be hard-pressed to find more of a smorgasbord of people from all walks of life in Milwaukee in attendance, smiling along with their ol' pal Joe and his band mates.  The universal appeal of his music in essence makes Joseph Huber both uniquely Milwaukee, and uniquely great as a top-notch Americana artist.

As the album release show for Huber's fourth record, The Suffering Stage, Huber approached brand new material with the warmth and grace of an old friend seated around a campfire with his buddies playing some tunes.  It's in this ubiquitous joy where Huber excels as an artist.  The set featured all 8 tracks off of The Suffering Stage, and opened with "Playground/Battlefield" which featured soaring fiddle riffs from Jason Loveall, who was as dialed in as I've ever seen him perform.  Likewise, upright bassist Eston Bennett, delivered the thumping pulse which propelled "Sons of the Wondering," giving it a well-worn feel for a brand new track. "16-10" is perhaps the most fun and uptempo track off of The Suffering Stage, and got the crowd jamming and dancing into a frenzy thanks the fast picking by Huber and the boys, and Loveall's "blow the roof off of the barn" jams. Moreover, the title track, "The Suffering Stage" was debuted with Joseph Huber and his full band last Friday. This epic track, which serves as the thematic anchor to the record, clocks in at over seven minutes and channels 1970''s Desire-era Bob Dylan lyrically, received enhanced treatment by Huber's band mates.  Huber dropped long-time fan-favorite "The Hanging Road" in the set before launching into the final two tracks from The Suffering Stage, the soulful ballad "Sea of Night" and the beautifully reflective country rock catharsis "Souls Without Maps."  To say the new material was well-received by the sold-out Anodyne crowd was an understatement as the crowd eagerly enjoyed each new track.   It is perhaps his intimacy in songwriting that make Huber's work stand out as extraordinary amongst his Americana contemporaries.  

photo by Will Piper

Opening for Joseph Huber was Al Scorch, a songwriter and  banjo player who delivered a one-man-band performance with ragged fury.  Scorch featured a lot of material from his most recent release, 2016's Circle Round the Signs.  Socrch is a riveting performer who delivered some great picking and showcased the some licks on the banjo I've never seen before.  His good humor and warm demeanor paired well the Joseph Huber's hometown crowd and made Scorch a fun and solid support act for the evening.

photo by Will Piper

Setlist (thanks to Joseph Huber):
Playground/Battlefied
Sons of the Wandering
16-10
Drop in the Bucket
An Old Mountain Tune
Diminished Things
You Showed Me
Comin' Down From You
Working Man Blues (Merle Haggard Cover)
Iron Rail
The Suffering Stage
The Hanging Road
Sea of Night
Souls Without Maps
Dance Around the Daggers

Encore:
Tongues of Fire
Shovel on Your Shoulder