Live review: Giddyup Kitty, Quickdraw @ Altona Grange Hall
By Jackie Lomibao | November 9th, 2009 | 5 comments[insertReverbPhoto id="76986" photo="15"]
The little-known but storied Grange Hall hosted music from Giddyup Kitty (above) and Quickdraw on Saturday night. Photos by Jennifer Cohen.
There was a time when you couldn’t enter Longmont’s Altona Grange Hall without giving the secret password — or handshake. Born from the Masonic tradition, the Grange was formed in 1891 and its members built the now-historic Hall in 1896. The first-ever event was held that same year, a July 4th music event, complete with coconut cake and lemonade. Fast forward to the latest music event held at the Hall — Saturday night’s Grass at the Grange event featuring some of the finest bluegrass you’ll find anywhere up or down the Front Range.
The headliner, Giddyup Kitty, a four-piece, all-female band, brought an energy that busted any rigid perceptions of what bluegrass is or should be. For a little over an hour, the Giddyup gals loved-up an audience of bluegrass purists that couldn’t get enough of their sweet, soulful harmonies or their foot-stomping romps through original songs and classic bluegrass, folk and country tunes.
Kerry Claxton and Adrienne Yauk’s vocals were spot-on throughout the set, performing a number of songs from their 2008 CD, “To the Rock.” Yauk’s come-to-Jesus hymn, “If You Don’t Believe,” was poignant and moving as was Claxton’s beautiful “Colorado,” an ode as illustrative as it was artful. Claxton’s mandolin and Yauk’s dobro-playing were inspired in “Pickled Watermelon,” as was Nancy Steinberger’s on-fire-fiddle-playing in the amazing, “Headwind.” Acoustic bassist and philosopher Marni Pickens backed up the three, her stellar playing proving to be the glue in the Giddyup mix.
Giddyup also impressed with covers of the Steeldrivers’ “Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey,” the Rosanne Cash classic “My Baby Thinks He’s a Train” and the rich, Americana-folk tune “Shady Grove.”
Quickdraw, a four-piece all-male band that has played together for 30 years, opened for Giddyup. The guys in Quickdraw primed the audience for the evening, playing originals as well as traditional bluegrass tunes such as “Love Please Come Home” and Patti Griffith’s “Long Ride Home.” In bluegrass tradition, at the end of their set, Giddyup invited Quickdraw back on stage for some encore picking together, ending the evening with the ubiquitous “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?”
Giddyup Kitty’s brand of high-energy, down-home goodness made for a particularly eventful night, especially at the old Grange Hall, the floors of which where shaking from several dozen boots tapping out every tune. Sharing plenty of laughs on stage, these gals don’t take themselves too seriously, but, hooo-whee, they laid down some serious music.
View a full photo gallery of this concert here.
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Jackie Lomibao is a Lakewood-based writer and new contributor to Reverb.
Jennifer Cohen is a Lakewood-based freelance photographer and contributor to Reverb. Check out her website.
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