Austin bluegrass favorites Wood & Wire hit Portland on Wednesday, July 26 for a show at the White Eagle Saloon. Though they are still playing mostly smaller rooms, Wood & Wire are most definitely one of the most exciting young bluegrass acts currently in the scene. The group’s acoustic instruments made a nice fit for the old timey atmosphere of the venue. In front of a decent sized crowd the quartet would play songs off their 2013 self-titled debut, 2015’s The Coast, and even a few new ones to get everyone excited for their next album.
The four boys from Texas charmed the Portland crowd with a set that covered a range of material, even taking requests. Kicking things off with the upbeat banjo tune “Eliza” had the room chanting “hey” along with the band, while the clever “If Lies Were Money” followed. “South of Rich North of Despair” carried hints of country songwriting and shined with group harmonies to balance out the smooth banjo and mandolin syncing on the part of Trevor Smith and Billy Bright. The band laid into a blazing instrumental number complete with hooting and hollering before tackling one of their catchiest tunes, “Overblown”. “The Seawall” – a haunting song about the great hurricane that nearly destroyed the island of Galveston, Texas in 1900 – saw one of the biggest group jams of the night while new tune “The Kingpin” brought to mind the fun and rowdy bluegrass style of fellow Austinites the Bad Livers. Guitarist Tony Kamel showed off his high and lonesome vocals on “Anne Marie” before dipping into a lower, smokier octave with the eerie historical tale of “Coal Mining One”. The crowd kicked up their legs and danced along with the fast-paced picker “Dancin’ On My Grave” before things slowed down for the new song “As Good As It Gets”. At the end of their set the band played the outlaw story “Mexico”, ending on a fast and high note before returning to the stage for the banjo-led rabble-rouser “Rolling In The Washingtons”.
By the end of the set both the band and the audience were loosened up and feeling good. The band had succeeded in showing off their chops while also demonstrating their ability to write damn good songs and sing them even better. Over the course of their performance they also conveyed what makes their sound so unique compared to other bluegrass acts, which is the distinctive Texas flavor that comes across in their lyrics and at times twangy singing style. The Pacific Northwest has always embraced bluegrass and here in Portland on Wednesday the audience danced along with jubilance, showing their overwhelming approval of these Texas pickers.
