27 Apr 12

"...who's that with the whistle? That's impressive..."


Hey, blogspot readers, it's a rockin' Friday night to close out SouthSide's April calendar. Tonight, she's at the hip Northcenter area checking out the action and music inside Martyrs' where friend Derek Nelson and The Musicians were performing.

And what a rockin' hoedown-like performance did this Americana/folk rock band did in front of a near sell-out crowd. Derek Nelson and his band gave their fans (as well as new fans) something to get happy throughout the the set featuring hot electric violin rhtyhms and guitar riffs (including a lap steel guitar), eclectic upbeat tempos and a dynamic vocal combination that melted the mic. After opening with American, this local group of musicians began the task of keeping everyone within that groovy music feeling under such lively rhythms and beats to get your body swaying to the Americana/folk sound. There was no avoiding it either, blogspot readers. The energy felt (especially during songs This Time) kept many enjoying the uplifting vibe yet while performing Storm, SouthSide literally felt the sensation of a coming thunderstorm from the way the music and sound personified it. She could feel the static electricity heating up as the music crescendo to the point when it suddenly (and unexpectedly) meshes and clashes together like a hard summer rainstorm ...complete with tornado winds and more.

During another particular song, the crowd was rocked to the organic vibe of country/folk featuring a mandolin inside the fun tempo to which Derek Nelson and the band began a mini jamboree on stage. SouthSide highly suggests checking out the soulful yet gospel-like vibe of Darlin that truly had folks around this reviewer dancing up a storm. To her it was the highlight of their performance due to the band's ability to pop out of their "normal" mold exciting the crowd with vibrant energy musicially and vocally with a fiery spirit to bring the lyrics to life. Still there were a couple of moments within Derek's show where you could see as well as hear the heartfelt emotions pouring from the lyrics, blogspot readers. In one particular song Sayanora, the vocals within this ballad tone allowed Derek and his dynamic falsetto shine amidst a slight upbeat tempo but it was during Jesus when he really showed off his vocal style. Though a little darker than the others, one could hear the emotional heartache and angst vividly expressed in his voice while sensing the tenderest of all his feelings. SouthSide enjoyed how his female vocalist counterpart besides matching his vocal style also complimented his dynamic energy and soulful sound as heard in songs Come and Wait and closing song Ghosts (where Derek and the band rocked out Martyrs').

If you missed this hot performance, not to worry, blogspot readers. Derek Nelson and The Musicians will be rocking the stage again at The Hideout on May 11 for Machinegun Mojo's farewell show. For more information, visit http://www.dereknelsonmusic.com.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide