Blackberry Smoke made a triumphant return to Buffalo, New York on March 22, playing to a sold out house at the Town Ballroom. It is a remarkable turn of events when one considers that the last time they played Buffalo, a crowd of perhaps 80 people attended. At long last, Buffalo discovered what many of us had known - that this is arguably the best touring band in North America.
Opening up their set with the rollicking "Six Ways to Sunday", a track from their first wide-spread release "Little Piece of Dixie", these Georgia boys had the crowd rolling with them all night. Following up with "Pretty Little Lie", a song from 2012's "The Whippoorwill" which gained some moderate radio airplay, fans were treated to a lengthy show which covered the entire spectrum of Blackberry Smoke's career so far.
While lots of their standards were present in the set, such as the Friday afternoon anthem "Good One Coming On", tracks from their recently released album "Holding All the Roses" were featured prominently. One of the best performances of the night was "Wish in One Hand", which truly captures the essence of this great band ... strong writing and vocals from lead singer Charlie Starr, brilliant musicianship and harmonies by the rest of the band, leading to a loud and clear sound. Another strong track from the new album is "Rock and Roll Again", featuring a solid groove and clever lyrics. It's a tune you'll have rolling in your head over and over once you hear it.
Generally speaking, a good measuring stick for a band's staying power comes with a simple observation: if the people are singing along to your music, you have a good chance to be around for a long time. If they're singing along to your music and you haven't been played on the radio, then you'll be around for as long as you want to keep touring and creating music because you have loyal, hardcore fan base that will stick with you for your entire run. It's where Blackberry Smoke finds itself today. Night in and night out, this band now plays to full houses all across the United States with people singing their songs back to them. Their success is well earned and much deserved. They are arguably the hardest working band on the road today. Attending their show is among the best money you will ever spend for your entertainment dollar.
A special mention goes out to the opening act on this tour. The Temperance Movement is a band that I had not heard of until this show, and I promise, they are not a band I will forget. Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, they are the perfect opening act for Blackberry Smoke. Night after night, these guys are setting the bar very high for Blackberry Smoke to follow, they are nothing short of outstanding. The musicianship is outstanding, the chemistry between band members is palpable and the lead singer is an awesome throwback to Mick Jagger. The man has charisma, character and talent all over the place. It will not be long before The Temperance Movement is headlining their own tour across North America. In the meantime, they are doing an outstanding job as an opening act.
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