As Charleston braced itself against the bitter cold on Saturday night, bar flies and music fans were kept aglow as Adam Lee and Matt Woods lit up The Mill with their honky tonk, outlaw tunes, kicking off their two-week Connoisseurs of the Lesser Things tour.
Armed with an acoustic guitar and a coal black Carl Perkins pompadour, Kansas City crooner Adam Lee opened the night. As lead singer for the Missouri band Adam Lee & the Dead Horse Sound Company, this solo performance was a stripped-down showcase of Lee's stunning voice, a beautiful baritone rivaling the likes of Don Williams and Bill Medley, and surely causing Orbison to stir in his grave. In fact, the only thing deeper than Lee's melancholic voice may have been his stare, which was often cast towards a distant point buried somewhere among the crowd. Dressed in pegged jeans and a fitted cuff-sleeve button down, and resonating with an understanding of Dust Bowl Americana that would have made Woody Guthrie proud, there was an authenticity to Lee's presence that is often lost on so many musicians throughout the retro crooner circuit. Playing in support of his recently released self-titled EP, Lee sang with a fervency and affectation for the travelling life - road weary and worn, but not worn down. With his voice effortlessly navigating the classic country landscape, and dipping low into the depths of heartache, his was a commanding set that left a palpable buzz in the air and set the bar high for tour mate, Matt Woods.
Having recently wrapped a 3-month trek in support of his latest release, The Matt Woods Manifesto (Lonely Ones Records), the Connoisseurs tour is a departure from Woods' full band performances, which often include a revolving door of independent East Tennessee musicians. But a humble reverence for life's hard times and the gritty fortitude needed to persevere are just a few of the qualities that help to set this Manifesto maverick apart from his country chorots. He is a seasoned performer with a penchant for storytelling that's on par with the moodiest of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, while employing an enthusiastic guitar style and a threadbare voice that howls with honesty. Spinning tales of the rusted American Dream, the hauntings of bad decisions, and the ever-elusive promise of a better tomorrow, Woods' sound is one of gutsy, straight-forward, solid country music. Swinging from rowdy roadhouse to soulful vagabond in the blink of a whiskey-red eye, Woods delivered a powerful performance that was a favorable complement to the stylings of Lee, who took to the mic for a second time to wrap up the night.
Selling CDs and stickers out of a dusty suitcase, this pair of country rock troubadours easily won over the crowd and earned a swath of new supporters and fans in Charleston. Check out their websites, linked below, for free music downloads and to get the rest of the Connoisseurs of the Lesser Things tour dates.
Adam Lee's website: www.AdamLeeBand.com
Adam Lee on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/AdamLeeBand
Matt Woods' website: www.TheRealMattWoods.com
Matt Woods on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/MattWoodsMusic
Matt Woods on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/MattWoodsMusic
Matt Woods
Adam Lee
