The Wood Brothers w/ Shook Twins
Moore Theatre, Seattle, WA
03.11.17
Americana and folk music has a way of making you feel warm inside as if it were meant to be played around a fire for friends, beers in hand, amongst the trees, and under the stars. The audience at Seattle’s venerable Moore Theater for The Wood Brothers, with Shook Twins, was treated to two groups that embodied that spirit.
Opening the night Portland’s – by way of Sandpoint, ID – Shook Twins brought a very eclectic style of folk to their set. The trio consists of identical twin sisters Katelyn and Laurie Shook on the vocals, banjo, and guitar, and Nico Slice on the bass. The vocal harmonies between the sisters were wispy and almost dreamlike during softer selections like “Toll Free.” But later they showed they can belt it from the gut on “Window,” which had a very pleasant interlude to the classic “Going To The Country,” by Canned Heat. Not only were they skilled vocalists, they had some pretty serious instrumental chops, laying a foundation between folk and funk. With sass to spare and a positive vibe, they were a solid opener.
For the main event, soulful folk group, The Wood Brothers, were up. A trio of very unassuming men, Chris Wood (bass/vocals), Oliver Wood (guitar/vocals), and Jano Rix (guitar/drums/vocals), proved to be quite the opposite when they hit the stage. The term “honky-tonk folk funk” is the best way to describe them. When one thinks of folk music, they hear acoustic guitar and earnest lyrics, and The Wood Brothers certainly fulfill that, but then they kick it up a notch with some good ol’ rock and roll.
After getting warmed up with the melodic ballad, “Two Places,” and a couple of slower tunes, Oliver began to play the first few notes of “One More Day,” and out of nowhere, Chris began to dance like a man possessed. Judging by the way his body was moving, he had transformed into a funky Mr. Fantastic. The middle portion of the set was more of the same, the three intrepid musicians continually lifting the crowd with rocking tracks like “Snake Eyes,” “American Heartache,” and “Honey Jar.” There was some wonderfully unexpected dancing happening in the aisles of the theater.
The magic truly happened when the lights came down and Chris brought out a vintage microphone to center stage, the type radio stars from yesteryear would crowd around to perform concerts or tell stories. The Shook Twins were invited on stage and the six of them crowded around that beautiful mic to perform the Sister Rosetta Tharpe classic, “Up Above My Head.” “Up above my head/I hear music in the air,” was the perfect lyrical way to describe the night.
Review and photos by Phillip Johnson
The Wood Brothers
Shook Twins
