Aggressive Mississippi blues duo Swampcandy performs at Hawley Silk Mill on Nov. 21
From a press release:
On Saturday, Nov. 21, Harmony Presents will showcase Swampcandy, a band that plays “whiskey drinkin’, foot stompin’, hand clappin’, and pig eatin’ music,” as described by Jill Carletti, managing director of Harmony Presents, at the Hawley Silk Mill in Hawley.
Doors open at 7:45 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m.
“This aggressive Mississippi blues and roots-influenced duo won the 2014 FloydFest ‘On the Rise’ competition, coming in first place out of 35 bands that performed. Swampcandy doesn’t just play the blues; they transform the genre, taking one of American music’s oldest forms and rendering it brand new,” Carletti continued.
“Audience members will probably feel like they could wrestle an alligator after the show. We’ve had them with us before, and they’re incredibly entertaining. We’re excited for their return.”
Swampcandy’s third album, “Midnight Creep / Noonday Stomp,” was crowdfunded to remarkable success.
“We did it in only two weeks,” says singer/guitarist Ruben Dobbs with pride. “We had allotted eight.”
Originally intended as two separate releases, “Midnight Creep” and “Noonday Stomp” ended up being combined into a 17-song document that combines studio and live recordings and has a familial vibe drawn from the original recording concept of “Exile on Main St.” From blues to ballads and just about every point in between, the album unfolds as a beautiful and complex document of modern acoustic music. Between Dobbs’ aggressive finger-picking and rhythmic style, which often adds up to sounding like more than one guitar, and the combination of Joey Mitchell’s bass playing, pounding kick drum, and percussive bass throttling representing the presence of a full drum kit, Swampcandy easily fills up the sonic space normally created by a trio or even a four-piece band.
Not only has the band played over 270 shows in 2014 alone at venues and festivals around the U.S. and U.K., they also received an award as “Best Opening Act 2014” at the No. 1 venue in the world under 500 seats, the Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis, Maryland.
Concerts by Harmony Presents are located in the underground theater of the Hawley Silk Mill (8 Silk Mill Dr., Hawley). The theater is also known as the Boiler Room, since it was indeed once the actual Boiler Room of the Hawley Silk Mill. The theater overlooks the falls shared with Ledges Hotel, and audiences are encouraged to arrive early for preferred seating.
Advance tickets are available for $18 for the first 40 ticket buyers or until midnight before the show. After this, tickets will be available for $22. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at silkmillharmony.com or in person at AMSkier Insurance Agency (209 Main Ave., Hawley).
Wine, beer, and light snacks are made available by Cocoon Catering during the show. Harmony Presents stages performances in and around the Hawley Silk Mill, with many exciting performances to come. For more information or help purchasing tickets, call Harmony Presents at 570-588-8077.
