Instead of watching TV at night, perhaps I should spend my time a little more wisely.  Although my wife argues whether or not the computer is an improvement over the TV, I still think it stimulates the mind a little more.  (Teresa adds: "Is researching the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie really mentally stimulating?")  Especially if I sit down and write something rather than simply surfing around... which is what I was doing before while writing this very post.  Oh well...

I've spent many an evening in Atlanta so disappointed in the concerts I had seen.  No... not because the band was bad.  Perhaps my worst experience was seeing the Larry Keel Experience at Smith's Olde Bar.  It was a Saturday night, and I guess Smith's was simply the place to hang out that night.  The audience was so loud, I couldn't hear the band.  The smoke was so thick, Teresa got physically ill after the show.  You could tell Keel and company wasn't enjoying it either.  It was a horrendous night.  (PS Don't get me wrong...  I've also had great experiences at Smith's Olde Bar, among them, watching Janah, a band now disbanded.)

So, Teresa and I found ourselves at a concert again here in the little town of Salida.  By some miracle, this town, named one of the best small art towns in the country, doesn't have funding for art programs at Longfellow Elementary.  Go figure?  Well, leave it to Clark at Salida Cafe to come to the rescue.  Once again, the Salida Cafe plays "superhero" to a great cause, hosting a benefit as well as a fabulous band.  Yeah, there were a few folks in the audience who chatted through the music, but they were rare.  Most everyone was there for the music.

So who are The Waybacks?  For our Atlanta readers, these guys are "big enough" to play at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta.  How the heck Clark landed them in Salida, I'll never know.  I think BOTH the band and the audience were so thankful the two were brought together that evening.  After show, we heard, from different conversations with different band members, they had a better time in Salida than in Denver.  The little town here is just so enamored with artist talent.  The band gets an audience that actually pays attention and appreciates the band.  The audience gets to hear a band of amazing caliber.  It's a win-win.

The Waybacks hail from San Francisco and their sound is about eclectic as the town they come from.  The term neo-grass has been used to describe them, but their style is all over the map... jazz, rock, celtic, jamband, and oh yeah, bluegrass.  Their age is also... well... all over the map.  It's so refreshing to see a drummer (had to be in his 50's) on stage with a fiddle player in his 20's.  Teresa commented that each band member, if lined up youngest to oldest, could be 10 years apart from the other.  And there were 5 guys on that tiny stage.  Warren on fiddle/mandolin, Steve on fingerstyle guitar, and James on guitar/mandolin were each able to hold their own vocally as a lead singer.  Their harmonies blended beautifully.  All three were amazing virtuosic musicians, able to stand out on their own.  James' guitar style reminded of a brighter, sunnier Larry Keel... lightning fast guitar picking, but not without soul.  Steve displayed some amazing fingerstyle mastery on lead and backup guitar, and provided humor with his sung lyrics and hit wry comments between acts.  Warren sang with a smooth jazzy voice, which fit perfectly into some of their jazzier songs, but his fiddle work really stood out. His playing was both soulful, artistic, and technically impressive.  (Being only in his 20's, I'd keep an eye on him!)  The bassist Joe and drummer Chuck provided excellent backup and impressive solos too.  Local guitar / mandolin master, Bruce Hayes, played soundboard as well as mandolin on a few songs.  At one point, Bruce, James, Steve, and Warren all "traded fours" (where one musician follows the other, each taking 4 beats) for an incredible fluid jam session.  In this mode, musicians have to rapidly adapt to the changing mood of the jam as the spotlight is passed around in rapid fire fashion.  Very impressive overall, and highly recommended.

Summary: 4 out of 4 stars!