So, it's been a while since I've written about a concert. In fact, the last show I wrote about was when I saw Low Cut Connie play the Shady Grove Stage in Arden, DE at the beginning of June. You can read about that show here.
I have cut way back on shows this year, but I have been to a few this past summer. I saw Dave Matthews Band at the Gorge and in Saratoga Springs, NY. I saw Red Wanting Blue at The Roasting Room here in Bluffton, SC. And I saw Blue October in Myrtle Beach.
But if you follow my blog on social media or know me personally, you know that life has been a little crazy for the past 6 months or so. We sold our house in Pennsylvania and moved to South Carolina. And we spent a lot of time on the road in between. So, writing blog posts just went on the back burner for a while.
Now that we are pretty settled in our new house, I hope to get back to it. Not only do I want to share about some of the new (and old) bands we are going to see now that live music is back, but I also want to share about our new hometown of Bluffton and the surrounding area.
So, let's get things started up again with a concert post about one of my favorite bands - Carbon Leaf - when they played my new hometown venue last week!
This content uses referral links. Read our Affiliate Disclosure statement for more info. Making purchases after having followed one of these links will benefit me, but costs you nothing extra. Thanks for clicking!
THE VENUE
One of my favorite things about our new hometown is our new local music venue - The Roasting Room. The venue is located right in Old Town Bluffton, and operates as a coffee shop (The Corner Perk) during the day and a music venue at night.
The venue is tiny - it only holds about 150 people. The seats are actually old church pews, and if you end up in the first row, you will be about a foot from the stage. There is a bar in the back of the venue. If you are a whiskey lover, you will definitely want to check it out. There is also a nice balcony area where you can take your drink and enjoy the weather, or just get a breath of fresh air.
You really can't get any closer than this! My view with no zoom from the front row.
Tip #1: While it's amazing to be in the front row and be so close to the artists, I actually prefer to just get a General Admission ticket and hang out in the back. Honestly, the venue is so small that there is not a bad spot in the house. And if you want to move around and dance, there is always plenty of open space at the end of the bar near the sound board.
While The Roasting Room is small and Bluffton, SC is not a usual tour stop that most bands think of, Jordan (who books all of the acts) does an excellent job of attracting great talent. In addition, the sound is excellent and I love attending a show where people are truly interested in the music, and not busy talking.
THE SHOW
We've seen Carbon Leaf a number of times, typically at World Cafe' Live in Philly. While that's a smaller venue, it's huge compared to The Roasting Room. In fact, Carbon Leaf had to play more of an acoustic set because it's impossible to fit a full drum kit and all of their other equipment on the stage at The Roasting Room.
Carbon Leaf had a hard time fitting everyone (and everything) on stage.
If you have never heard of Carbon Leaf, they are a band out of Richmond, VA who has been around since 1992. They started out as a cover band playing local venues in the Richmond area. Carbon Leaf quickly developed a cult following, but didn't get much attention outside of Virginia until the release of their fourth album in 2001. The album contained the song "The Boxer", which gave them national attention, including an appearance on the American Music Awards.
Carbon Leaf signed with Vanguard Records in 2004 and had some success with the albums they released with the label. But Carbon Leaf ultimately decided that they were an independent band at heart and left the label in 2010. The band started acting as their own label, distributor and manager, including re-releasing the three records they made while they were with Vanguard, so they could re-gain full control and ownership of the recordings.
On this tour, Carbon Leaf is promoting the release of "The Hunting Ground", which is the second album in their planned four part "The Gathering" series.
The show at The Roasting Room included a mix of their more popular songs, along with some new songs off the new album. Lead singer Barry Privett told the crowd that this Bluffton show wasn't originally on the tour plan. But, they had an "off day" on their way to Charleston, SC, and their manager found The Roasting Room and added it to the schedule. It seemed like a great addition, as they sold the room out. They were even awarded a trophy from The Roasting Room for the sell out.
I'm glad Carbon Leaf decided to make a little detour through Bluffton!
Carbon Leaf is one of those bands that always sounds amazing live. While their full out "electric" rock shows are great, it was also amazing seeing them stripped down and acoustic. All five members of the band can sing, and they showed off their harmonies throughout the show. Privett's voice sounded fantastic, and he showed it off even more when he stepped away from the microphone during the three song encore, and just let his voice fill the room naturally.
Such a great show and a talented band!
As always, seeing Carbon Leaf is a treat, and seeing them in a tiny venue is even more special. I love bands that are made up of talented musicians who are just nice guys, and that completely describes Carbon Leaf. In fact, they would normally hang out after the show and sign autographs and take pictures. While they weren't doing that in order to stay safe with Covid-19 precautions in place, they expressed their gratitude to the crowd and said they hoped to be able to hang with their fans again soon.
I hope Carbon Leaf makes The Roasting Room a regular stop on their tours. I'll be sure to see them again!
My set list from the show!
Set List (click on any title to purchase the song on Amazon): Everything's Alright Mama, What About Everything, Gifts From The Crows, One Prairie Outpost, Wind In The Leaves, Oi, Gathering, Life Less Ordinary, Ragtime Carnival, Her Father's Pride, Bow and Arrow, The War Was In Color, Tombstone v. Ashes, Another Man's Woman, Let Your Troubles Roll By, The Boxer Encore: Cinnamindy, Two Aging Truckers, Block of Wood
Have you seen Carbon Leaf before? Tell us about the show! Comment below or e-mail me at tips2livebywriter@gmail.com.
Did you like what you read? Want to keep up on live music, food, drink and travel? Make sure you follow me on social media! Click on the links at the bottom of my homepage and follow me for regular updates on where I am, what I'm drinking, and what music I'm listening to!
Comments