Lonesome River Band: Heyday
Song List: (Brandon Rickman, lead vocals) Cumberland River Shore, Waitin’ on a Train, Emerald Holler, Headed North, Jesse James, Love Songs, That’s Life.
(Adam Miller, lead vocals) Mary Ann Is a Pistol, Gabriel’s Already Standing, Heyday, Come On Down From the Mountain Top, Tell Her Lies and Feed Her Candy, Bye Bye Love.
The Lonesome River Band has been performing for forty years, and through its history, it has remained a popular band known for “bluegrass with a rock and roll attitude,” and this latest song collection displays the magic as the band’s two lineups share the set. Sammy Shelor on banjo and fiddle player Mike Hartgrove remain stalwarts and guardians of the band, and Jesse Smathers moves from mandolin to guitar, and new members are Adam Miller on mandolin and Kameron Keller on bass. Departing members are lead vocalist and guitar player Brandon Rickman and Barry Reed on bass.
Sammy’s banjo and Mike’s fiddle combine to give the LRB a rhythm vibe that seems to be a constant of the band’s sound. That easy interchange between the two underscores the vocal harmonies of Brandon, Jesse and Adam. The emphasis is on newly written songs, but the themes of love, longing, and persevering through problems are true to the themes of bluegrass songs. The opening song, “Mary Ann Is a Pistol,” is a salute to a strong willed woman who does not follow conventions or stereotypes. Brandon sings the lead vocals on “Cumberland River Shore” and “Love Songs” and both songs tell of lovers leaving and losing each other. Adam sings of separation from the mountain top and valley, and the ultimate love solution in “tell her lies and feed her candy.” An album highlight is “Heyday,” a loving look back at the days of high school football and happy times and the current town without train stops or the major highway: “Folks pass through and I wanna say, you should have seen this place in my heyday.” The Lonesome River Band hasn’t lost its magic touch with a good story song.