Hiss Golden Messenger and Sam Amidon

AWESOME!!!

2 hours lost to the rollicking gospel blues groove experince that is Hgm. From the Ry Cooderesqe opening of the annoyingly talented Phil Cook through to the post curfew set closing acoustic singalong (with band in the middle of the crowd) the pace or the joy never let up. lateness of Dancers almost knophlereque and pleasantly laid back country alt rock is interpreted here as a joyous snarling behemoth of ry rythem driven country boogie funk. Each element of the o so tight band shines, but as MC Taylor asserted these guys can swing and groove. As I was lucky enough to be met the guys post gig I was able to (hopefully) compliment them with a comparison to a young and vibrant NY and Crazy horse with all the fun and no excesses. Unbelievable evening and next time I'll bring every friend I have

It’s rare that independent artist get enough exposure to pursue their music to a professional level, but Sam Amidon has done exceptionally well in his career to date. The singer/songwriter’s folk music is heavily inspired by his parents and his first musical release back in 2001 was an album of Amidon playing the fiddle. Seeing him live, it was great when he switched from guitar to the fiddle for one short track, and seeing his skill on the instrument was breath taking.
The venue was very intimate, he probably could’ve played without a microphone and we would’ve heard. It was an awesome atmosphere, he could hold everyone in silence for his slow emotional songs, such as Short Live, but then have everyone dancing for the more up beat tracks.
He was great at interacting with the audience, he was shouting out to us to move forward, dance along, or sing along. It was incredibly special when he climbed off stage, and came into the middle of the audience, and he cleared a circle and played a track right in the middle of us. Everyone was completely silent and respectful. He’s an incredibly talented musician, and I would highly recommend checking him out.