Gheorghies Got Talent

The New Roanoke Jug Band (not to be confused with The Old Roanoke Jug Band) was active in the southwestern Virginia music scene throughout most of the 2000s, releasing their final record, a gospel album called "When My Time On Earth Is Done", in 2007. The ending of the band's recording tenure was a boon for G:TB, as it allowed frontman Scott Baldwin (you know him as Rootsy) a lot more time to spend commenting here.

However, that timing also meant that the only times I've ever had the pleasure of watching Rootsy perform live are The Martha Wood Sessions, impromptu jams on a beach house back porch, the recordings lost to time and the memories to Red Stripe. Until Thursday night, when Marls and I made the always correct decision to take a road trip on a whim.

Our guy Rootsy took the stage at The Spot on Kirk in downtown Roanoke as the opener for Jon Shain and FJ Ventre, a Durham-based duo playing a fusion of "improvised piedmont blues with bluegrass, swing, and ragtime". They were terrific. But we were there for the first guy.

A month or so ago, Rootsy let us know he was getting back on stage for the first time in a while. His wife (who I met for the first time last night) said it had been at least a couple of years. I got the sense she'd be okay if he got out of the house more often. I kid, I kid. Not really sure why, but as soon as he told us about the show, a little voice in my head told me I needed to make the trip. Twisted Marls' arm, reached out to a few more of our band, and made it so.

Marls and I left northern Virginia around 9:30 am. We got to hear each other conduct business over the phone at various times during the three-hour tour. That dude says "fuck" a lot on work calls. And he's quite clearly good at what he does. I didn't understand much of the cyber reinsurance industry jargon, but I got the gist of it. As for me, I got to use "auspicious" on a call, which seemed a good omen.

We hit Parkway Brewing in Roanoke for lunch and a couple of pints, then checked into our AirBnB for some downtime before the show. Grabbed dinner at a friendly dive called Martin's and walked the two blocks to The Spot.

The venue is a cozy little storefront in the middle of downtown Star City. It's run as a non-profit by Down by Downtown Music, which celebrates and promotes Roanoke's music scene. The vibe is decidedly laid back. There's a low stage at the front of the narrow room and a tiny bar at the back. In between, there's enough room for (maybe) 150 music lovers. It wasn't that full on Thursday, but the crowd was enthusiastic.

We meant to surprise Rootsy with our presence, but the venue had hand-written the names of all the people who'd purchased tickets in advance on a list, so he saw my name and put two and two together. He went to William & Mary after all. He's a smart fella.

Rootsy kicked off his set with the lively "Cabin Rag" from New Roanoke Jug Band's 2005 recording, "A Pretty Gal's Love". He got through around 10 songs in his allotted time, with some stage banter mixed in. He's a walking roots music encyclopedia, for fuck's sake. Marls captured the setlist, though we didn't get to hear a few of these tunes because Rootsy's banjo was acting up, and the man's not gonna play a fickle beast in front of his fans.

We got to hear him play the 12-string he flew halfway across the country to acquire (and then drove home with because he feared taking it on a plane). She sounded beautiful, as you can hear:

That was the world premiere of Rootsy's song, "Baby Where Have You Gone?", which was written recently as he ambled home after his wife was late picking him up. Since we're fair and balanced, we need to offer her side of the story. In Mrs. Rootsy's telling, she was only five minutes late, and remains bemused that her getting caught at a stoplight turned into a tale of woe.

(A brief aside, if I may. Perhaps my favorite part of the set was catching Mrs. Rootsy watching her fella do his thing. I was sitting slightly behind and to the left of her. I glanced her way at one point, and she was fully beaming at him. Just a girl who loves her boy. That's the good shit.)

I caught a bit of another original. Here's "Star City Strut".

After the show, a few of us headed back to Martin's for a nightcap. And a lagniappe, as it turns out. It was Reggae Night, and the band was phenomenal - way better than anyone could've hoped for on a random school night in Roanoke. Check out The Ambassador (from a different venue a year ago - imagine this in a bar).

One more terrific artist to cap off an evening celebrating joy and community through a love of music. The assembled Gheorghies were a blessed bunch.

Clockwise from bottom left:
A confused Tiny Dictator, Lumpy, Rootsy, Marls, Lunkhead

Marls and I stopped by the confusingly-named Crumbles Store for breakfast and a cuppa on the way out of town. Get a load of the butter infusing the biscuit below. As we left, the woman at the register asked us how we enjoyed our meal. I said, "Hoooo, you know how good those biscuits are!". To which she replied, "Yes, I do!".  I love mingling with these laid-back country folks.

The last time I jumped in a car with a fellow Gheorghie on a whim for a three-hour tour, epic things transpired. This trip was slightly less treacherous, but not a bit less memorable. Good friends, good music, good times. That'll do a body and a soul good. If you find yourself wondering if you should go, I'm here to tell you that you should go, if there's any way you can.