Clarke Bustard, blogger and long-time reviewer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, has written a very positive piece on his blog about the Modlin Center’s successful attempt to get 8bb introduced to the “downtown crowd” in Richmond, at the First Fridays artwalk.
Bustard writes of a “sturdy cultural barrier”, marked by the “Beltway, a rail line and commuter highway that separates older central districts from more upscale neighborhoods to the west.” This barrier has separated 8bb “from much of its natural local constituency.”
Playing at First Fridays, we came into contact with the YH&A (”Young, hip and artsy”):
The YH&As responded enthusiastically, at times uproariously, to the ’birds. These musicians know how to play to a downtown crowd – that’s what they do in many of their tour engagements – and their repertory is unmistakably on the alt-side of the generational divide: upbeat, physical, quirky, whimsical, spicily sauced brain food.
Richmond’s downtowners audibly relished their taste of eighth blackbird. Now let’s see how many cross the Beltline for seconds.
Yes, let’s see…
In the meantime, below are some photos and a video compilation of performances from the Gala event on the previous evening.
Preparing the space in the afternoon:
Nick playing Ben Broening’s Dark Wood. The composer, cueing sound sample, is in the bottom, right-hand corner of the photo:
The Aussie playing Jen Higdon’s rapid-fire:
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