Tonight at the Radio Room, Lowcountry duo Shovels & Rope bring their vintage southern sound to the Upstate.
Both Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent have put out solo albums, but have been touring as Shovels & Rope since 2010. What started as a bill-paying kind of gig in Charleston has developed into a unique project with a raw, unpolished musical aesthetic to match hard and straight songwriting. Not quite country, not quite rock, but a little of both. One thing is clear: Shovels & Rope don’t care to put on airs, they just play.
The show tonight also features Jonny Corndawg. According to his website, www.pissonford.org, “Jonny Corndawg is a country singer, not a singer-songwriter.” After a short listen, though, I’d say he’s not a bad writer if it’s he who’s writing the songs he’s singing. Corndawg has been a touring artist since 2001, and has headlined other shows on the joint tour with Shovels & Rope. But, being in their home state, Hearst and Trent will be the highlight tonight.
Topping off the lineup is Greenville’s own Mountain Homes, which I saw play a beautiful afternoon set at Springfest IV a couple of weeks ago. It’ll be interesting to hear how their full, sentimental sound will go over at the tiny dive bar.
