With Mother’s Day on the morrow, Marietta locals were looking to get their shenanigans exercised before spending their day celebrating motherhood. The downtown square was hustling and bustling with scholars celebrating the conclusion of another semester and others looking for friends through the bottom of empty pints. Many of the restaurants surrounding the square hosted live music, and at Two Birds Taphouse a throng of enthused patrons crowded the back bar to see the Chip McGuire Band. The group is an Americana five-piece consisting of Chip McGuire (guitar, vocals), Jeremy Lemons (guitar), Preston Smith (banjo, harmonica), Lemuel Burton (bass), and Jacob Woodard (drums). While the band was still mic checking and setting up, Two Birds was packed to standing room only.
I had seen the group post about shows around Atlanta, but our paths had never crossed until this past Taste of Marietta where McQuire and Smith were performing as a duo. Their sound caught my ear as they delivered their rendition of the classic Christian hymn “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” with some killer banjo licks and a soulful voice. I was taken aback as I was expecting the singer to be some Southern good ol’ boy, but this was hardly the case. McGuire is a Philippines native who was adopted at an early age and raised in the South. After they finished the song, I knew I had to see the full band considering just two of them were enough to draw a sizable crowd. This is what put me front and center for their show at Two Birds.
To open their set, McGuire gave a short introduction, informing the audience they were going to make sweet love to our ears. It was a bold statement to make, sort of like raising your bat and pointing to center field when stepping to home plate. But the band delivered on this boast—not only with some infectious harmonies and well-constructed compositions, but also by putting a fire to people’s feet that led to the crowd stomping along, even a bit of square dancing. The musicians in this group know how to both read a room to hype up the crowd and read each other to keep their set tight and balanced. With the added layer of vocal harmonies from McGuire, Lemons, and Smith, their music swelled to amply fill the room.
Over the course of the evening, the group offered a mix of originals (some of which are slated for release on an upcoming EP on Java Records) and classic covers from artists like Tom Petty, the Steve Miller Band, and Def Leppard. Regardless of the tune being played, however, the audience appeared entranced in the mystique of the band, something not all artists carry with them when they perform.
Catching a breath of fresh air on the back porch, I spoke with some of the people who came out for the show. To my surprise, a majority were fans there to support the band. Many of the local bar gigs I attend are driven mainly by the atmosphere and alcohol, rather than the talent of the players on the stage. It was refreshing to have my usual expectations shattered. Watching this band play just a simple bar gig where not one frown could be spotted, I look forward to when our paths cross again.
More Info
Web: chipmcguire.com
Facebook: @chipmcguireband
Instagram: @chipmcguireband
SoundCloud: @chipandtheguys
Twitter: @chipmcguireband