Gourds, The

The Gourds have to be experienced live to appreciate, and I've been blessed a bunch, but I don't think that I've ever seen them play before a more appreciative audience than at the Old Settler's Music Festival Campground Stage at Ben McCullough on April 21, 2013. The Gourds had closed down the OSMF Bluebonnet Stage the night before, rocking well past midnight, but you'd never know it from their energy (all they needed was a couple of Tecate's). Multi-talented singer, entertainer, instrumentalist Kevin "Shinyribs" Russell kept the audience entertained, as usual, and when he took lead vocals the songs were most lyrical. But when Jimmy and Claude took the lead their enthusiasm and intensity was a force of nature that repeatedly brought the crowd to their feet. With his usual minimal kit, Keith kept the band groovin, with more energy and style than I saw last (granted, a Four Seasons KUT show that was way, way too early in the am). And I always love the craft of multi-instrumentalist Max Johnston (fiddle, mandolin, banjo and slide). The shack was shakin' as they closed down another magical festival in Driftwood.