On this cold night in Alabama.

If you’ve been a frequent reader of the blog then you probably have noticed my slight musical obsession with Maria Taylor. What can I say? This woman has been charming my ears for years with her soothing voice, I’m a long time fan.
Just like in her latest release Overlook, Taylor finds herself returning to her southern roots in live form. Saturday night here in Philadelphia was a family affair with other Alabama acts opening the show including her sister’s band, Dead Fingers. The Grenadines kicked the night off, taking only about a song or two to really warm up the audience. Their southern indie rock sound was pleasantly surprising with a hazy energy that grabbed hold of my attention even though the band’s name will always remind me of that one time I tended bar at a Bar Mitzvah (god damn Shirley Temples…). The duo Dead Fingers displayed a genuine laid-back attitude right off the bat when Taylor Hollingsworth broke a guitar string during the first song, they casually adjusted instruments and continued on to a fantastic set. I must say Hollingsworth’s vocals strikingly resembled those of The Tallest Man on Earth.
After seeing Maria Taylor and her band, Azure Ray, perform last year at Johnny Brenda’s, I was extremely curious to see what her solo show would be like at an especially smaller and intimate venue. And just as expected, it was an amazing time. She played songs from all over her musical career, my favorite was when she brought back some tracks from 11:11. It could have been the alcohol settling into my bloodstream but the folk-rock show really created a nice, warm listening environment from start to finish. I had a damn good time and encourage anyone reading to check Maria Taylor out whether it be at a concert or simply listening at home.
I could drone on and on but I’d rather let the music speak for itself, right-click and enjoy.








