The Hackensaw Boys came to town January 29th and put on an excellent show at Attitudes Bar and Café.  Staff writer Elizabeth Spencer was there for the show.

“Enjoy a snowflake on your whiskey-soaked tongue!” guitarist Ward “Cousin Spits” Harrison of the Hackensaw Boys welcomed the crowd at Attitudes Bar and Café.  It had just started snowing a few hours earlier but he declared, “This isn’t inclement weather; in fact I think it’s rather clementiiine,” drawling the last syllable of the word.

Despite the snow, Attitudes had filled up early that Friday night.  The bartenders provided quick and professional service to the fans, a varietal group decked out in anything from cowboy hats, plaid shirts, overalls, and work boots to Castro caps, hoodies, and Converse All-Stars.  The lineup for the night consisted of two bands:  Pert’ Near Sandstone, a modern American string band from the Minneapolis folk scene, and the Hackensaw Boys, a high-energy, full-throttle mix of old-time and bluegrass from Charlottesville, VA.  It was sure to be a good show and the atmosphere in the dimly-lit, cozy venue hummed with expectation as people mingled on the recessed floor in front of the stage, sipped on beers at bar seating, or lazed on black leather couches lining the walls.

Around 10pm Pert’ Near Sandstone took the stage and the talented foursome, playing fiddle and mandolin, guitar, upright bass, and banjo, opened the night with hard-driving old-time, a variety of clogging and flatfooting music.  They played with animation and sweaty enthusiasm, losing hats and wiping soaked brows, pouring energy into their performance and revving up the crowd.  After about an hour, they thanked the audience and turned things over to the Hackensaw Boys.

And with the invitation to partake of brown liquor in the snow, the Hackensaw Boys went to work with strumming fingers of fury.  Their instruments bore signs of rigorous hacking and sawing, and the fiddler’s bow was shedding horsehairs by the song.  Even though it was their first show of 2010--the first show after a four-month break in fact--the Boys still played with their eyes closed, heads bobbing and feet tapping in unison, caught up in the rapture of performance.  For over two hours with no break they carried the crowd away with bursting chords and harmonizing vocals.  The fans were clapping and dancing the whole time, unable to stand still with such infectious music and energy emanating from the stage.

Finally mandolinist Rob “Mahlon” Bullington hushed the crowd and a chorus of “Shhhhhhhh!” rose as the Hackensaw Boys stepped away from their microphones and equipment to perform a lullaby waltz.  Contentment spread over the happy listeners, everyone worn out from a non-stop performance yet somehow still wanting more.  And the Boys, sensing the mood, stepped off the stage and down into the midst of the audience to play a last round of rousing songs.

And suddenly it was over.  The crowd lingered, some shouting for an encore, others seeking out members of the bands for conversation and discussion.  I was lucky enough to talk with Jesse “Baby J.” Fiske of the Hackensaw Boys and learn about their upcoming album.  This album he described as more out of old-time and more into early band style music, with walking bass, drums, and new textures.  Regrettably their percussionist Justin “Salvage” Neuhardt was absent at this show and they hadn’t been able to play much in that style, but nevertheless the show had gone well and had a good turn-out.  It seemed that everyone in the audience had similar sentiments.  “I’m so glad I got to see them again,” fan Meg McGowan proclaimed.  Slowly the venue emptied, people loitering in the snow, catching last-minute conversation and drags on cigarettes before braving the roads home on a white night in Blacksburg.