Review of The Ranchhands show in Tiranna Albania
Albania is one of the last places in the world that you would
expect to find an authentic Amercan touring country band on the road,
but bizarrely, thanks to the support of the American Embassy in Tirana
and the local councils of Tirana, Durres and Vlore, The Ranchhands from
Tennessee have been doing exactly that this week. Last night they
concluded their brief tour expanding the geographical horizons of the
genre by playing to around 250 people, mainly American expats, in the
capital.
Led by core members Mickey Kennedy (vocals) and Chris Tedesco (fiddle and acoustic guitar), and with a fine catalogue of original material to lean on, the band made a strangely tentative opening, as if finding their feet in the unusual setting of the amphitheatre of the Tirana Academy of Arts. However, the third number 'Back Porch State of Mind' saw them hit a real country groove which laid the foundations of an entertaining 80 minute set. The sincerity of their commitment to traditional country music values shines through, particularly on numbers like 'Honky Tonk Place To Be', and the layered approach to the pace of the set worked surprisingly well, with the country groove peaking mid-set with an entertaining cover of Merle Haggard's 'Mama Tried'. The band shifted gears for the latter part of proceedings, launching into a rockier feel, with a strong Mavericks influence in places. 'Back Where I Belong' and 'Anything She Wants' came to the fore as the rockometer hit 9. The backing band of Charlie Chamberlain (electric guitar), Avery Gardner (bass) and Emmett Stallings (drums) are an economical unit, with the latter in particular capably demonstrating an understated ability to embellish a solid backbeat when given the opportunity. However the biggest applause of the night was reserved for the touching ballad 'When Will Love Find Me' , which performed as a duo with Tedesco, featured an achingly lonesome vocal from Kennedy that went down a storm with the North American constituents of the audience.
That said, it is Tedesco's virtuoso fiddle playing that is the showpiece of The Ranchhands' formula, and following a hoedown stomp in which he stood out, the band closed the show in fine style with a pleasant workout of Steve Miller's 'Jet Airliner', leaving behind not just a happy bunch of expats, but also having made a few local converts to the delights of traditional Americana.
Led by core members Mickey Kennedy (vocals) and Chris Tedesco (fiddle and acoustic guitar), and with a fine catalogue of original material to lean on, the band made a strangely tentative opening, as if finding their feet in the unusual setting of the amphitheatre of the Tirana Academy of Arts. However, the third number 'Back Porch State of Mind' saw them hit a real country groove which laid the foundations of an entertaining 80 minute set. The sincerity of their commitment to traditional country music values shines through, particularly on numbers like 'Honky Tonk Place To Be', and the layered approach to the pace of the set worked surprisingly well, with the country groove peaking mid-set with an entertaining cover of Merle Haggard's 'Mama Tried'. The band shifted gears for the latter part of proceedings, launching into a rockier feel, with a strong Mavericks influence in places. 'Back Where I Belong' and 'Anything She Wants' came to the fore as the rockometer hit 9. The backing band of Charlie Chamberlain (electric guitar), Avery Gardner (bass) and Emmett Stallings (drums) are an economical unit, with the latter in particular capably demonstrating an understated ability to embellish a solid backbeat when given the opportunity. However the biggest applause of the night was reserved for the touching ballad 'When Will Love Find Me' , which performed as a duo with Tedesco, featured an achingly lonesome vocal from Kennedy that went down a storm with the North American constituents of the audience.
That said, it is Tedesco's virtuoso fiddle playing that is the showpiece of The Ranchhands' formula, and following a hoedown stomp in which he stood out, the band closed the show in fine style with a pleasant workout of Steve Miller's 'Jet Airliner', leaving behind not just a happy bunch of expats, but also having made a few local converts to the delights of traditional Americana.
