David Bruce Murray
Sep 14, 2008
NQC
NQC 2008: Saturday Via Solid Gospel
I listened to Solid Gospel’s internet feed from roughly 10:50 PM in the middle of the McKameys set until Solid Gospel signed off during the Hoppers set. I couldn’t blog it as it happened, because I was working on another project, so I recorded it. I’m listening to bits and pieces again now.
The McKameys sang “God On The Mountain” and concluded with “Do You Know How It Feels.” You could hear Ruben in the mix. I don’t think we’re supposed to hear him. I’ve rarely heard him at their concerts.
Following a sweet intro by Peg McKamey, Karen Peck & New River began with “Hey.” I’m not all that crazy about the song, but audiences seem to like it. They closed with “Four Days Late” and “We Shall Wear A Robe And Crown.” I thought Mark Lowry might possibly join them for the final song, since he recorded it with the Gaither Vocal Band…but it didn’t sound like he did.
Mark Lowry & LordSong’s set unfortunately fell when Solid Gospel was due for one of their extended commercial breaks, so I missed hearing a major chunk of their portion of the program. I heard the first bit where they played an intro of a child/teen Mark singing “If It Keeps Getting Better And Better.” Lowry cut it short and turned it into a comedy moment. One of his quotes ran along the lines of “It’s good when you’re ugly starting out young, because you can watch pretty people turn into sock monkeys as they age.” Stan Whitmire sang bass on “The Sweetest Song I Know.” He should stick with the piano for his bread and butter. He did sound a lot better than Doyle Lawson’s bass singer, but that sort of thing is overlooked in bluegrass. Solid Gospel went to a commercial, but returned in time for me to hear the Ruppes LordSong sing “Under His Wings.” That’s the first time I’ve heard it without Mama Ruppe. Lowry finished up his set with another moment of comedy and an audience singalong.
The Kingsmen had what sounded like a fairly solid set. They sang the obligatory “Glory Road,” which I’m not sure is necessary for them…at least not to the extent that “Shoutin’ Time” remains a Hoppers staple or “Get Away Jordan” is still a key ingredient for the Dove Brothers. “Meet Me At The Table” was in there at some point. I remember thinking “When God Ran” sounded out of character compared to the traditional songs that made up the rest of the set. Personally, I’d have preferred to see them do sets comprised 100% of songs from the When God Ran CD, but I guess they felt like they had to cater to the expectations of the traditional fans who remember the Kingsmen of old. “When God Ran” got shaky there toward the end. They finished off with “Beautiful Home” assisted by a live band including former Kingsmen pianist Tim Lovelace.
Triumphant sang “There Is A Rock At The Rock Bottom Of It All” to begin their set. Greg Goodman cut in to mention that Jeff Stice won the favorite musician award, referring to him as the “piano-ist (sic) and manager” of Triumphant. Eric Bennett was singing “Long Black Train” when we returned to main stage audio. I wish they’d drop the key down to F or G for this. Yes, Eric can sing comfortably in the baritone range, but I like it better as a bass solo. I think he sings it in B-flat, just like Josh Turner. I was surprised to hear them stage “He Is” “I Am” next. That song feels like it’s about ten minutes long, though it’s probably closer to just six. They finished with “Old White Flag,” which had a horrible mix for whatever reason. You’d think the mix would be established by the END of a group’s set, but I’m done guessing at possible reasons. All you could hear was Clayton and the track. You could tell the crowd was loving it. “Old White Flag” is one of those songs that borders on novelty, but it’s not a silly lyric. Triumphant serves it up playfully, yes, but the lyric is conveys a strong message.
Gold City kicked off their set with “I Cast My Bread On The Water.” That song sounded solid. After a series of commercials, Solid Gospel returned as they began “I’m Rich.” Taliaferro seemed to be trying to push and fill the room, which isn’t possible in a venue that large. I got the sense that it still went over well in Freedom Hall. They wrapped it up with an encore, and then went directly to “Preach The Word.” Steve Ladd was in excellent vocal form for this final song in their set.
The Hoppers began with Connie singing “That’s Him.” She has a classic quality on this particular song that marries her interpretation to the lyric. It’s her song. I’m always disappointed when Kim takes over the second verse, although I love the way Kim sings…but it’s always been and always will be Connie Hopper’s song. Kim takes it into a different musical territory…clothing it in purple, so to speak. “That’s Him” doesn’t need to go there to be effective. I’d prefer to hear the whole song more subdued all the way through, leaving Connie on the melody in a more introspective fashion. “The Ride” is next. I really like this Lari Goss arrangement with Ronny Hinson jumping in for a few solo lines midway…but Dean sang that part tonight. I guess they didn’t use the video. The Hoppers still had some more time on the clock, but Solid Gospel ceased their coverage at midnight as the final lines of “The Ride” were ringing out.
The audio feed still left a lot to be desired tonight, but it was better overall than most of the rest of the week. Next year we’ll know…NQC only needs five days of practice to get their internet feed sounding reasonably acceptable.
The fans who PAID a $59 fee to NQC directly should bombard the NQC office next week with demands for a partial refund at the bare minimum. Maybe they can get free tickets for Mon-Wed in 2009 or something similar.
If you’re one of those fans, please leave a comment here to let the rest of us know if you received satisfaction.
