The Doc Marshalls
with opener Shiny Old Soul
Thursday May 2, 2013
Southgate House Revival, 111 E 6th St, Newport, KY
$5 adv, $8 dos, 7pm doors, 8pm show
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The Doc Marshalls’ front man, Nick Beaudoing, recently settled in Nashville armed with an album that reeks of Brooklyn, his former home. Whereas previous releases evoked a humid musical landscape along the Texas-Louisiana border, 2012’s “Look Out, Compadre,” shed the honky-tonk and Cajun two-steps in favor of crooked, shimmering folk reminiscent of Bonnie Prince Billy, A.A. Bondy, and Phosphorescent.
This hard left turn came on the heels of years of preaching roots music in indie rock venues, where country flavors are seldom heard. Whether performing gritty honky-tonk, original Americana, or traditional Cajun two-steps played at break-neck speeds, the Doc Marshalls have long sought to make converts of even the most country-shy souls. Beaudoing, a native French speaker, has always drawn heavily from his Texas upbringing, where music was a way of keeping his Acadian heritage alive. “Look Out, Compadre” is proof that even hardcore country boys are unable to keep the city at bay forever.
A versatile repertoire has served the Doc Marshalls well, taking them from indie rock clubs in NYC, to rural Texas dancehalls, Europe, and countless festival stages in between. Their debut album, “No Kind of Life” (2005), was enthusiastically received by roots radio, spending over a month in the Top 40 of the Americana Music Association Radio Chart. Their 2008 follow up, “Honest for Once,” surpassed this feat, making a rapid ascent to #19 and earning spots on “Best of” lists for the year, including the Americana Music Association and Pop Matters, among others.
