The Barns of Wolf Trap hosts The Grandsons Friday as the band celebrates 20 years together with the release of a CD recorded live at The Barns one year ago. Winners of multiple area awards, the Washington-based ensemble defies typecasting with a repertoire that encompasses R&B, blues, rockabilly, country, pop and some Latin spice.
After graduating from Duke University two decades ago, Alan MacEwen put his music and English studies to use by joining forces with saxophonist/accordionist Chris Watling, a drummer and a bass player. Today MacEwen and Watling share the stage with drummer Matt Sedgley and a rotating battery of top area bassists. Along with playing guitar and trumpet, MacEwen sings and composes hip, witty lyrics and toe-tapping melodies.
“Chris and I both write songs,” he says. “Often we’ll bring what we’ve written to rehearsal then make changes based on input from the others. I started writing in my early 20s and always enjoyed listening to all kinds of music, from jump blues and standard ‘60s rock to rockabilly. Lots of independent touring acts came through Durham and Chapel Hill [N.C.] while I was there. They were doing pretty well, so I thought it was worth the risk to try our luck.
“Today, we consider ourselves students of all forms of American folk music and we cast a wide net that pulls in polkas, cowboy songs and calypso. By being eclectic, we keep it interesting for both the audience andourselves.”
MacEwen is nothing if not adventurous. When the yodeling Riders in the Sky caught his attention and his voice teacher professed ignorance of the technique, he taught himself by singing along to recordings. After practicing for three months, he was proficient enough to yodel before an audience.
His recent show-stopping numbers highlighting this ability include “Yodel Your Blues Away” and “Don’t Let Me Hear You Say ‘Son of a Pioneer’ (That’s Like Cussin’ Around Here)” The latter song was inspired by a lawsuit launched by the cowboy singers. Subsequently, the younger ensemble changed their original name, Grandsons of the Pioneers, to The Grandsons.
Their busy schedule takes them to gigs and festivals throughout this country. Their first overseas adventure was to Taipei, Taiwan in 1999. Upon meeting the de facto U.S. Ambassador to Taiwan at their first performance in the atrium of a fancy hotel, MacEwen and Watling discovered that they had gone to school with his two sons. That connection eased their first visit to a foreign nation. More recently, they toured France in 2005 and Germany this past summer.
“The people in Germany have a strong interest in American music and we had such a great time there that we plan to go back soon and do even more work overseas,” MacEwen says. “Looking to the future, we intend to write more songs and record more to draw even larger audiences.”
The Grandsons
The 20th Anniversary Homecoming of The Grandsons is at 8 p.m. tonight.
Venue: The Barns of Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna
Tickets: $16
More info: 877-965-3872 or www.wolf-trap.org
