What was going down on this stage tonight at The Highline Ballroom, was just amazing. Even with all the fashion week events going on in NYC, this was the place to be. There were the Wainwrights, the Roches, and the Roches-Wainwrights all on stage together. All in support of Loudon's new album. You can thank the dead Charlie Poole for this one!

Loudon released a new double disc album not too long ago named "High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project," See pool old Charlie drank himself to death at the age of 39 (Ephman's age actually). Went on a 3 month binger. Anyways, Charlie was a renaissance man you mind argue. See Poole was a moonshining, textile working, 3 finger banjo player from North Carolina. Good old Charlie never got his due. Wrote a song and recorded a song called "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Blues" in 1925. That song went on to sell over 100,000 copies. But at that time there were only 600,000 phonographs in the whole country. Got paid $75. Well a whole bunch of years goes by, and Louden and his friend, who by the way all came out to play at the show, recorded an album in dedication to this guy. Get the album there's 75 pages of history and liner notes.

There was so much interchanging of who was on stage, Ephman was getting dizzy. A few times there were like 10 people or more on stage. Louden was his hilarious self. Just the way he'd introduce his friends and family. You really could tell he loved everybody up there. And of course the way he plays, and his facial expressions. Boy does he have a passion for Charlie Poole, and that man's music. What was also nice was that he gave up the mic, to his kids, Martha, & Rufus. And Lucy Wainwright Roche had a beautiful solo, her voice really stood out. Which was a super surprise since Ephman's never heard her sing before. The Roches sang back up for most of the show. And they also had a couple songs to themselves. See Ephman's not the biggest set keeper. It's one of the reasons he shoots a little video. Oh boy those Roches has one of the nicest harmonies Ephman has heard in a long long while. He looks for stuff like that. Another nice surprise was seeing that Maggie Roche, is a lady from the neighborhood. Next time Ephman's saying hi!

The band also were just awesome.  It's totally worth mentioning them not only did they perform on the album, it'll be the only time they'll all play together to play the album. The band included producer Dick Connette (harmonium), Chaim Tannenbaum (banjo, harmonica), Paul Asaro (piano), Greg Cohen (bass), Erik Friedlander (cello), Rob Moose (violin, mandolin, guitar).

BTW on a sidenote, Ephman got to meet and actually sat beside the famous Jack Hardy... really a nice fellow.

So all in all this show was a total thumbs up. Great stuff. Enjoy the videos Ephman posted, and buy Louden's new album, you'll be sure to enjoy the music.