REVIEW: All Them Witches w/ Adia Victoria | 11.30.14 @ 3rd & Lindsley [PHOTOS]

All Them Witches
w/ Adia Victoria
3rd & Lindsley; Nashville, TN
November 30, 2014

Review and photos by Brian Hill.

The Nashville Sunday Night presented by Lightning 100 never seems to disappoint, and last Sunday at 3rd & Lindsley was no exception. With All Them Witches headlining and Adia Victoria opening the event, it was no surprise the show quickly sold out. Follow along for the review and photos.

We got to 3^rd & Lindsley a little later than we would have liked, and immediately discovered this was going to be a great night. Parking was scarce and people were actually tailgating for a Sunday show. This may shock the readers, but we immediately went for the bar for some $2 beers after getting our credentials squared away. We still had 35 minutes before the opener was scheduled to begin, but the place was already jamming the bodies in the door.

Adia Victoria. Photo by Brian Hill.

The last time we caught All Them Witches was during Live on the Green back in August (for a review of that show click here). Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn’t exactly cooperate for that show, and their set was cut just a bit short. So, naturally, we were pumped to see the group play another hometown gig. While the band call Nashville home, they have been busy touring the country promoting their new album, Lightning at the Door.

All Them Witches. Photo by Brian Hill.

As with all Nashville Sunday Night shows, this was live streamed worldwide. So, when the opening act Adia Victoria’s band took the stage without any fanfare, the crowd was left wondering what to expect. Even for an opener, the crowd pushed towards the stage, and Adia entered only after drummer started pounding away a marching beat. Once Adia’s guitar was plugged in and a string was struck, we were instantly reminded how good of a choice she was to open. Adia is very much into the performance art on stage, but her filthy sounding guitar seems to match her attitude more than her petite looks. The crowd took a song or two to warm up to her particular stage presence, but her music was fantastic. Adia ended her set with the reading of a poem written to express her displeasure for the lack of charges filed against Darren Wilson. We heard lots of cheers, and whispers after that, and we have to agree with one thing, she made herself known.

All Them Witches. Photo by Brian Hill.

After a 20 minute intermission, All Them Witches were eager to take the stage. The surprise of the night was that Mickey Raphael, who plays harmonica for Willy Nelson, but also helped All Them Witches on their latest release, was there to play his part of the set. They came out swinging for the fences in their first few songs, all of which came from their most recent album. The band are known for their almost jam band live performances and “The Marriage of Coyote Woman” gave us a preview of what to expect all night. “Elk Blood Heart” was the only song played from their previous album, Our Mother Electricity, but it was our favorite from that album so we didn’t care. They also included an unexpected cover of
Voodoo Child,” and we’re sure if Jimi were there, he would most certainly have approved of this rendition. Since this is a live broadcast, after 60 minutes the band had to take a break, so that the radio station could sign off, but we were assured they were not done playing.

All Them Witches. Photo by Brian Hill.

After a 2 minute intermission and with fresh beverages, All Them Witches hopped back up to continue with the show. Lead singer Ben Mcleod wanted reassurance that we were truly off the air. He was given the nod and then took a minute to talk to the crowd explaining they didn’t even realize how fast the time went, but that they had another 40 minutes of material to play. Now we wouldn’t ever suggest they were holding back during the first set while live on the air, but they brought it to a whole other level for the second set. During a wicked 8 minute instrumental, Ben spinning around wailing on the bass actually fell face first into Robbie’s drum kit taking out his snare and high hat. Robbie didn’t skip a beat, and the stage hand quickly had him back up and running, but to just see the energy these guys were putting out on stage was impressive. The 103 minute show ended with a 15+ minute song, which really showcased what this band are all about.

Bottom line, if you like music, and we don’t care what genre, you must find time to check out All Them Witches. Should you see them touring near you, do yourself the favor and grab a ticket before they sell out, and enjoy the ride!