On Friday, November 22nd, The Camel had its Beers and Banjos night. The Camel presents Beers and Banjos early every Friday night, from 6 PM until 8 PM, usually followed by an additional late-night concert. This free event is a good place to relax enjoy a meal or a drink while listening to some good acoustic tunes.
On Friday, November 22nd, The Camel had its Beers and Banjos night. The Camel presents Beers and Banjos early every Friday night, from 6 PM until 8 PM, usually followed by an additional late-night concert. This free event is a good place to relax enjoy a meal or a drink while listening to some good acoustic tunes.
Walking into The Camel on Beers and Banjos night, you will find the venue dimly lit, with audience members sitting at tables illuminated by candles. Most people were enjoying a beverage and sitting quietly with friends. The setting is a vast difference from other shows that may be full of drunk people dancing and fog machines. Whether you are sitting alone or with friends, this is a good environment to either enjoy music or catch up with friends or on work.
Beers and Banjos night features a different band every Friday, typically in the folk music genre. This week the band was Birdseye Speedwell. Birdseye Speedwell is a family band, comprised of Hannah Rucker, her parents (James and Anne Rucker), her aunt (Laura Kinnaman), and her uncle (Bruce Blizard). The family “started playing while living together locally in Oregon Hill,” but this was their first gig together in front of an audience at a venue–not that you’d notice. The band members played an array of instruments: guitars, fiddles, banjo, washboard, a bongo drum, and a cabasa.
The sound of Birdseye Speedwell’s music could best be categorized as bluegrass or folk. The show had the feeling of sitting on a back porch or around a fire in some old-time mountain town. Friday was one of the warmest nights Richmond has had in a while, and with the music and ambience of the show, it was like a romantic outdoor summer night. During intermission, members of the band walked around and spoke with friends and members of the audience, giving the show a friendly, even familial vibe.
The band’s set alternated between originals written by Hannah Rucker, such as “Big Black Road,” “A Drink So Strong,” and “Heart Of Steel,” and traditional cover songs, including “Dirty Old Town.” Most of the songs were somber in lyrical content, and some referenced the South. The band introduced one cover tune as “a depressing song from the 30’s,” reinforcing the song’s darker nature. Of course, they also did an a cappella version of the traditional campfire song “Found A Peanut,” passing out bags of peanuts to audience members beforehand, so the set was not entirely dark.
In the middle of the show, Hannah Rucker played a solo set of her own acoustic songs, which can be listened to here. The next show Birdseye Speedwell will be play is February 8th at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, while Hannah Rucker will be playing a solo acoustic show December 8th at The Tobacco Company. Beers And Banjos returns this Friday, November 29, with a set by Kind Stranger. The Camel is located at 1621 W. Broad St.
