First published in  Lonely Goat Print Magazine Volume II - #11

Almost Acoustic Syndicate
by J.D. Edwards (December, 1999)

This Halloween I decided to brave the "adolescent proving ground" of Green Acres for Acoustic Syndicate's annual Masquerade Ball. I hadn't been out there since their release party for Tributaries earlier in the year, and much has changed in the interim. The venue's tin roof, pine tree support beams and dilapidated schoolhouse seats still stood, sturdier than the liquor-swilling revelers and local teenage ruffians that littered its clay floor. But as with even the most compatible of musical configurations, change was the order of the day for the boys from Cleveland County.

The last time I saw the Syndicate, they were six members deep and riding the crest of their new CD with an incredibly polished and rounded acoustic sound. There were the quiet insinuations of flute, plucky upright bass, subtle conga underpinnings, two ringing acoustic guitars and a rolling banjo. It seemed like they were really on fire and had finally settled on a permanent line up that best suited their sound. What a difference five months can make.

  What remained on Halloween was the Syndicate's longtime nucleus: the McMurry boys, brothers Fitz and Brian on percussion and banjo respectively along with cousin Steve on acoustic guitar. They still featured their smooth musical conversation as well as their unmistakable high three-part harmonic blend and crafty songwriting. Also the thick acoustic sculptures of bassist Jay Sanders, formerly of The Snake Oil Medicine Show, continued to round out the bottom end with a ferocious knack for exploration and a touch of electronic manipulation.

Gone were the soft flute suggestions of Gaines Post that defined their latest release as well as guitarist Roger Padgett's rhythmic support. And for the very first time with Acoustic Syndicate, Fitz picked up a pair of drumsticks and lodged himself behind a full drum kit. The resulting sound was a drastic change for those accustomed to the delicate dynamics of the previous line ups. Naturally the addition of a full drum kit over congas gave them a harder rocking, less earthy sound.

The band is now more of a streamlined rock-n-roll outfit with acoustic leanings. They lost that laid-back mellowness that a wind instrument brings and replaced it with an identifiable "jam band" edge. The new quartet is tighter and more together, and Fitz fit right in with traps, snares and cymbals, carefully placing his rhythmic accentuations as he did before, just with more force and power now. But the chemistry between acoustic guitar, banjo and bass remained mostly the same although to keep pace with Fitz, Jay seemed to favor the electric bass more than before.

In true Halloween spirit, the boys came out dressed up in full Spice Girls garb. They donned unspeakably revealing mini-skirts, midriff shirts that exposed hairy beer bellies and individually tailored wigs - Fitz with long black hair, Brian with a cute blonde bob, Steve with reddish orange curls and Jay understandably hooded under an upturned Colonel Sanders bucket. They further shocked the massive crowd by lip-syncing through an entire Spice Girls' song replete with choreographed dance steps and embarrassed grins. And as I wondered if they planned on performing the entire night in that get up, they returned to their bus and transformed back to their more acceptable masculine personae.

After a seemingly interminable delay, the band came back and proved they were there to do more than just lip-sync. They worked their way through many turbo-charged originals: "Brown Mountain Lights," 'Sailor's Suit," "No Time," "Critters," "Believe" and "Rainbows and Roller Coasters," a bit stiff through the first few songs but with increasing familiarity that culminated with a polished second set version of "Tributaries." They also featured their rock-n-roll roots with bluegrass treatments of Neil Young's "Powderfinger," Dire Straits' "Water of Love," Little Feat's "Two Trains" and The Who's "Baba O'Reilly." But no matter how far they roamed, they always stayed close to home as punctuated with their rendition of the gospel classic "Angel Band," displaying their unique vocal prowess and proving the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Many folks who had come to appreciate their previous line up might be initially put off by their louder yet thinner sound. But if you're like me and always enjoyed those high harmonies and smart original songs, then nothing has really changed except the packaging. And in an area so defined by a diversity of great music, Acoustic Syndicate still stands out as a band that recognizes the greatness of bluegrass tradition and redefines it for those with a more modern ear for rock, reggae and jazz-inflected grooves. And for that reason alone, they remain at the top of the list of burgeoning North Carolina bands.