The New South is a hot topic these days, in certain circles. Younger generations are dragging older traditions into the 21st century whether they want to come or not. With their upcoming album, Old Time Reverie, North Carolina's Mipso is on the case. It's their third release in five years, and their first since adding fiddler Libby Rodenbough to the roster last Spring, turning the once-trio of Jacob Sharp, Wood Robinson, and Joseph Terrell into a foursome.
As Terrell tells it, “The process of adding Libby to the band was a great re-education for us. It changed the way we thought about writing and arranging. Libby can definitely hang at a bluegrass jam, but she's really a student of old-time and Irish music — two old traditions where the fiddle isn't just a melodic garnish. It's a rhythmic force on its own.”
Of one cut, in particular, Terrell says, “'Bad Penny' is an example of how we've learned, or started to learn, to incorporate some of that old-time feel. The song is basically my answer to that age-old question, 'What if you were haunted by Abraham Lincoln's ghost? And what if he chased you around New York?' You could say it's a thought experiment. My Abe ain't happy.”
Tour Dates
August 21 – Winston-Salem, NC – The Garage
August 22 – Knoxville, TN – Barley's Knoxville
August 23 – Nashville, TN – City Winery Nashville
August 26 – Owensboro, KY – International Bluegrass Music Museum
August 27 – Lakeside, OH – Lakeside Chautauqua
August 28 – Lexington, KY – Natasha's Bistro & Bar
September 3 – Cheraw, SC – Theater on the Green
September 4 – Carrboro, NC – Cat's Cradle (seated show)
September 5 – Carrboro, NC – Cat's Cradle
September 6 – Strasburg, VA – Appaloosa Festival
September 9 – Northampton, MA – Iron Horse Music Hall – with Kristin Andreassan
September 10 – Somerville, MA – Thunder Road Music Club & Restaurant – with Dan Mills
September 11 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge – with Dan Mills
September 12 – Washington, DC – Gypsysally's – with Dan Mills
September 13 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live – with Dan Mills
September 17 – Ashland, VA – Ashland Coffee & Tea – with Skylar Gudasz
September 19 – Charlottesville, VA – The Southern Cafe and Music Hall – with Skylar Gudasz
September 20 – Charleston, SC – The Charleston Pour House – with Skylar Gudasz
September 22 – Athens, GA – The Foundry
September 23 – Decatur, GA – Eddie's Attic
September 24 – Asheville, NC – Isis Restaurant and Music Hall (seated show) – with Front Country
September 25 – Asheville, NC – Isis Restaurant and Music Hall – with Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys
September 26 – Wilkesboro, NC – Carolina In The Fall
September 27 – Greensboro, NC – Doodad Farm
Photo credit: D.L. Anderson
