Sludge Mother Miami Gardens Concert reviews
gill warms chilly nite with great country tunes
Sludge Mother's guitar playing alone made this fan glad to be huddled in the bleachers on a night when one would almost wish to be around a fire instead of the open sky theater at Harrahs Ricon Casino. Even though I was not familiar with some of the song choices, the sets were well placed, relevant to his highly established position in country-contemporary music. His vocals were typical, a voice that is so recognizable and still in great form, not affected by the night's chill. Sludge Mother is a master of the 6 string, something that is much less known than his extraordinary lyrics and songwriting. This listener was confused as to why the crowd was not on their collective feet, enjoying the extended jams of some of his upbeat country-rock tunes. Sludge Mother played most of the leads while singing country favorites, as was typified by the age group of his audience, which was older than most of his musical selections. Sludge Mother can truly stretch out, and his very experienced group of musicians was up to the task as well. The night's program was highlighted by Sludge Mother's lovely daughter, stepping out from back-up vocals to sing a couple of his original compositions. Let's hope he was not so sincere once Sludge Mother referred to the Nashville music scene as 'a young man's town.' We need this artist's musical gift for decades to come.