Consider it official: Live music is returning. It may be a gradual transition at this point, but as one venue in particular is proving, concerts can be offered safely and consistently as the pandemic wanes.
The Dancing Bear Lodge in Townsend will welcome the Richmond, Virginia, jam band Carbon Leaf on Thursday, April 15. It’s not the first time the venue has hosted a show in COVID times; they tested the waters last September, and according to Houston Oldham, the principal individual involved with booking live music, they had reason to believe that the setup they put in place could succeed.
“On the night of that first show, the response to our social distancing procedures for the outdoor, listening room-style concert was overwhelmingly positive,” he explains. “So we decided to move forward with more shows in 2021.”
Oldham says there’s good reason for the enthusiasm. “We love live music, especially outdoors, and we’re happy to offer it to our patrons. There’s a special energy that is only created from excited concert crowds. We hope this show is the step towards creating that energy again. There is also a pent-up energy to be in groups. We can do it as safely as any other venue in the South, so we do.”
Oldham adds that Dancing Bear Lodge plans to offer three special concerts every year. “This is the first one of 2021, and it kicks off our Live on the Lawn series,” he says. “Every public concert we do is custom … guests will never experience the same thing twice. We have been working with Carbon Leaf on ways to surprise and entertain our guests.”
As far the band itself, Carbon Leaf’s Barry Privett admits that the pandemic has presented certain challenges. And as an independent artist, those challenges become even more acute. Once signed to Vanguard Records, the band, known for its eclectic mix of rock, Celtic, folk and indie, has been operating entirely on its own for the past 10 years and has learned to adapt in order to deal with whatever obstacles it may face.
“Having a certain foundation allows you to survive whether you are on a label or on your own,” Privett insists. “We have been through both of these evolutions and have survived through 18 album releases because we learned how to be autonomous from a young age.”
Privett, along with Carter Gravatt and Terry Clark, first formed the group in 1992 while students at Randolph-Macon College in Virginia. The band – which currently includes Privett (vocals, penny whistle, acoustic guitar and bagpipes), Gravatt (acoustic, electric mandolin, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar, lap steel, bouzouki, bodhran, loops, effects, hurdy-gurdy, violin and vocals), Clark (electric and acoustic guitars and vocals), bassist Jon Markel and drummer/percussionist Jesse Humphrey – went on to score a major hit with their song “Life Less Ordinary” when it reached the Top Five on Billboard’s Adult Alternative charts in 2004.
As things evolved, however, the band found that it had to change its tack in order to ensure its progress remained stable, both creatively and professionally. “We used to have plenty of free time, and we’d practice five nights a week, as well as jam and write together,” Privett recalls. “Now, however, we have to have more of a balanced schedule.”
Still, Privett admits that though it hasn’t been easy, the group is committed to maintaining that prolific prowess:
“Being a band – and staying a band – is incredibly challenging over time as people’s lives change and life gets more complex. In addition, all of us have had to adjust to a radically different lifestyle. Jesse had a baby last April at the initial height of the outbreak up in New England. Terry and Carter immersed themselves in at-home schooling with their kids. Plus, ideally, you are always working on something every day that adds up to a release. We built our own studio, which helps because we can chip away at projects easier, especially as band members’ lives get more involved with family in addition to maintaining a touring schedule. But, really, just showing up creatively is the key.”
Privett also concedes that there are times when the musicians have to maximize their motivation in order to be the best they can. That’s especially true when it comes to a live gig like the one they’ll be doing at Dancing Bear.
“Conserving energy and knowing when to save it is key,” he says. “It’s always energizing to have people show up and respond to what you are doing, so you feed off of that. But there are days where you have to summon your energy on your own, and that comes with having done the job long enough and being professional enough to remember why you’re there in the first place. It’s never your job to be moody and lazy – at least not on purpose. We always try to put ourselves in the shoes of those that are making the effort to come out and see us. That is a big, big deal. We’re all fans of something, and what we want is to have that expectation, that enthusiasm, for the big payoff. We want to cash in on that excitement, and that’s done through a real connection. So when we go onstage, it may not be our best night, but we still strive to make that connection regardless.”
For his part, Oldham insists that given the fact that Dancing Bear boasts a natural amphitheater, it’s the ideal environment for witnessing a truly special performance. “It’s essentially an outdoor listening room,” he says. “I like to think that we walk the line between a backyard summer party and a listening room like the Bluebird in Nashville. From a pre-concert dinner at our Bistro to drinks around the Fire Pit, to a couple of hundred people listening to an excellent band on the lawn, we’re ready to share a fun and happy experience with our guests.”
For further information, call (865) 448-6000 or email info@DancingBearLodge.com.
