On Friday, March 25, 2011, seven friends and I loaded up two cars in Jackson, MS and drove 5 hours through the lush green Mississippi and Alabama countryside under a sunny blue sky. Our destination was Waverly, Alabama the Standard Deluxe, a quaint outdoor venue surrounded by large oak trees featuring a cozy rustic stage. Our mission was to hear the duo sent from above to bless the ears of us lowly humans with heavenly melodies and honest lyrical beauty. The mission was a resounding success as The Civil Wars did not disappoint.
Joy Williams and John Paul White make up this 2 part moody folk duo. It has been said, "I thought music was dead....thank God for you 2!", "AWESOME, BRILLIANT, UNIQUE AND COMPLETELY SPINE TINGLING", "it's like their voices were made for each other...", and "He looks like Johnny Depp!!!!" All of these seem very accurate. You will fall in love with them and long for connection to their muse. Both Joy and John Paul are married but not to each other, yet they have amazing chemistry together on stage in terms of physical presence and interaction as well as of course vocally. Their songs will sympathize with your soul and minister to your heart.
There was a very large crowd during this particular show I went to. It was my first and hopefully not my last time to see them live. According to a tweet by The Civil Wars there were approximately 1100 people at this small outdoor venue. Since there were so many people, the audio quality was not sufficient for sound volume as it was initially hard to hear in the back. I believe everyone pressed forward and moved or stood up where they could get a better listen. Despite the challenges The Civil Wars easily remained absolutely phenomenal. It made for an intimate and entertaining experience. Furthermore we were under a very clear and beautiful starry night sky. Most excitingly the entire crowd witnessed a falling/shooting star streak in the sky right above the stage during one of their songs. It made for a magical show and feeling of grandeur during their performance.
Even two days later I feel the delight of a musical high. Scroll down to this previous blog post I wrote about music being for everyone to watch a video of their song "Poison & Wine." This song is probably their most popular song and rightfully so as it speaks to everyone through the simple yet elegant expression of the dichotomy of love. As I am not a journalist, I am unable to adequately express how amazing this duo is. You simply must listen to their music yourself and if at all possible GO to one of their shows.
If I am unable to meet Mrs. Williams and Mr. White so that I may thank them in person for their dedication and contribution as artists to the musical world, then here in the virtual world I will make known my gratitude for their music. Thank You The Civil Wars! Please keep going.
