Malcolm Holcombe - 03/14/09

Shuffling around the Evening Muse prior to the beginning of the show, Malcomb Holcombe had the look of a humbled soul, lost in the noisey buzz of the people who had come to see him perform. Slight of stature and unassuming off the stage Malcolm blended with the crowd, occasionally stopping to say hello to a fan who had recognized him.

As the Evening Muse continued to fill it was obvious that the Charlotte locals had been waiting for Malcom to come back to this listening room. Many of the conversations were stories of the last time they had seen Malcom, either here in Charlotte or at a folk festival somewhere in the Carolinas. The chatter supports Joe's introduction of Malcolm as "The man, the myth, the legend". He's certainly one of Carolina's sons and a favored mountain trubadour.

There's a lot that changes when Malcomb takes the stage. I'd swear he gets 6 inches taller and puts on about 40 pounds as he begins his set. His graveley voice and rustic appearance combined with some unique guitar picking/strumming/banging mark the unique sound that is Malcomb Holcombe. A gifted guitarist and storyteller indeed! The country fried stories which introduce each song are filled with anticipation as one never knows where Malcolm is going to take a story or what adjectives are going to come out of his mouth. It's an adventure! Over and over again, the crowd let's out a chuckle as Malcolm transitions from a story to a song.

On this night Malcolm played a number of upbeat, bluesy, rockin' songs which kept the toes tappin'. Of course the night would not be complete without several ballads as well. As the set drew to a close and the house stood in ovation, Malcom continued with an additional three encore songs as people shouted out favorites and Malcolm quickly acknowledged them. Once finished, Malcolm stepped off the stage and began greeting his fans and friends as he melded back into the unassuming man whom had blended in with the crowd as the night began.

A few photos of the show....

Cheers,

Monty