This time last year, many music lovers and musicians were wondering when they would be able to take in the thrills of live music again.
The bumping speakers, loud guitars and screaming fans all felt like a bygone myth, like something from a past life.
“We had just released an album, Kingdom in My Mind, in winter 2020 and we just wanted to tour, tour, tour, and of course that got cut short since the pandemic hit,” said Chris Wood, a member of the three-piece band, the Wood Brothers. “So we’re excited to finally get to play that album live.”
After more than a year off of the stage, the Americana trio is making its return to live performances this summer with a number of shows and festival appearances. The group will play two sets during Spoleto Festival USA at the College of Charleston Cistern Yard on June 8 and 9.
The band consists of brothers Chris (upright bass) and Oliver Wood (guitar), along with Jano Rix (drums). Chris Wood said Spoleto will not only be one of the group’s first shows since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but also part of its first tour since the shutdown. The trio has tour dates set through spring 2022, with shows in cities all over the Eastern U.S.
“A lot of these shows were booked quite a long time ago to be socially distanced because of the pandemic,” Chris said. “This is our first attempt to safely get back out there and start playing shows.”
All of the Spoleto shows are outdoor and social-distanced, with tickets sold in what the festival calls “safe seating pods.”
“We always love coming to Charleston, I’m looking forward to getting some food and soaking it up for the two days we’re going to be there,” Oliver Wood said.
The Spoleto guests will view the Wood Brothers set through pods, but getting to experience live music again is well worth the restrictions for Chris Wood and his bandmates. Getting to play their hits such as “Luckiest Man” and “Postcards From Hell” in addition to the newest album should be a highlight for the musicians and their fans.
“It’s been a pretty isolating year for everyone, obviously, so it’s going to be nice to see people again in this safe way,” he said. “We’re taking this slow, and everyone’s vaccinated on the bus, so we’ve got our little pod going. It’s not gonna be quite like normal for us, but we’re so excited to just be together again as a band.”
In addition to the newest album, the band also re-released one of its most popular albums, The Muse, from 2013.
“We’re really looking forward to playing tunes off of that album as well,” Oliver Wood said.
Though many describe the Wood Brothers as a folk band, Chris Wood said he feels the group fits the categories of Americana and rock much better, influenced by rock n’ roll and blues music, with undertones from rhythm and blues. The latest album is highly rock-influenced, with deep vocals and strong basslines. Playing this album live is what Chris is most looking forward to with the summer tour and Spoleto performances. But, he looks back on the band’s time in lockdown as well-deserved respite rather than missing out on playing new music.
“I think we kind of needed it, I think we all needed that space and that break,” Chris said. “Our bodies, our ears, our souls needed a little bit of space to really truly be ready and love what we’re doing again. Now, we’re there, we’re back, we are so excited and we take nothing for granted and we love what we do.”
Sarah Connor is a graduate student in the Goldring Arts Journalism and Communications Program at Syracuse University.
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