The Carolina Chocolate Drops’ new lineup did not disappoint on Thursday night in front of a great crowd at the Charleston Music Hall.
With newcomers Malcolm Parson and Rowan Corbett, the Chocolate Drops lived up to their Grammy Award-winning reputation, filling the Music Hall with their unique porch-sittin’, toe-tappin tracks; they took home Best Traditional Folk Album in 2010.
The string-band celebrated traditional African-American roots music, playing a mix of folk, country, gospel, and banjo-based tunes, keeping up an impressive energy throughout. As the band jumped from instrument to instrument, banjo to bones to kazoo to fiddle, at one point lead singer Rhiannon Giddens kicked off her shoes and let loose a jig.
In between songs, the Drops shared stories, showing the importance they place on reviving the traditional folk music that fans come to hear them play. These guys are definitely down for a good time, but they also realize their role in the musical landscape as influential musicians in a increasingly non-mainstream niche.
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