Most of the year this bar would probably be serving pints to just the locals, but it just so happened the weekend we were in town coincided with the Moose River Fest -- an annual kayaking festival that was made all-the-more happening due to the rain-swollen rivers.
Looking to extend the evening after the wedding, a group of us hit up Slickers, which was a short walk from our hotel. As we approached we could hear the place was jumping and inside, people literally were jumping -- up and down, in unison -- to Tim Herron Corp. His blend of jam band/Americana was just what you would want to hear in that rustic setting. Herron, a moose of a man, fronts the band as the name might imply. His voice is reminiscent of Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers minus the southern accent, yet his delivery is like that of Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. As a whole, the band's stripped-down sound can be compared to The Band and their songs just as catchy.
We heard only the last few songs of his set; one a more country sounding tune that featured Herron's twangy and fuzzy Telecaster overdrive. After being beckoned back on stage by the saturated 20-to-30-somethings, Herron and company returned with Harry Belafonte's "Banana Boat Song." An odd choice I thought -- my dad sang that song to me when I was a kid -- but it was executed in a way that just made you feel good. One more number and they were forced to pack it in, sending the weary river-goers paddling back to their hotels.
Check out Tim Herron Corporation on MySpace. Word has it they are releasing their second album very soon.
P.S. One of their songs, "Tipp Hill Love Story," can only refer to Tipperary Hill in Syracuse, a place where I visited many times while my brother attended LeMoyne College. Kind of cool when you can relate to the song in a personal way ...
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