Everybody Loves A Parade
Everybody Loves A Parade
by Dana & Bruce Zimmerman
PA Music Scene
November 2011
(Photo courtesy Bruce Zimmerman)
Recently, Greenbelt Events and The Abbey Bar at The Appalachian Brewing Company in Harrisburg, PA hosted a performance by the talented young singer/songwriter Jessica Lea Mayfield. Touring through the end of the year as a solo performer and also performing dates with The Avett Brothers, Drive By Truckers and Ryan Adams, her star is surely rising. Also rising is the star of her brother David Mayfield, who is the front man of his band The David Mayfield Parade. And, GREAT NEWS, The David Mayfield Parade will also be performing at The Abbey Bar on Tuesday, November 15, 2011.
I’d like to provide a little backstory on our concert experiences with David Mayfield.
In the fall of 2010 we attended a show at The Tin Angel in Philly headlined by singer/songwriter Josh Joplin, who in addition to solo work has performed with his bands The Josh Joplin Band, The Josh Joplin Group, and most recently, Among the Oak and Ash. A solo David Mayfield opened the show for Josh.
In the spring of 2011, we saw David Mayfield and his band The David Mayfield Parade play an acoustic, unplugged performance at The Midtown Scholar Bookstore, followed the next day by a full out rip- roaring plugged in performance that shook the walls of The Glen Rock Mill Inn.
To say that he made an impression is an understatement. Judging him strictly by appearance, his heavily bearded face might strike you as one you might see peering through the bushes if you were one of the unfortunate businessmen canoeing downriver in the movie Deliverance. Joking aside, David may look the part of the hillbilly, but he is as mild-mannered and polite as a gentleman can be- offstage. Onstage, David’s guitar talents and antics are jaw dropping. He’s a tour-de-force of self-deprecating humor, gyrating hips, and quality musicianship. David doesn’t just aim to play and sing for the crowd, he aims to ENTERTAIN. Whether solo, or playing off his close friend Josh (who he met through sister Jessica Lea), or off one of his band mates in The Parade, the show takes you for a ride you won’t soon forget.
But don’t take just our word for it. Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon from the band Phish are fans of The David Mayfield Parade. Last spring they caught a show at The Evening Muse in Charlotte, NC, and were so taken by the experience that they purchased T-Shirts and CDs. The following day they posted a picture of themselves on facebook wearing their new fashion statements…and they continued to wear the shirts on stage that night! Finally, in a coup de grace, during the last song of the evening they projected a picture of David on the Jumbotron and bowed to him as their God, Icculus. How’s that for an endorsement?
Additional information on the show and ticket information can be found at the following link: http://greenbeltevents.com/events/david-mayfield-parade/
And yes, we know it’s a Tuesday night, but a great thing about Greenbelt Events and The Abbey Bar at The Appalachian Brewing Company is that they schedule and honor their show times in respect of the audience’s need to honor their own work commitments. A superior sound system; ABC’s signature brews; and an intimate non-smoking venue with an outdoor deck for those who need to pop out for a smoke all add to the outstanding concert-going experiences we’ve come to expect from this venue.
Here’s a video to introduce you to the band’s signature sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2HwxsD_R1Q
See you at The Parade!
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