Lynda and Pattie, Live at The Artscenter, Carrboro, NC
Lynda and Pattie are having a busy summer. They spent a week in June teaching fiddle and songwriting to a lucky group of students at PineCone’s Bluegrass Camp, they’ve been to Nashville, played festivals as far north as Pennsylvania, appeared on radio and various club and theater dates to support their album Traditional Duets – and their beat goes on . . ..
There’s a reason they’re in high demand – these ladies can sing. Oh how they sing! Friday night a near capacity crowd in Carrboro Artscenter’s Earl and Rhoda Wynn Theater were treated to a beautiful performance filled with tight, tight soulful harmonies. Lynda and Pattie truly captured and conveyed the the essence of the traditional music they played. We felt the heartbreak as they sang “Dark as the Night, Blue as the Day,” we lived the sorrow of “Your Long Journey.” They sang with the familiarity of best friends who grew up singing in the church choir together, wanting to sing their best for each other. As wonderful as their vocals are, Lynda and Pattie are more than just a pretty voice. Lynda Dawson’s bluegrassy, folk-strummin’, hard driving guitar underneath Pattie Hopkins’ exquisite 5-string fiddling produce a rich full sound that fills a room.
Friday night they mixed the traditional with some originals and finished their set with Lynda clogging to Pattie’s lively rendition of “Bonaparte’s Retreat.” They capped off the evening by joining The Gravy Boys onstage for “Tear My Stillhouse Down” and “The Weight.” A perfect end!
Lynda and Pattie will continue to be busy. They’re booked through the end of November and I have all confidence that they’ll be the darlings of the upcoming IBMA Showcases. See them soon – see them often – you’ll be glad you did!
Dave Brainard, Grassicana