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August 7, 2003
The Brown Mountain Lights - Bio
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The Story of the Brown Mountain Lights
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| Appearing out of nowhere on a quiet spring North Carolina evening, The Brown Mountain Lights emerged much like the legendary ghostly phenomenon in the western hills which inspires their name. The site was Carrboro and the event was a packed house in front of their idols Buddy and Julie Miller. 8 songs and out. A debut and then gone. Songs about Maryville, blacktop tar, snakedancing with Jenna Lee and the bayou were still on the tongues of a number of the witnesses. The Lights were seen again later in the summer at such rustic hideaways as the banks of the Haw River at the
Bynum General Store. Reports had them flickering and hovering at watering holes in Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Goldsboro, Durham and even the crossroads of Panther Branch NC.
The sound is distinctly their own, as songwriters Janet Place and Jeff Hart bring nearly 30 years of songwriting and performing to the band. Chapel Hill-raised Greg Bower lends electric guitar grit and a lovely 2nd harmony part to Janet's western influenced twang-pop and Jeff's lonesome love songs and travelogues. It wasn't long before an 8 song recording of a live WXDU radio broadcast made the rounds. Recorded in front of one condenser mic by Duke University Radio's Washboard Dave Tilley, the Brown Mountain Lights shimmered, rose, danced and then faded into the night in a now familiar manner. Owing as much to the records on which they were raised as their idols The Band,The Byrds (they've been known to play"Sweetheart of the Rodeo" live in its entirety about once a year), the dB's (Jeff played in Chris Stamey's band in the early 90's),
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(BML Bio continued)
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| Neil Young (Greg's guitar and Jeff's harmonica), Toni Price, Carlene Carter and Patsy Cline (Janet was in the DC area alt.country pioneers The Slim Jims), they have brought something new to the table. Bryan Sodemann (longtime Ruins drummer) joined up in 2004 and brings the swing and locks in tight with bassist Steve Webster (also a former Ruin and Hanks member) to anchor the rhythm section. And on selected gigs, pedal steel virtuoso Steve Watson ( formerly of Two Dollar Pistols, Panther Branch Boys, Tim Stambaugh) joins in at all the right weepy places. Also in 2004, fiddler and mandolin wiz Miner Gleason has added his virtuoso performances at selected gigs. But all agree it's the songs first and foremost. With lots of attention given to hearing the words of the songs. They actually care a great deal what the person standing arms length away is singing and where he or she may be leading 'em. It's very enlightening to watch and hear as things are never quite the same every night. A Louisiana feel one song. West Texas the next. Or 1955 Nashville. New set list this night, new Janet song that night. Jeff summons echoes of Peter Holsapple with "Nothing is Wrong". Lights and music circling over a mountain in the night and then fading. Another light takes its place, another melody. The Brown Mountain Lights.
A number of fine musicians have helped keep BML grounded with a solid rhythm section on a semi-regular and fill-in basis. Thanks for all the fun times and good grooves to Nate Logan, Ron Bartholomew, John Flowers, Pat McGraw and Lee Thrift.
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