With nearly a year under their belts, Modesto’s Thursday Night Ramble continues to provide quality entertainment for the local music scene. Inspired by Off the Air, Wayne Campbell and Earl Matthews set out to extend the music. Not content with being a concert series, the Ramble has become a musical institution for the valley. They host an acoustically driven weekly show at Deva café on J Street in downtown Modesto that provides a venue for Folk, Jazz, Blues, and whatever else local musicians have to offer.
“Our motivation was to design a show that would allow good people and good friends to meet and listen to our amazing music scene we have here in the valley.” said Campbell.
Goal completed, boys. Good people, good beer and good music abounded at last week’s Ramble (#46). Despite the fact that a large number of people at the Ramble have been good friends for years, the Ramble graces everyone there (even the reporter that showed up without entourage) with good company and a welcoming vibe almost immediately.
Madie Boyd kicked off the night with his trademark folk sound. His acoustic guitar notes have a way of creeping into your soul to remind you of darker days while the accompanying harmonica quickens your pulse. Just as the music begins to threaten an emotional outburst, Boyd’s voice and heart-rending lyrical style reach up to reassure his audience that he too has felt this way before, and you are not alone.
After a quick smoke and beer break on Deva’s patio with ample seating, Micol Cazzel took the stage. Cazzel’s demeanor hinted at being uncomfortable with superstar status but as soon as he started to play, the air was thick with the energy of his music. With each hauntingly beautiful stanza, the room faded into obscurity as the audience was allowed to observe Cazzel’s voice and guitar harmonize into a higher plane that left the rest of us mortals awed.
Now that the Airlings are a full band, they have the honor of going on last. After five months of growing pains, their sound has matured exponentially. With the addition of a drummer and bass guitarist, the delicate balance of stage presence has been mastered. The Airlings folk-rock style has just the right mixture of heartbroken and cynical metaphor and old-school punk influence to keep you wanting more.
Campbell and Matthews have done an excellent job at bringing the music home, but they don’t do it alone. Rocking behind the scenes are Ray Vazira, Daniel Edward Harris and Michael Stryke. By choosing to make local music a collaborative effort rather than a competitive one, the crew at the Ramble has succeeded in making a whole that truly is more than the sum of its parts.