Last Thursday, August 16, I was invited by Deren Ney of Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers to check out their show at The New Parish in Oakland, CA. First off, thank you so much, Deren. Second, Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers rock! I had a great time at the show as Nicki and the band belted out tunes from their album, Driftwood, to a captivated audience. I knew it was going to be a good show when they opened with a wonderful version of their song, “Before You Loved Me:”
Knowing that this was only the first song of the evening, I knew it was bound to be a wonderful evening as they got warmed up, and I was right. Tune after tune, Nicki and the boys captivated the packed house at The New Parish. Many people were staring mesmerized, filming with their phones, singing along, or a combination of those. I did not see one person at the show who was not focused on it in some way. It was very nice to see so many people so enthralled by a show.
Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers @ The New Parish in Oakland, CA – 08/16/12
All night long the band was spot on. I mean, sure, there were a few flubs here and there – including Nicki messing up the words of one tune and having to start over. The way the flubs were handled and the laid back atmosphere of the evening made the flubs easily forgettable though as they only made the wonderful evening more memorable.
If you have never seen Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers I highly recommend that you see them now before they really blow up, which they are sure to do. They have been keeping up a pretty relentless touring schedule all around the U.S. and have started to gain a large following due to their awesome shows and their online Van Sessions.
Until you get to see them yourself, here is another video of them playing “Stick With Me:”
Thank you for the good times guys! Can’t wait to see you again!!
Music Sumo 