The Unwieldies, Pitchfork, Nevada Old-Time Fiddlers Association at Centennial Park, Saturday April 13, 2024

 While we haven't been able to get out at night for quite a while due to an ailing dog, we can make treks during the day so we had to catch the last local show from our pals, the Unwieldies - at least for the foreseeable future, as the front-duo, Rob and Dani, are sadly leaving town.

Got there early to see the opening act, Pitchfork, a revolving bluegrass congregation that includes the Unwieldies banjoist Erik, today along with mandolin, guitar and standup bass and lots of fine vocals from everyone. Some originals, some trad and some modern songs given a bluegrass twist, like a Ween cover and some other fun numbers. Some combos get a little too jokey with their "unexpected" covers, but Pitchfork managed to ride the fine line and put on a great set throughout.

We stepped over to the food trucks for a bit of lunch (there was supposed to be a vegan/mex pop-op who didn't show up, but we still got some excellent veggie tacos from a different truck - sorry I didn't catch their name) so missed some of the Nevada Old-Time Fiddlers Association but still caught at least half their set. Theirs was a fairly monumental undertaking as there were at least 12 people on stage (I lost count, actually), and they still managed to get a coherent sound in a matter of moments - professionals, I suppose! They ranged in age and gender, with a number of fiddlers, a standup bass, percussion and more. As expected, they had a fairly traditional bluegrass sound and even did a "patriotic medley" that I'm sure goes over well with some crowds and today's was no exception for that. 

Of course, our main reason for getting out was to see the Unwieldies, as we have neglected seeing them for probably a year and are going to miss their presence on the Las Vegas scene along with the support they have given us and so many local and touring acts. Of course, I have talked about these talented folks innumerable times, But Dani and Rob (guitar/vocals and standup bass/vocals) both write some fine alt-count/Americana/uncategorizable-but-terrific songs of love, loss, regret and victories, along with the occasional more esoteric'n'timely subjects. The tunes are fleshed out by their highly talented friends and accompanists, Jack on violin (don't call it a fiddle!) and Erik on banjo - both exceptional on their respective instruments. With songs from their various albums, they wowed the crowd who happily accepted Rob's kind offer of first-come-first-serve free CD's and devoured the entire box in a matter of minutes! Favorites from all the records abounded in their all-too-short 30 minute set and they left the crowd wanting more, and certainly won over new fans.

By the time we did some socializing and said many farewells, we needed to get on with our Saturday and couldn't catch the rest of the acts, but the city put on a fine, family-friendly-and-free event that brought in a huge crowd for some amazing music in a fun setting with spectacular sound. Great job all around!

I don't want to get too sappy here, but I gotta say a huge thank you to the Unwieldies (and the various side projects that everyone is involved in) for making the Vegas music scene a better place with their supportive, friendly and talented selves. Vegas would have been very different for us and many others without them. We will miss them dearly.