Backwater at Brick City

The room was warm and the acoustics were dead-on at the Brick City Center for the Arts on Saturday night as the bluegrass band "Backwater" played a brilliant show.

People young and old filled the 50 or more seats as the Backwater band continued to play honest, upbeat bluegrass for the diverse crowd.

With covers such as "Ain't no sunshine when she's gone", it was hard to not want to clap, sing along or simply just enjoy the atmosphere.

The musicianship was incredible and simply mesmerizing to watch. Between acoustic bass player, Johnny Mason, carrying note after note of carefully crafted bass lines and the accompaniment of mandolin, guitar and banjo, this band made the $5 ticket well worth it.

The crowd got quiet as guitar player, Chuck Rickolt led "Man of Constant Sorrow" at the request of his daughter's friend. This performance was probably my favorite of the night, second to "Down at the trailer park," a new take on Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville".

You could tell that these guys had been playing together for years by how flawless each of them incorporated into another's repertoire. Mandolin player, Bill Taylor, cracked jokes about not playing a song in years.

The acoustics were perfect in the art center, as if it was made for a band like Backwater to play in every night. The guitars had a lot of bass but sounded very bright, and the mandolin and banjo were as smooth as the perfect four-part harmonies.

The overall setup was very inviting and intimate. It was like being on someone's back porch with quality sound and lighting.

Locals of all ages seemed to enjoy the wittiness and honesty of Backwater, as they made sarcastic remarks and jokes at the expense of banjo player, David Dean.

Overall, this band was extremely entertaining to watch. As the second installment of "Woodsongs" at the Brick City Center (see Art for Art's Sake), word seems to be spreading as the turnout for this show was such a success.

Be sure to make it to the next Woodsongs show downtown at the Brick City Center for the Arts on Feb. 6.

The Woodsongs shows are every first and third Saturday of the month.

Also be sure to check out the Center's calendar of events at mcaocala.com.