Blue Moon Soup wsg KR-3 – The Thunderbird – Pittsburgh, PA – 10/19
words and photos by Ryan Neeley – Appalachian Jamwich Magazine
With the festival season drawing to an end and music lovers are packing up their tents, getting out their wooly sweaters and socks, cords and beanies, the time has come to transition from muddy fields, late night campfires and pickin till dawn to indoor venues, house parties and, well, pickin till dawn. So on a brisk Friday night in mid-
October, we traveled to the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh to a venue I hold near and dear to my heart – The Thunderbird Café. I’ve seen some of my favorite bands at The T-Bird, and Grey Area Productions is, in my opinion, the best of the best in the city – These guys are true music FANS, and are REAL supporters of live music – not in the business to make a quick buck. So with the recent explosion of livetronica and EDM music on the jam scene, Grey Area Productions took a chance by booking Ohio newgrass sensations Blue Moon Soup first Pittsburgh show and West Virginia psychedelic jam rockers KR-3 on a Friday evening. Now don’t get me wrong – Both of these bands are chock full of top notch, creative musicians and have loads of fans in the region, but anyone who is in the music industry will tell you that it’s sometimes takes time to build a following in a new city. And so I’m pleased to report that in my opinion, the risk paid off – Both bands brought their signature sounds to the Steel City and put on a memorable show to a large crowd of fans who still love to hear music produced by organic instruments and vocals – how music has been played for decades.
Appalachian Psychedelica up and comers KR-3 opened the show shortly after 9:30 with their jam-heavy 60’s era signature sound. Hailing from Wheeling, WV, these boys found success after venturing outside of their home 
base to festivals across the region, and have gained faithful fans across the region, opening for Ekoostik Hookah, Rumpke Mountain Boys, Davisson Bros. and playing at some of the top festivals in the mid-west. Their sound is especially on the jam-heavy side, reminiscent of the psychedelica put out in 60’s San Francisco – Created using vintage equipment like Fender Twin Reverb Amps and a Fender Rhodes piano (a la The Doors), KR-3 is led by guitarist/vocalist Tim Boyd, an amazing musician that can seamlessly switch from a take no prisoners style with soaring leads to a more raw, “noodling” style in the blink of an eye and guitarist/vocalist Shane Lundy, who brings a more rock-heavy style to the table. Keyboardist/Vocalist Travis Hoard’s high energy work on the keys is top-notch, and just as you’re coming to grips with the talent he possesses on the Rhodes, he reaches back and straps on a saxophone and wows you all over again. Bassist Ian Varlas and drummer Steve “The Admiral” Fullerton put forth a solid foundation for the band to weave in and out of, as frequent progressive improvisation is the name of the game with KR-3.
They came out with an opening instrumental/improv jam, acclimating the crowd to their 
sound and almost talking to each other with their instruments to determine where everyone’s at on this night. They fired into “Apples for the Muse” and played a few songs from their 2013 release Fractures and Sparks, including a marathon closer featuring the title track from the release into fan favorite “Universe is a Hologram> Lord Have Mercy”, with stunning harmonies not usually found in a psychedelic rock group. Although this was an opening time slot, the group still took the time to extend jams and the set did not feel rushed, with frequent interplay between guitarists Lundy and Boyd along with Hoard on keys. This band has all the tools necessary to make a big splash in 2014 as they head into the studio this winter for their first album with the current lineup, and are destined to help Fletchers Grove and other bands put West Virginia back on the map in the jam scene.
Ohio newgrass/folk quartet Blue Moon Soup was the main course on this evening, though, and I couldn’t have been 
more excited. Just back from Colorado and touring in support of their new self-titled album, Blue Moon Soup is a band that I’ve been following for a little over two years. This quartet out of Yellow Springs, OH is a breath of fresh air, so to speak, in the jam community – a young group of guys showcasing organic string instruments and phenomenal uplifiting harmonies in a blend of folk, Celtic and bluegrass that you would normally hear from a band with far more years or performing behind their belts.. Fiddle player Robbie Marion is one of the most talented fiddlers I’ve ever seen, Jonathan Baumann plays a mean stand up bass, Brendan Moore knows his way around the mandolin, and newest member Justin Moon has been a perfect fit on acoustic guitar. All four members share vocal responsibilities and their harmonies, many of which are four part, are phenomenally crisp. A Blue Moon Soup show is always a journey that you are taking with the band, with no planned setlist and free-form jamming – it has a comfort factor and looseness you would normally find around a campfire,but as soon as their fingers hit the strings, you realize that these guys are the real deal.
The boys opened up with some originals from their new self-titled album and played an array of songs to please most any taste – whether you’re a fan of traditional bluegrass, jamgrass, folk, Celtic, the list goes on – Blue Moon Soup’s versatility allows them to perform a mountain ballad sandwiched in between a Grateful Dead song and a song from a 
major motion picture. One of the major strengths of Blue Moon Soup is their ability to play a cover and really make it their own. Some of the highlights of the show included a number of Dead covers, including a phenomenal “The Music Never Stopped”, a mashup of songs from The Lord of the Rings trilogy and a cover of Paul McCartney’s “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” (Hands Across the Water). But Blue Moon Soup is not merely a cover band – their originals are top notch, and my personal favorite from their new album, “Finally Free” gave me goosebumps, with soaring harmonies and fiery picking. “Six in the Grave” was another original that the boys slayed, keeping the dance floor packed with foot stomping, smiles and hugs all around.
As the night ended, I looked across the crowd that had amassed throughout the night and grinned, ecstatic that so many people still appreciate music as it’s been played for decades – where the focus is put on vocals and traditional instruments. And as we left the venue I looked up at a beautiful moon in the night sky and I got a feeling from the bottom of my toes that traveled to the top of my head – a feeling of well-being, like everything in the world was okay. That feeling reminded me of why I work so hard to go to these shows, and I can thank Blue Moon Soup and KR-3, but a special thanks to Grey Area Productions and The Thunderbird for taking the risk and continuing to support live local music.
For additional information regarding Blue Moon Soup, including FREE downloads of prior releases, go to www.bluemoonsoupmusic.com
For additional information regarding KR-3, go to www.kr-3.net
For a listing of shows in Pittsburgh and a chance to win FREE tickets if you join their mailing list go to www.greyareaprod.com
