Photos by Mark J. Smith
If you’re a guitar music fan, you would love this concert; if you’re a slide guitar fan in particular, this concert would knock your socks off. Sonny Landreth, slide guitar God from Lafayette, Louisiana and Cindy Cashdollar, lap slide guitar Goddess out of Woodstock, NY, are fabulous together. These two musicians at the top of their respective games remained seated for the show, but still rocked the house with a mix of country blues, Sonny Landreth originals and Clifton Chenier zydeco classics with a little BeauSoleil thrown in.
Sonny started the concert with a couple of instrumentals, saying he wanted to ease into things with some lower energy sounds before getting to the heavy stuff. “Next of Kindred Spirits” was a perfect ease-in– easy going with some absolutely special slide moves. “Zydeco Shuffle” cranked it up just a little bit, but also gave us a good feel for Sonny’s down home south Louisiana roots.
Sonny was then joined onstage by the beautiful and talented Cindy Cashdollar. Most guitarists play a number of guitars, and Cindy is no different, playing a few different non-pedal steel guitars. A range of tunings and instruments bring a different sound to each song. Her ability to match tunings and styles with Sonny through the array of genres they touched on was a prime example of her talent.
Listening to the blues played by these two amazing musicians was a treat. “Blues Attack,” “Cherry Ball Blues” and “High Side”- just to name a few- were delivered to the audience with a truly unique reverence for the blues. Fantastic. More southern Louisiana music was spread throughout the show, with “Back to Bayou Teche” leading into Cindy’s show closer, a lovely tune from her days with Michael Doucet and BeauSoleil, “Chez Schelles.”
I always felt that I could sit and listen to these two all night, and thanks to the Sellersville Theater, I got to do just that. Well, I came close, but frankly it will never be enough. If you have the opportunity to catch Sonny and Cindy on this tour, do whatever you can to get there. I am downright sure you will love it.
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