Driftwood w/ Smilo and the Ghost

Driftwood

Music has guided Driftwood to hallowed ground many times since its founding members, Joe Kollar and Dan Forsyth, started making music as high schoolers in Joe’s parents’ basement. Whether the Upstate New York folk rock group—which today also includes violinist Claire Byrne, bassist Joey Arcuri, and drummer Sam Fishman—are converting new fans on a hardscrabble tour across the country or playing to a devoted crowd at hero Levon Helm’s Woodstock barn, the band’s shapeshifting approach to folk music continues to break new ground. And yet in many ways Driftwood’s latest work, the transformative December Last Call, finds the group coming home.

Recorded in that very same basement where the Driftwood dream began, December Last Call lyrically reflects on the recent past, musing on the ways the group grew up, together and apart, through curveballs like new parenthood or pandemic shutdowns. But sonically, the band’s sixth album looks confidently to the future, experimenting with new sounds while staying true to the bluegrass roots that built them. Across the album’s nine tracks, the band often leans into hard-rocking electric guitars and driving percussion: On “Every Which Way But Loose,” we get a foot-tapping beat and a sweeping chorus, and on “Up All Night Blues,” the band shines with an ambling, sing-along-able reflection on the challenges of new motherhood. But other tracks, like standout closer “Stardust,” take a simpler route, allowing bare-bones vocals and acoustic instrumentals to underpin a deeper emotional message.

One of Driftwood’s biggest differentiators—and perhaps its biggest strength—is the sheer breadth of talent in its lineup, with Claire, Joe, and Dan all contributing as songwriters and vocalists. This creative push-pull, where each selects songs to share with the group and record together, bakes vulnerability and collaborative spirit into every recording. “It’s at the heart of what we do,” says Dan. “Everybody has a strong love for songs, for songwriting, and we each appreciate everybody else and the way that they contribute to that.”

Smilo and the Ghost

Formed in 2016, Smilo and the Ghost have been delivering hard-driving, old-time influenced folk-rock to crowds around the Northeast. Their debut album, Ghost Writers, was voted one of the “Top Three Albums of 2018” by the Erie Reader. Since then, Smilo and the Ghost have opened for national acts like Grammy Award Winning country duo Dan + Shay and alt-rock legends 10,000 Maniacs.  The band’s recording and performing personnel have included a “who’s who” of regional talent, currently condensed down to the core lineup:Tyler Smilo – Guitar, Vocals Adam McKillip – Mandolin, Vocals Jassen Wilber – Bass Guitar Dominick DeCecco- Banjo, Vocals Smilo’s emotionally charged lyrics and vocals are backed up by the virtuosity of Wilber (who has toured the world with American blues guitarist Bernard Allison) and McKillip. Their setlist moves between gritty, hard-luck foot stompers like “Nothing’s Changed” and “Big Guns” to triumphant ballads like “Save Me” and “There’s Nothing Left.” All of which are highlights of Smilo & the Ghost live shows. The band’s songs share Americana country/rock DNA with Trampled by Turtles, Dawes, and Ryan Bingham, while maintaining a voice all their own. The recent addition of DeCecco on banjo has allowed for a deeper exploration of the band’s bluegrass and country chops. These old-timey roots are on full display in their highly-anticipated album, Fingers Crossed and Godspeed, which has been selected as one of Erie Reader’s “Top Three Albums of 2021.” The band isn’t sitting still, though, also recording a live album in early 2022. Smilo and the Ghost combine songs meant for singing and dancing with charismatic, high-energy performing on stage. They’re as comfortable on the main stage as they are in the corner of a local bar and shouldn’t be missed at either venue.