It’s 3 pm on Sunday, the last day of 2017’s Fall for Greenville Festival. Fallen leaves scatter across blocked off streets as festival-goers move from tent to tent, enjoying the last lazy hours of the afternoon. At the end of main street, on a stage in front of the Army Surplus store, Rhythm Muscle Band is just getting started. Dana Bradley, lead singer, holds her heels in one hand and the mic in the other, “check 1, 2, 3.” As the sound check continues a crowd begins to develop. Some are drawn in by the preliminary blues licks, others have clearly planned to be here in advance, lined up along the curb in folding camping chairs.
After a short introduction, Rhythm Muscle Band kicks off their set with a cover of “Go Your Own Way,” George Mixson laying down the groove on his 5-string bass. When the chorus hits, so does Dana Bradley’s full voice. Even with her heels back on, she barely hits 5’2” but when she sings, she fills Main Street. The band has a casual presence which makes the performance seem effortless, but their artistry and professionalism shine through in the details: the shuttle dynamic shifts from instrument to instrument, the fill Rutledge will leave like a signature at the end of a measure, the guitar solos Richie opens up again and again. This is a band that knows their style.
For the 3rd song, Rhythm Muscle Band slows the tempo down and Dana’s voice sweetens for a melancholy turn as she sings “you’ll be on my mind forever.” Even on the slower numbers, the crowd is moving along to the beat drummer John Rutledge threads through every cut. Fans bob at the front of the stage and passerby move in to join them. Between songs, Dana jokes with the crowd and half-seriously invites us to get on the party train before the band kicks into “Fly Like an Eagle,” another energetic cover. Michael Blythe steals the show here with a Keyboard solo where he stares deadpan into the audience while expertly marching his fingers up and down the keys, dancing from the waist down in a pair of bright red jeans.
Over the course of the set they cover Ray Charles, Bill Withers, and many more. Each song has a unique spin but they all speak with the same cool style. Rhythm Muscle Band makes music in a tradition and place, a rich southern blues tradition steeped in rock and roll. You can hear it deep in the set, when Bunny Clyde lays down a sweltering saxophone solo and the rest of the band turn to watch him, feeding his energy, letting the music transport them to the time and place they love. And on the right humid, late summer day in South Carolina, when the rhythm and blues get going, they can take an audience with them. If you ever have the chance, it’s a trip worth taking.
Article by Joe Worthen
RMB had a fun weekend at Fall For Greenville.
We appreciate all the fans that came out to see us.