The Red Haired Strangers recently opened for the Wiyos at the Linda in Albany. Below is an excerpt of what music critic Brian McElhiney had to say about the Stranger’s portion of the show:

“Local six-piece The Red Haired Strangers began the evening’s musical flashback, if you will, with a heady bang. The Albany group’s songs all fall within the bluegrass and roots rock idiom, but each tune had enough modern twists keep things interesting.

VIP mention goes to fiddler Joe Gumpper, whose crisp soloing seemed to owe as much to rock guitar as to more traditional fiddle players — his speedy runs on set closer “Why am I Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed” were most satisfying, especially when dueling with frontman Ryan Dunham’s equally ferocious harmonica.

Best was Dunham’s “Radiate,” one of the evening’s more bouncy, upbeat numbers, immediately followed by one of three songs sung by guitarist John Rice, “The Shine.” Rice’s dusty, throaty baritone was especially suited to this number’s lilting, mournful feel, with Gumpper and dobro player Rick Morse creating haunting instrumental overtones throughout.”

Posted on January 29th, 2010 by The Stranger
Filed under: Media, shows