by Kimberly Caterino at Live Music Capital Radio
MilkDrive’s players are no strangers to the road, to their instruments, or playing in/with well-known Austin bands (such as the South Austin Jug Band and Asleep at the Wheel). Noah Jeffries on guitar, Dennis Ludiker on mandolin, Brian Beken on fiddle, and Matt Mefford on upright bass are the 4 members of this relatively new group that makes a progressive yet timeless sound.
The progressive part is how they superbly weave vastly disparate genres together—bluegrass, jazz, folk— it’s unfair to simply label them Americana. The timeless part is the nostalgic aura that is created by an all-acoustic, drummerless sound—although the band was plugged in for amplification, the same music could be easily performed on a peacefully remote lawn under the shade of a giant Oak. Look Ma, no wires. This is outdoor music, summer music, ageless and plain old feel-good music.. Reminiscent of Bela Fleck, and for those familiar, The Jazz Mandolin Project.
MilkDrive had no microphones tonight—not sure why! (At times they did lip sync into the empty mic stand, which was rather hilarious..) They do sing, but this evening at the Driskill Hotel had them playing all instrumentals—clear compositions that each tell a story, with movements that sometimes invoke a quietude and reflection, a stillness-- but more often than not the tempo and mood are swingingly upbeat, with sudden sprays and cascades of heartening, explorative solos. The thoroughness with which each of these players knows his instrument (and sometimes other instruments) cannot be understated. Intricate fingerwork was showcased by all 4 players, and the nature of the different pieces gave them each ample opportunity to individually highlight their.. yes, I’ll say it: mad skills.
A word on the Driskill Hotel: what a unique music venue in Austin! The bar area has a dark Victorian atmosphere with ornately carved furniture/ceilings/architecture.. meets Texas: with frontier/cowboy themed paintings, a steer head over the mantle, and cow skins on the backs of chairs. Two great tastes come together.
I recommend MilkDrive on several levels-- enjoying the journey of the compositions, simply watching their mind-boggling motor skills, and succumbing to the world they create. I imagine they are a bit folkier and grounding when singing songs, but this instrumental evening was a nice escape— to listen is to enter their movie, to be escorted to certain heights, and then beautifully floated back down.
