Fun and Harmony

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"Feel free to get up," Jack Torrey said before the Cactus Blossoms began their show at the Revival Room of the Southgate House Revival (it's an old church, hence the names of the rooms being the "Revival Room" and the "sanctuary"), "dance, make out in the back, get a beer, whatever." The good humor started the show off on the right foot, and the 25 or so who were in the Revival Room were treated to 75 minutes of marvelous harmonies from a brother duet who should go very, very far in the music world. Beginning with Red Foley's "Tennessee Border," Torrey and his brother Page Burkum (no, I haven't asked why they have different last names, but you can take one look at them and know they're brothers) performed all of the songs off their terrific national debut album You're Dreaming, which was produced by Americana great J.D. McPherson. They augmented their original songs with a few covers, including two Johnnie and Jack songs (they had released their version of "Down South in New Orleans" on one of their self-released recordings that helped secure them a national label). This is the fifth time I've seen the Cactus Blossoms; the second time this year; and the second time with a band (the other time was also this year, when they were backed by the Modern Sounds at the Hideout in Chicago). I simply cannot praise these two very nice, very talented young men enough. Their harmonies are stunning, their songs are good, and their concerts are fun. Go see them. You won't be disappointed. Instead of posting one of my pictures from last night, here's a video of them singing one of their songs, so you can hear how good their harmonies are: