Live music warms up even the chilliest nights. Perhaps that’s why the Lethbridge Folk Club’s Jan. 16 presentation of Calgary based bluegrass band Go Ask Earl at the Lethbridge College Cave, had more people than I’ve seen at a folk club show in quite some time. 
Or it could be the band’s upbeat, cheerful, technically impressive set of bluegrass and bluegrassified hits that put one’s mind in the deep southern United States instead of on the blustering snow outside.
Brad Lindberg (banjo, guitar); Bruce Leinan (fiddle, mandolin); Carolin McBrien ( guitar); Keith Uyeno ( stand up bass) and dobro player/ guitarist Jack Loree entertained a good sized audience of approximately 70 people by playing a plethora of original bluegrass songs, bluegrass covers and class is and “grassified” hits from the Bee Gees and the Allman Brothers band.
They also covered newer artists like Chris Stapleton and Nashville/ Denver based newgrass band The Infamous Stringdusters. That was one of many highlights — their cover of a Celtic tinged tune called “Poor Boys Delight.” They also put a beautiful twist on the Bee Gees “To Love Somebody” and wound things down with a hot cover of Sonny Boy Williamson the Allman Brothers band’s “ One Way Out.”
Their musicianship was top notch as the band members switched instruments practically every tune as well as taking turns singing lead vocals while the other band members added gorgeous harmonies.
In between tuning and instrument changing, there were plenty of stories and dirty jokes to entertain the audience, who were clapping along with each song and applauding each sizzling banjo and mandolin solo.
