Gipsy Moon
Denver, Colorado, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Saturday night, I had the privilege of catching an up and coming Boulder folk band called Gipsy Moon. They combine bluegrass, soul, alternative rock, and a little bit of gipsy jazz, weaving an intricate aura of acoustic song. A friend of mine called me up, telling me that the group was playing at the Lazy Dog on Pearl Street and it was not to be missed. He was right.
They opened up with a waltz-y minor tune called "Vessel." The female vocalist, Mackenzie, sang a perfect harmony to David's lead melody. I was caught off guard, considering the lineup consists of banjo, guitar, mandolin, and bass. I guess I was expecting a hard-hitting bluegrass band, but these guys rip it up in different ways. Don't get me wrong, though, they did what they needed to do as well. Near the end of their two-hour set, they played a great rendition of "Shady Grove," getting everybody in the room on to the dance floor.
Gipsy Moon | photos by Trevor Robbins
From their bluegrass roots, they expanded into the territory of soul several times, most notably a roaring cover of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good." Mackenzie's got pipes and she showed them off. The band also had some impressive originals. Their bassist, Colin, wrote a doozy of a folk song entitled "Nocturnal." Did I mention that he's not only a fantastic bassist, but also the son of Leftover Salmon's Vince Herman? Did I also mention that the guitar/mandolin player is Vince's other son, Silas? They certainly take after their father's instrumental prowess.
In reference to Silas, one audience member walked up to me, pointed, and said, "he's gonna out-pick his dad by the time he's old enough to drink." I wouldn't doubt it. Vince is one Hell of a picker, that's a fact; but Silas has some extremely impressive chops, on both guitar and mandolin.
From their traditional renditions of the classic bluegrass numbers, to their soulful forays, to their unique sound on their original songs, these guys aren't to be missed. Go check them out. They're on Facebook, and soon their newly recorded demo will be up there for all our listening pleasure. - by Trevor Stewart - The Grateful Web
Saturday night, I had the privilege of catching an up and coming Boulder folk band called Gipsy Moon. They combine bluegrass, soul, alternative rock, and a little bit of gipsy jazz, weaving an intricate aura of acoustic song. A friend of mine called me up, telling me that the group was playing at the Lazy Dog on Pearl Street and it was not to be missed. He was right.
They opened up with a waltz-y minor tune called "Vessel." The female vocalist, Mackenzie, sang a perfect harmony to David's lead melody. I was caught off guard, considering the lineup consists of banjo, guitar, mandolin, and bass. I guess I was expecting a hard-hitting bluegrass band, but these guys rip it up in different ways. Don't get me wrong, though, they did what they needed to do as well. Near the end of their two-hour set, they played a great rendition of "Shady Grove," getting everybody in the room on to the dance floor.
Gipsy Moon | photos by Trevor Robbins
From their bluegrass roots, they expanded into the territory of soul several times, most notably a roaring cover of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good." Mackenzie's got pipes and she showed them off. The band also had some impressive originals. Their bassist, Colin, wrote a doozy of a folk song entitled "Nocturnal." Did I mention that he's not only a fantastic bassist, but also the son of Leftover Salmon's Vince Herman? Did I also mention that the guitar/mandolin player is Vince's other son, Silas? They certainly take after their father's instrumental prowess.
In reference to Silas, one audience member walked up to me, pointed, and said, "he's gonna out-pick his dad by the time he's old enough to drink." I wouldn't doubt it. Vince is one Hell of a picker, that's a fact; but Silas has some extremely impressive chops, on both guitar and mandolin.
From their traditional renditions of the classic bluegrass numbers, to their soulful forays, to their unique sound on their original songs, these guys aren't to be missed. Go check them out. They're on Facebook, and soon their newly recorded demo will be up there for all our listening pleasure. - by Trevor Stewart - The Grateful Web
Discography
New full-length studio album to be released summer 2013.
Photos
Bio
Gipsy Moon is a five-piece group of wandering artists on an endless journey toward good times and raw expression. With music as their carriage, strings as their weapon and the horizon as their aim, this unconventional band is not one to be missed. Their sound, often referred to as Gipsygrass, is something like a backwoods hoedown meets the smoking basement of a New York jazz club. Their soothing harmonies, raging solos and dirt encrusted bass lines bring an old time style into an exciting new dimension; one that hippies and poets, lovers and dancers, freaks and families alike can all come together and move in ways that their bodies have never known.
The members, made up of Silas Herman (guitar/mandolin), David Matters (banjo/vocals/guitar) Mackenzie Page (guitar/vocals/tenor guitar/washboard) and Collin Huff (bass/vocals/guitar) all take rest in the windy mountains of Nederland, Colorado. When they are not on the move you can find them here, forming cantos high up in the Rockies, making herbal concoctions out of the local flora or sharing a glistening jug of homebrew around a blazing campfire. This is but a small glimpse into the source of their musical inspiration. The content of most of their lyrics is a tasteful blend of nature based love songs, anti-establishment sing-alongs and down home simplicity with a gentle kiss of civil disobedience. They create music that is meant to plant inspiration in the soul and start a fire in the heart. They perform with the intention to build community and to invoke love in its wildest manifestation. They travel in order to experience life to its fullest and to build bridges that connect the frayed ends of the crumbling establishment to a new and beautiful way of existence. If one should ever come upon an opportunity to see Gipsy Moon, whether on the stage, in the woods or even sleeping in your back yard, they should be pleased at prospect of kicking off their shoes, smiling to the heavens and getting down and dirty to some rowdy ass picking.
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