The Atkinsons.  The name caught my attention immediately.  Was it the name of one of the musicians?  No.  That would have been too easy.  The origin of the name was much more interesting than that.  About six years ago two friends, Dickie Wood and Jeff Williams, decided to put together a band.  They had met at an open-mic that they both frequented, so they wanted a name that had something to do with that.  In their search for the right name, they came across Gary Atkinson, another musician who frequented the open-mic.  When they heard his surname they knew it was the one they wanted.  And thus the Atkinsons were born.

I decided to see them at Cafe Diem, where they play the second Saturday of every month, except for this month as they will be playing the Capital Ale House Emmyfest II benefit for the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation.  As I walked into the bar, sorry cafe, I realized this was going to be a very intimate concert.  The stage was set up in the back, facing straight into a row of booths along the north wall.  The space was barely large enough to fit the six member band, but somehow they crammed themselves in.  I was disappointed to find that the fiddle player, Mike Ferry, was not going to be there.  I love fiddle music.  But all was not lost.  Dan Sessler of The Dirty Truth was filling in as a guest guitarist. 

As they started to play I immediately noticed Dickie's voice.  It had an interesting nasal quality that, while being a bit more lyrical, reminded me of Patterson Hood of Drive By Truckers fame.  In fact the Atkinsons are very reminiscent of the Drive By Truckers.  They have a very similar feel to them, although their sound is a bit more rootsy.  While they are very much a rock and roll band, the combination of Dickie's voice, Jeff's mandolin, and Mike's fiddle make for a strong sense of the south.  A sense that this music is connected to the area in which it was made.

The band continued to play an interesting mix of original tunes and well known covers for what seemed like all too short of a time.  But before I knew it they were done with their first set and stepping out to mingle with the crowd.  It was close to midnight, but the crowd was loving them and so was I.  After a brief break, they were back at it, pumping out some very raw and heartfelt songs.  The second set consisted of more covers than the first, but after all you gotta give the crowd  some songs to which they can sing along.  Especially when its past midnight, on a Saturday, and the beer is flowing heavily.  That's not to say the originals that they did play were not excellent.  'Caroline' particularly stood out as a showcase of Dickie's haunting use of his voice.  Kris Krull's drumming was another outstanding aspect to their music that I noticed in the second set.  He has a very cymbal heavy style, that complimented the mandolin perfectly.

Not only were the originals outstanding, but they took the covers and really made them their own.  Playing them in their own Atkinsons style.  Two of these that stood out were their cover of Old Crow Medicine show's version of 'Wagon Wheel' and Neil Young's 'Ohio.'  Played back to back they really showcased the Atkinson's ability to take songs of very different genres and make them distinctively their own.

All in all it was a great night of great music.  On top of that they gave me a copy of their CD, American Gothic, so that I can continue listening to their amazing music even when I can't make it to their concerts in the future.  Although I will be trying my best to make it to as many of their shows as I can.  They are a band that are not to be missed.  When I first sat down to listen to the CD, I was again amazed at the quality of the song 'Caroline.'  This time with the fiddle part, which exponentially improves the listening experience.  There is something about the twang of the fiddle that really makes this song hit home to me.

For an 'amateur' band, these six musicians are the real deal.  Despite most of them having children to take care of and all of them having full time jobs they still manage to perform frequently and write lots of original material.  They told me they are almost ready to start recording a second album, and the October 10th show that I attended was the tail end of a blistering month and a half of playing at least one show every weekend.  In fact the Saturday show I went to was their second that day.  If you aren't already in love with the Atkinsons, and I'm betting quite a few of you are, then you will be as soon as you see them perform.  This is a feel good, roots rocking, americana, hellofa good time.  So don't miss out!

Visit The Atkinsons online:  The Atkinsons on Myspace

TheAtkinsons.us

By Editing Department, Regional Editor and Author: Robin Marschak

Robin Marschak was born and raised in Richmond, but has only recently moved back after two years in California.  He loves all types of music from Jimmy Rodgers to Daft Punk to Tower of Power and all things in between.  He is currently a student at VCU and living in Oregon Hill.  Some of his favorite artists include Old Crow Medicine Show, Mark Campbell, and Steve Earl.  Other than listening to music and writing, Robin's hobbies include eating, sleeping, and an occasional guilt induced fit of exercise.  You can follow his adventures in local music on Twitter @robinmarschak, or hear some of the non-local music that he enjoys at either last.fm/user/beerdo231 or blip.fm/beerdo.

Comments(2):

1. Thanks!

   Thanks so much for the great story Robin and for putting us on the cover of your second issue Chris and Heather! We really appreciate it and are honored to be the first band featured on the cover! Thanks for your support!

   Sunday, November 01, 2009 Jamie

2. Definitely

   worthy of the cover, one of the premiere bands in the area, and nice friendly people, too.

   Wednesday, November 04, 2009 Paul Magill