by Michael Bernard
For The Corner News
published July 2, 2008
Photo by myspace.com/mississippijohndoude
Mississippi John Doude played acoustic and slide guitar showcasing his country/blues sound in Waverly last weekend.
“I’ve always wondered about this place,” said Emma Keller of Auburn after being asked if it was her first time to Standard Deluxe. “As long as I’ve been in Auburn I have asked so many people where they got the cute shirt they were wearing and it seems like they are always telling me Standard Deluxe.”
Standard Deluxe, and its 15 years of sought after work in uniquely designed overprint T-shirts and silkscreen posters, may be Waverly, Alabama’s best kept secret.
But what brought the ever growing crowd to normally sleepy Waverly Saturday night was the most recent in Standard Deluxe’s concert performances.
Watermelon and other goodies were available immediately after entering the door, and from the opening strums of Mississippi John Doude’s guitar and beat of his bass drum, it was immediate to all that the all ages fun was just beginning.
“I am really pleasantly surprised at the turnout tonight,” Doude said just before he took the stage. “I come from a place just like this, McCool, Miss., and you really would have a hard time finding a crowd this big coming to anything out there.”
Doude showed great musical range as he switched from playing his acoustic guitar to playing slide, and the energy and outlaw-vibe only intensified.
“Now we are having fun!” Doude exclaimed as he switched from the acoustic to the electric guitar and finished his set with a flurry of deep and energetic blues songs.
Next, despite electrical difficulties that delayed and then halted mid-stream their second song, Blue Mountain of Oxford, Miss., took the stage and their stylized blend of blues and other influences picked up right where Mississippi John Doude left off. At times a listener may be reminded of such diverse bands as Mudhoney all the way to Pink Floyd in just a few bars of music, and the crowd was enchanted with the musical adventure unfolding in the Alabama night.
Auburn’s own Dirtnap took the stage for the finale performance and provided one of their best performances in memory. The sizeable crowd, of a few hundred people, never stopped flowing in as the night progressed. For the many who had made their first pilgrimage to Waverly this night, excited about the next installment.
