Review by Olivia Mello, Narrows Staff

I went to church this weekend, but not on Sunday morning, as you might expect. Saturday night, the Slide Brothers led a mass of rhythm and blues, filling our mill with the legendary sounds of sacred steel. The band, led by Calvin Cooke, whom I like to call the Reverend of Soul, did not disappoint.

The stage held two pedal steel guitars, a drum set and a six-string bass. But by simply listening, you would think it was a much larger band. The pedal steel guitar players, although two, played as one, seamlessly weaving their lead and rhythm together. These instruments created such a smooth texture, mimicking the voices of angels and leading us in some beautiful hymns.

The band’s energy was happy and playful before even hitting the stage, and that joy was contagious once they did. At the beginning of the set, Calvin told the audience he was taking us to church and, boy, was that the truth.

The Brothers ended their set with a couple gospel tunes, accompanied by the wonderful blues player Mark T. Small, who opened for them. The musicians had everybody up and out of their seats by the end of the night.

If the Slide Brothers were their own religion, I’d convert.