When you see Chris (upright bass) and Oliver (lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitar) Perform together, the question immediately arises as to why the brothers, who formed their band in 2004, didn’t do that their entire lives. When asked about potential “brother baggage,” Chris is quick to counter the stereotype, saying they “get along pretty damn good.” Though he enjoys the challenge of MMW, he admittedly missed his love for words, having grown up with a published poet for a mother. That thirst is quenched with The Wood Brothers, where his jazz chops now beautifully coincide with extremely moving lyrics co-written with Oliver. What was born of a side project, has now become a main staple in their lives after Billy Martin expressed his desire to slow down from touring with MMW.

To see The Wood Brothers perform live at one of Los Angeles’ most celebrated venues, is a true privilege. It would be a disservice to call them a jam band, given that much of their musical riffs, though both challenging and engaging, do not stray far from their rich melody. I have an innate aversion to indulgent performances, as they often take away from the artist’s connection to the audience, as if the musicians are playing in their own garage — for themselves. The Wood Brothers are far from that. They’re playing for each and every person in front of them, and one song is better than the next. It’s hard to top their recordings, but their live show does just that. Their new record, ‘Live At The Barn,’ is available now. It was recorded at Levon Helm’s studio in Woodstock, New York.

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