Blues or not, Brackins always on a good groove

Photo by Greg Wood

Connie Johnson and Craig Crisholm enjoy a night out at Brackins Blues Club.

I'm consistently impressed with what Brackins Blues Club in Maryville has to offer.

The Brackins atmosphere stands alone. It's got a saloon vibe thanks to old wood paneling. As soon as you walk in there's a dimly lit, open seating area to the left with a slightly elevated stage packed up against the front windows.

It's a tightly knit live performance area. It never feels like there's any distance between the crowd and the band - the band's just a few regular people getting up to play. But this isn't to diminish the vast array of talent that comes through Brackins.

Every time I've been the live act has honed in on perfection, and my last trip was no exception. An upright bassist, an acoustic guitarist and a vocalist/harmonica player strolled their bluesy way through classic rock covers (among them, Jimi Hendrix) sans percussion, keeping on time and still feeling the groove.

It's been a while since I've seen an East Tennessee vocalist be able to strike high notes, slide around the scale without screeching and then launch into a gritty harmonica riff. Actually, I doubt I've ever seen that before until my last trip to Brackins.

Brackins is the best of both worlds. It's easygoing and friendly. Everyone's there to have a good time and enjoy some music. People aren't shy about getting up to dance or striking up conversation with those around them. The service tends to be slow as a result of this easygoing attitude, but overall it doesn't detract from the experience.

And on the other hand, the quality of the live entertainment is top notch. And it's free. You can just stroll into the downtown Maryville honky-tonk and witness people more talented than just about anywhere else in the region.

Brackins doesn't suffer from poor sound, per se, but the set up does lend itself to a more down-to-earth approach. It feels like people playing in your garage. Since the instrumentation on this night was fairly simple (acoustic instruments and vocals) the mix rarely suffered, but when it did it was forgivable - it just seems like part of a lo-fi production. It's charming and manageable. It takes itself seriously but still feels like bar music (as opposed to an upscale jazz venue or concert hall).

It has the feel of a downtown Nashville establishment but lacks the corporate record label presence that often comes with it. It's a production completely uncorrupted by commercialism, ripe for people with deep appreciation for music.

My party and I sat at our table in front of the band, captivated by the members' skill. They bantered briefly between songs but mostly focused on their renditions of classics, adding intricate bass lines, detailed, twangy guitar solos and gripping harmonica bits. Unlike most evenings, we stuck to only one drink apiece - the live music was too engaging to really throw down.

And Brackins isn't necessarily a place to go all out, especially if you're traveling from the Knoxville area (taking that cab home's not cheap). But this doesn't mean their selection lacks - they have a plethora of beer, sticking with staples like Miller and expanding as far as Boddingtons. Although the focus of the evening is on live music, there are plenty of other ways to please the palate.

For those who want to throw down, Brackins has a side room with a pool table and dart boards. It even has a window to the bar for easy ordering. The semi-secluded room is far quieter than the main area of the bar, so there's always an outlet for more comfortable conversation.

I've been on a live music kick recently, focusing mainly on local or regional acts, and even though I've hit multiple venues in the past few months serving up this form of entertainment, Brackins not only held its own, it strongly shone through.

Anyone who has ever loved rock, blues or old-school country music owes it to themselves to stop by Brackins on a Friday night.

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