Upstate New York brothers make music that is “too retro,” and a barefoot movement takes to the stage, 5,000 miles away.
This is episode 43 of Caffe Lena: 60 Years of Song. Thank you to Sarah for this list of artists and songs for the feature.
The Gibson Brothers, Leigh and Eric, were offered a major record deal in Nashville when they were in their 20’s. They were told at the last minute that they were too “retro” for modern country music. That didn’t stop them from making music, though, and they went on to be recognized by the International Bluegrass Music Association as back-to-back Entertainers of the Year in 2012 and 2013.
The Barefoot Movement is a young acoustic quartet whose credits include projects by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles. In 2014 they made the 5,000 mile trek to the West African nation of Burkina Faso to perform a series of shows at the invitation of the American Embassy there. Everywhere they performed, the locals performed for them, too, as a sharing of culture through music and dance.
Caffe Lena: 60 Years of Song, a production of WEXT Radio.