Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Download not available
Washington, D.C.-based rock quartet Virginia Coalition comes out of a distinct musical tradition, even if it's one that has rarely been recognized as such. Rock critics of the '90s were so dazzled by the grunge scene in Seattle, WA, that they managed to ignore an equally vibrant, if somewhat more geographically diverse scene that had grown up along the Eastern Seaboard at the same time. These were bands influenced by the improvisational groups of an earlier generation, notably the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band, but which also mixed in healthy doses of frat rock and beach music, along with rhythms borrowed from the Caribbean and Central America. Maybe no critic was willing to put in the hundreds of miles on I-95 it would have taken to connect the dots because this scene stretched from South Carolina to Vermont, and it included Blues Traveler, Dispatch, Hootie & the Blowfish, Bruce Hornsby & the Range, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, and Spin Doctors, among others. Some of these bands made very successful records, but the movement was largely performance based, another reason why critics, who like to sit home with their CDs and don't get out much, missed the connections. The best they could do was to lump some of these acts in with other groups from around the country that sounded nothing like them under the umbrella term "jam bands." As usual, however, audiences didn't need reviews and trend articles to know what they liked, and the music flourished. Of course, it also spawned more bands, and Virginia Coalition is prominent among the next wave of them. Naturally, a two-CD live album is the best audio representation of such an act, and that's what Live at the 9:30 Club is. As heard here, the band most closely resembles Dispatch, with its resonant, rapid-fire, rhythmic vocals and strong beats. But Dispatch didn't have keyboards, and when you add those, the Hornsby connection makes itself heard. Also, Virginia Coalition is less interested in Jamaican beats than in Latin ones, that is, when it isn't just rocking out. But the aspect that the group shares most with its East Coast boogie rock predecessors is its audience rapport. This is a band that makes a connection with its listeners, whether it's playing an original in a salsa style, covering Bill Withers' "Lean on Me," or turning to R&B. It could hold its own anywhere from a Boston club to a Myrtle Beach bar or a thousand venues in between. Can a berth at Bonnaroo be far behind?
© William Ruhlmann /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $16.65/month
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Virginia Coalition, Composer, Writer, MainArtist
Album review
Washington, D.C.-based rock quartet Virginia Coalition comes out of a distinct musical tradition, even if it's one that has rarely been recognized as such. Rock critics of the '90s were so dazzled by the grunge scene in Seattle, WA, that they managed to ignore an equally vibrant, if somewhat more geographically diverse scene that had grown up along the Eastern Seaboard at the same time. These were bands influenced by the improvisational groups of an earlier generation, notably the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band, but which also mixed in healthy doses of frat rock and beach music, along with rhythms borrowed from the Caribbean and Central America. Maybe no critic was willing to put in the hundreds of miles on I-95 it would have taken to connect the dots because this scene stretched from South Carolina to Vermont, and it included Blues Traveler, Dispatch, Hootie & the Blowfish, Bruce Hornsby & the Range, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, and Spin Doctors, among others. Some of these bands made very successful records, but the movement was largely performance based, another reason why critics, who like to sit home with their CDs and don't get out much, missed the connections. The best they could do was to lump some of these acts in with other groups from around the country that sounded nothing like them under the umbrella term "jam bands." As usual, however, audiences didn't need reviews and trend articles to know what they liked, and the music flourished. Of course, it also spawned more bands, and Virginia Coalition is prominent among the next wave of them. Naturally, a two-CD live album is the best audio representation of such an act, and that's what Live at the 9:30 Club is. As heard here, the band most closely resembles Dispatch, with its resonant, rapid-fire, rhythmic vocals and strong beats. But Dispatch didn't have keyboards, and when you add those, the Hornsby connection makes itself heard. Also, Virginia Coalition is less interested in Jamaican beats than in Latin ones, that is, when it isn't just rocking out. But the aspect that the group shares most with its East Coast boogie rock predecessors is its audience rapport. This is a band that makes a connection with its listeners, whether it's playing an original in a salsa style, covering Bill Withers' "Lean on Me," or turning to R&B. It could hold its own anywhere from a Boston club to a Myrtle Beach bar or a thousand venues in between. Can a berth at Bonnaroo be far behind?
© William Ruhlmann /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 16 track(s)
- Total length: 01:47:27
- Main artists: Virginia Coalition
- Composer: Virginia Coalition
- Label: bluhammock music
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.