The Hi-Jivers and Wild Bill & the Bruisers at the Harvester
09.06.2024 - “We’re gonna rock this town, rock it inside out”...If you liked that groove, and/or the ones that preceded it by about 40 years, consisting of a throbbing upright bass, jangly Fender guitar with a lot of reverb, and a hotshot drummer who can play fast, yet with solid control, then you would have been in Early Rock/ Rhythm & Blues Heaven at the Harvester Event Center in Smithville, Tennessee on Friday night.
This theme-based live concert was a follow-up to the first ever Swing Dance Workshop, held at the Harvester on Wednesday, 9/4/24, and several of the workshop instructors and students were in the audience Friday evening, showing off some of their cool swing dance moves, with a few two-step tunes thrown in.
Sometimes, when we get lucky, we see a live music concert that has a dynamite opening act AND headliner - that’s exactly what unfolded at the Harv as Wild Bill & the Bruisers opened up for their Nashville-based neighbors, The Hi-Jivers.
Let me tell you, Wild Bill & the Bruisers is a tough act to follow, with VERY accomplished drummer named Roger Ross from Kentucky and lead guitar player Ryan Hartman from Marietta, Georgia (Ryan played a Fender, naturally), with Wild Bill from Lafayette, Indiana, he himself handling the lead vocals while jumping around with his upright acoustic bass fiddle–a lot of the time, his big ole bass was either being held and played like a guitar, sometimes suspended above WB’s head - once actually balanced on his head...all the while, playing and singing without missing a beat. I must admit, I’ve never seen anyone manhandle a bass fiddle like Wild Bill. A Folsom Prison version that sounded like it was on Ritalin and Bird is the Word were high points of the evening for the crowd.
After Wild Bill’s scorching set, The Hi-Jivers took the stage, and erased all doubts about “hot opening acts” as they very professionally immediately won over the Harvester’s discerning crowd with their solid groove- there’s no doubt that The Hi-Jivers are up to the task of following any opening act they might have to follow. Austin John and his wife Dawna zahn are the foundation for the group, having moved to Nashville from upstate New York in 2014 and have developed a “rocking, rhythm and blues, soul-oriented” sound and personna that is their very own unique approach. Dawna is due to have the couple’s first baby in early December - congrats and yo’ momma has got the pipes kid. I had a hard time discerning their original songs from their cover material, because their originals have such an authentic feel to them that even though they are different with a unique Hi-Jiver treatment, their compositions sound just as authentic, honest and soulful as the big hit standards they cover. The Hi-Jivers Rock! The Rhythm Section is made up Arjuna Contreras on drums (also a scuba diver) and Dave Jacque on stand up bass who performed here last year with The Tiger Beats…oh, and he was the side man for a guy named John Prine. Thanks to y’all for being consummate professionals.
The Harvester crowd absolutely loved both of these groups - all told, it was probably one of the highest energy nights of entertainment the Harvester has presented so far. Combined with the interest in the Harvester’s Swing Dance Workshop, and our discovery of these two great bands whose genres fit the Swing Dance vibe, you can count on more of these type music projects in the 2025 lineup.
You can find material from both The Hi-Jivers and Wild Bill & the Bruisers on the major streaming music platforms as well as Youtube and Facebook.
Wild Bill and the Bruisers will release their debut album on September 14th!
As always, kudos to the Harvester Security and Service Staff, Sound Engineer Philip Stafford, the Hardwoods Smokehouse food truck, and our Harvester friends and fans - we appreciate all of you so much!
That concludes our summer series, but next on the schedule is our 5th Annual Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead with Plainview Vibes and Austin Grimm on Friday, 11/1, and be on lookout for a December concert announcement coming soon! More shows in the works to finish out the year! Stay tuned for upcoming special music events at the Harvester, and stay up-to-date with all the events in the Bert Driver Network (Nursery, Burlap Room, and the Harvester) by signing up for our ‘The Local Vibe’ Newsletter - released the first Tuesday of the month, straight to your inbox! And don’t forget the Harvester is for rent: corporate events and parties, weddings, receptions, graduations, baby showers, or whatever you’re celebrating, we host ‘em all! Contact us for more information, and check us out on Wedding Wire or The Knot!
