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he Kentucky quintet, The 23 String Band came to Oriental Saturday and gave two performances. They performed that night at the Old Theater to kick off the Pamlico Musical Society’s 2013-14 season.

The 23 String Band on stage Saturday September 28 at Oriental’s Old Theater.

Their music was traditional and old-timey but that didn’t describe the vibrant performances, which crackled with tight harmonies and arrangements.

Earlier Saturday afternoon, The 23 String Band spent an hour across the street from the theater, on the front porch of Oriental’s Town Hall jamming with local musicians.

Jamming on the Oriental Town Hall porch.

The Kentucky band’s 23 strings (27 depending on how you count the mandolin) were outnumbered on the porch as several guitars, a couple of mandolins and fiddles and another stand up bass – accompanied by their Oriental-area players — joined in pushing the total number of strings past 75.

A mix of hands and necks, and musicians from Oriental and Kentucky.

Three of The 23 String Band: bass player Martin Stam, Dave Howard on mandolin and guitarist Chris Shouse.

Ken Belangia of Oriental.

The musicians ringed the edge of the Town Hall’s porch corner.

Some more scenes from the jam session, and from the evening concert, just ahead.

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Mandolin player Dave Howard of The 23 String Band. Next to him, on fiddle was Dixie Gatlin of Oriental’s Harborsounds.

Becky Ackiss on bass.

Scott Moore of The 23 String Band.

The scene around the Town Hall porch..

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Guitarist and lead singer Chris Shouse of The 23 String Band.

Playing at the corner of the Town Hall porch, where The 23 String Band from Kentucky was joined by about twice as many players and strings.

Ernest Dunn of Oriental, on fiddle.

Becky Ackiss, who usually carries a simple baton to lead the Pamlico Community Band, brought something much bigger to the jam session.

Dixie Gatlin, of Stonewall and fiddler with the group Harborsounds, was one of several fiddlers at the jam session.

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Some of the strings in The 23 String Band, from left, fiddler Scott Moore, guitarist Chris Shouse and on bass, T. Martin Stam.

Meanwhile, nearby were mandolin player Dave Howard and banjoist Curtis Wilson.

In old timey style – and old time radio style – the band clustered around one microphone, leaning in to sing.

Scott Moore and Martin Stam of The 23 String Band.

Six hands and at least 14 strings of The 23 String Band.

4/5ths of The 23 String Band at their September 28 Pamlico Musical Society show at Oriental’s Old Theater.

Posted Tuesday October 1, 2013 by Melinda Penkava