After a COVID postponement in June, The Woods are finally returned to the Lovebite. Guitarist Joseph Callwood, bassist Tom Callwood, drummer Rick Cransonwood, and sax player Blair Lathamwood have been playing together as The Woods for almost a decade now.

There is an interesting story behind the band’s name, and it’s not about family names. That would be too obvious. Tom told me that some eight years ago, he and his brother Joe travelled to the Amazon for some inspiration. There they met Rick and Blair and decided to participate in some “inspirational” experiences.

During one they heard music and a voice announcing, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stage… The Woods!”.

They really liked the music, so when they got back from the Amazon they formed a band and called it “The Woods”.

The four musicians played a total of ten instruments during the session.

Tom played upright and electric basses, eliciting the transcendental sounds that only he can produce. Joe switched between guitars: an acoustic 12-string, a “jazzy” guitar, and a “rocky” guitar, each selected to match the mood. But Blair beat them all, alternating his typical tenor sax with bass clarinet, flute, and, surprisingly, guitar!

Only Rick stayed loyal to his drum kit rather than jumping to some frivolous fancy percussion stand. He was like a stone, solid and stable, but soaring quite high, filled with an energy so intense that you could feel the air move. And in the middle of the second set, the stone dropped back to the Earth crushing everything flat with a magnificent solo.

Every composition played that Tuesday evening was an original, written either by the band members or their friends. Put together, the pieces would make an awesome album.

We were teleported to a post-apocalyptic world of empty canyons and abandoned cities. A world full of wild elements, each with its own mood and music. A world haunted by ghosts of days past and their songs of longing and loss.

Despite the rainy weather, the bar was far from empty that night. IDs were checked frequently, as half the audience looked young enough to be underage.

You can find The Woods on Bandcamp.

I don’t recommend that you check them out. I insist that you do. And definitely do not miss the next time they venture out of “the woods” to entertain us.

By Charlie Queen