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My white skin is guilty.

[There, I wanted to say that first, before I say anything about the beautiful dark skin of the black race and any of its musical ancestors.]


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David Eugene Edwards somehow embodies the black spirit. That moving and stirring lament, that believable speech about suffering, that intrinsic sense of rhythm. Like many a blues master before him, he humbly sits on a stool and emits enough emotion, anguish, and power to fill up a room. It's like an event just to watch him. To be there is likened to going to church. Not only is the listening audience schooled in the ways of the blues and its older musical elements, but there is a passionate and zealous push to worship the God he sings so knowingly about. This is amazing stuff. David Eugene Edwards (performing with the moniker Woven Hand) is a special artist that must be seen and experienced while you are still alive. He's that special.


Quietly switching between a mandola (or possibly a lute or mandolin?), electric guitar, and acoustic guitar that he had sitting in 3 cases around him on the floor, he kept an atmosphere in the room with his Middle Eastern chant-like loop that he controlled with his stomp boxes. His mild gestures offer the dynamic "lows" of his exaggerated ones when he pours himself out during songs like "Chest Of Drawers," where he talks about "the world will bow / the knees will be broken for those who don't know how," and then we he turns the dire warning/judgment to himself, he hammers at the sides of his knee so swiftly that you wonder if he'll tear his ACL in the process. When he plows through "Down In Yon Forest," he presses his fingers into his eyelids, bulging them slightly as he confesses "...And I love my Lord Jesus above everything." It's almost as if he is travailing in prayer. Anguish is present as he delivers each word.


The mood lifted as his passion got more intense. The outdoor room at Emo's was in his back pocket, moving with each crescendo and rise. The end came quickly at the close of a song, as the soundman must've given him that look. Someone in the middle of the crowd started screaming: "NO! NO! You can't do that!" He was almost crying out in protest as he felt like he was just getting somewhere and the rug was pulled out from underneath him. He expressed, I believe, what a lot of us were feeling.


Afterwards a friend* told me: "You know what that was? That was speaking in tongues -- for real!" Yes, David Eugene Edwards is a for real person -- a believer who doesn't apologize for his faith. He also doesn't wear it like a cheap t-shirt. There's something about his approach that exudes authenticity.

Woven Hand was only one of four acts on the bill that night. Another big name was Magnolia Electric Company, who reminded me of Daniel Amos (circa 2002) with its simple countryfied songs and melodies. Headlining was a band called Serena Maneesh, which was fronted by Emil Nikolaisen, who played guitar for Extol back in 1996/1997, appearing on the Embraced 3-song EP. He plays guitar and dresses like he wants to be Jimi Hendrix. It falls a little short, but is still fascinating to watch, and the band adds a violin to make their sound bigger.

It was fun to see and be with friends on this night. I saw Lubbock resident and music professor Scott Faris* (from South Plains College, which has a wicked music program, folks), and I taught/refreshed HM intern, friend and Canadian Doug Giesbrecht to play darts ... and he proceeded to destroy me. A good night and a great way to spend a post-deadline evening.

©2006 HM Magazine - All Rights Reserved

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