No doubt about it: Asheville’s Blind Boy Chocolate and the Milk Sheiks was break-out band of Merlefest 2011

There’s no doubt that Asheville band Blind Boy Chocolate and the Milk Sheiks was the break-out band of Merlefest 2011. It’s already been noted over at BlogAsheville, so I’ll just add my voice to the chorus because I was there to see it with my own two.

The pizz-azzy band, which looks straight out of The Great Depression and specializes in old-time music from that era, has mostly played small venues around Asheville and on the street. The crowds they played for in Wilkesboro were by far the biggest for the group, which seemed to me to be a little nervous about it all. Nonetheless, the Merlefesters showered nothing but love on Blind Boy Chocolate. 

Catch these guys as soon as you can. They’re blowing up. From the Wilkes Journal Patriot:

The festival is known for finding and introducing talented newcomers to the MerleFest crowd, and this year was no exception.

One of the crowd favorites was “Blind Boy Chocolate and the Milk Sheiks,” featuring young musicians playing a washtub bass, washboard and a handsaw in addition to a banjo, guitar and mandolin. Over 1,000 people crowded into the Dance Tent for the group’s Saturday morning performance, leaving little room for anyone to dance.