Is there a more intoxicating combination than blues music and good whisky? There is – blues music and multiple good whiskies. This enjoyable mix of malts and music is what Rhythm and Booze Project is serving up this year in their show Two Guys, Three Drams: The Ultimate Live Blues and Whisky Experience.
A thoroughly enjoyable excursion into the world of blues and booze
The Project consists of Scottish percussionist Paul Archibald, and American guitar-playing vocalist Felipe Schrieberg. It’s Schreiberg who leads the proceedings, both on the tasting and on delivering a host of information on such subjects as the history of Scotch whisky, what constitutes Scotch single malt, and how to raise your levels of pretentiousness in tasting situations.
The informative sections of the show are never too heavy, and delivered with plenty of humour as well as the opportunity to do a bit of singing. However, it is the blues and the booze which are the stars of the show. On both fronts the audience are served with classics.
On the whisky side we get to taste a fiery Islay whisky from the Bruichladdich distillery, which eschews the peatiness which tends to typify malts from that island. We move across the country to try a Speyside classic from Balvenie. Finally we return to Islay for a Lagavulin, which is infused with the oily smokiness which is more typical of the island’s output. It’s a fine line up, and each is delivered along with titbits about the production of the drams, and tasting notes which help to reveal the complexity of the malts.
The music is no less iconic, with tracks from the Delta to Chicago all brought to life expertly on Schrieberg’s resonator guitar and Archibald’s pared down drum kit. The music is played with power, as the American’s voice rings with emotion - the perfect accompaniment to the alcohol being served. Special mention has to go to the tracks on which Archibald plays a washboard, adding impressively constructed percussive drive to the songs.
Simply put, if you like blues and you like whisky then you’ve got to see this show. If you don’t, then you should probably still see it and see if it can win you over. Two Guys, Three Drams is a thoroughly enjoyable excursion into the world of blues and booze and well worth an hour of anyone’s time.
