Columbia, South Carolina. Home of Hootie and the Blowfish, the Confederate flag and Silers Bald. Granted, only two of the three are well known outside South Carolina, but after four years of paying their dues in "The Palmetto State," Silers Bald has achieved national distribution.
Six musicians make up Silers Bald. The three original band members are from the University of South Carolina where they formed the band in the spring of 1996. Their musical and instrumental versatility alone (acoustic guitar, violin, hammered dulcimer, mandolin, electric guitar, piano, upright bass, bass guitar, Djembe, Udu, Congas and a Hammond organ.) qualifies them as a talented band.
Many comparisons have been made between Silers Bald and Caedmon's Call, and with good reason. Both bands include numerous male members, and have one female member. They both began their careers as independent, college coffee house bands. The similarities don't stop there. Co-lead singer Warren Bazemore has a voice that would blend right into Caedmon's Call. Their music is highly introspective and self-conscious with deep lyrics, fantastic orchestration, and tight harmonies
The name Silers Bald is a reference to an area of the Appalachian Trail. The band's love for nature comes through in their music and the band recorded a live album in tribute to nature-boy himself, Rich Mullins, only a few months after his death in 1998. Co-lead singer Shane Williams cites Mullins as a major musical and spiritual influence in his life since high school--and said he greatly misses him. Williams wrote about Mullins in an eulogistic song called "Slow Me Down."
Well it must have been so warm in His arms,
As your life, your hope you Lord became the solace of your heart.
Looking past the wreckage, twisted metal.
Blessed life.
It must have been so warm in Christ's arms.
Standing in His presence. 'Well done.'
For those of us who really miss Mullins, Williams' tribute to him is deeply touching. The song is made more powerful by Williams' contrast of Mullins' death with that of a non-Christian friend in a similar accident.
Silers Bald has performed more than 250 concerts from Illinois to Louisiana to Florida in the past three-and-a-half years. According to David Williams, their manager, they still do free concerts. "They don't know from show to show whether they are getting paid $1,000 or nothing. That frees them to focus on the ministry," Williams said, "God has been so faithful to take care of us." Williams added that Silers Bald prefers that he not share the financial figures with them before a concert so they can concentrate on performing the same quality of show every time without knowing the profit or non-profit involved. In the spirit of Rich Mullins, they have an accountability system that ensures that their music prioritizes ministry ahead of money.
With their complex orchestration, tight vocals and introspective sound, Silers Bald is a band destined to be loved by any Caedmon's Call enthusiast and many other acoustic-pop enthusiasts.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Olin JenkinsWhat is Silers Bald? Okay, I cheated, since I "grew up" with these guys (and gal Laura Story) from my hometown of Columbia, South Carolina. Grabbing the liner notes of their first project, Climbing (1997), Silers Bald is both a ridge on the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee and "a search for something greater than ourselves...". I call this band today's version of Peter, Paul and Mary, or better…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Janet FriesenSilers Bald is the name of a ridge along the Appalachian trail. Rising up from the valleys around them, these mountains offer spectacular vistas to those willing to take the journey to the heights. The ridges afford the chance to rest and view the magnificence of God's creation. Silers Bald, the band, takes its cue from its namesake and attempts to give its listeners an amazing view, that of the…
