Eddie 9V ready to electrify Carson City with retro soul
Eddie 9V is a 5-piece band from Atlanta and playing a blend of old and modern with their retro soul music at the Levitt AMP Concert in Carson City on Saturday.
Brooks Mason and some bandmembers were living in a double wide trailer in 2019 and recorded an album with no fancy studio tools. They had a few microphones with no plug-ins and they did everything live and straightforward with no overdubs or anything, Mason said. And the band gained some traction shortly afterward. “We started playing around town in Atlanta and caught the ears of Ruf Records, and they wanted us to do a record,” Mason said. “And the rest is, that’s why we’re on the road now.” Eddie9V was formed from that recording session, and Mason goes by the moniker as the lead of the band. The five-piece known for their retro soul music plays at the Levitt AMP Concert Series in Carson City on Saturday. THE BAND Eddie 9V said their music blends old-school with modern through their songwriting. “Being born in 1996, I grew up listening to a whole lot of Metallica and AC/DC and stuff like that,” Eddie 9V said. “So it’s definitely always going to be more modern, but we definitely pull from a lot of old stuff.” They’ve made a splash right away with their second record, “Little Black Flies” when it went straight to No. 5 on the Billboard blues music chart. Eddie 9V said the album was also recorded in a living room and not in a studio. The five-piece band consists of: Layne Kelley on bass; Noah Sills on saxophone; Chad Mason on keys; Seef Anam on drums and Eddie 9V sings and plays guitar. Eddie 9V said on stage, the band has a lot of energy and brings it to every show. They’ve been traveling together as a unit for almost a year now and playing great shows. “It’s definitely the best band I’ve played with,” he said. They took on the name Eddie 9V because it was a nickname that’s quick and easy and it stuck. Also Eddie 9V said didn’t want to use his name for the band. “A lot of people wanted me to be ‘Brooks Mason blues band’ and being modern, we didn’t want to be a ‘Joe Schmo blues band,’” he said. “Basically, I didn’t want to be another blues band with my name in it.” CONTINUE GROWING Eddie 9V said the band’s fast success has been a good accomplishment and they want to continue that growth by putting out more music and keep touring. He credits Barron Ruth who is the booking agent for the band. The band has played places like Tipitina’s in New Orleans and the Telluride Blues Festival in Colorado. They’ve been playing many music festivals getting in front of more people like the Big Blues Bender in Las Vegas, where they’re coming from before Carson City. “He’s really stepped up our live performances; we couldn’t have done it without him,” Eddie 9V said. “We have a great agent and a great team and they’re putting us all over the country.” Eddie 9V didn’t know an exact number, but he estimates that the band will play about 150 shows in 2022. He said the growth is apparent at some places they’ve played more than once. “At the Kansas City club, Knuckleheads, the first time maybe there was 12 people there,” he said. “We just went back on a Wednesday night, and we had more than 100.” Besides touring, the band is also focused on making more albums. Eddie 9V said they’re always working two albums ahead. They’re done with one right now, with the release planned for November, and they’re already working on the following album. Eddie 9V said they’ll focus on recording and they’ll keep touring as hard as they can and try to keep moving up the lineups at festivals. “We’re in a really good pocket of progression,” he said. “We’re just keeping our heads down and working hard and keeping the momentum forward.” FIRST TIME IN CARSON CITY Eddie 9V said he’s stoked to play Carson City for the first time, and it will be the farthest west he’s been with this band. “Get ready for an energetic, soulful performance,” he said. “Think Otis Redding meets Al Green and throw in some modern soul.” IF YOU GO WHAT: Eddie 9V at Brewery Art Center’s Levitt AMP Concert Series WHERE: The Change Companies Stage, 449 W. King St. at the Brewery Arts Center WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20 MORE INFO: www.eddie9volt.com; breweryarts.org
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