This was a night of great vocals and solid songwriting. This was a packed house at the Iota, where Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons played a set followed shortly thereafter by headliner Dawes. Cory Chisel took the stage looking a bit like James Franco and a lot like an indie rocking singer-songwriter. It was quickly apparent that his small stature and unassuming nature belied his powerful voice and immense songwriting abilities. His drummer played lines that were one part Americana and one part the Killers. His bassist sat on top of his amp, looking like an excited kid in a playground. In the front, Chisel was wedged between his keyboard playing female harmony vocalist and his lead guitar player, the latter wearing a Russian styled black fur cap, large rimmed glasses and a black sport coat. They opened the set with "See It My Way" and they never looked back. Although most in the crowd professed, when prodded, to having never seen the band before, everyone was excited, creeping towards the stage in the tiny club within the first notes of the set. Early in the show, Chisel broke a string on his guitar. He clearly was not prepared for this and had to ask if anyone had a guitar that he could borrow. Fortunately someone did. While this mystery guitar made its way forward, Chisel apologized, saying, "I didn't expect to acoustic rock this hard." While he was tuning his new guitar, he got his first request of the night, from a girl right up front, and with a smile, he graciously acquiesced. He played a beautiful love song, "Home in the Woods," full of imagery of the forests of his Midwestern youth, real or imagined. Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons :: 02.23 :: Arlington, VA For the next track, the band did not exit the stage, but the rhythm section relaxed and Chisel played a stunning track called "It Won't Be Long," in which he sings, "I'll take you with me wherever I go/ Singing your sweet songs I know so well/ Halfway to heaven, still halfway to hell/ I'm going home to you now, home to you now/ Oh it won't be long." Adriel Harris sang desultory harmonies while his lead guitarist picked notes to match the melody. Then his bassist, still sitting atop his amp with his legs swinging to his own beat, took a surprisingly soulful harmonica solo. This was one of those songs that reminded you that sometimes a little can go a long way. Later in the set, Chisel told a story about getting drunk and singing along to Bob Dylan songs, substituting his own lyrics for whatever words he could not remember. Apparently when he is drunk, that is about all of them. Harris had the foresight to write down one of these drunken substitution rants, and the world is a better place for it. The song was no drunken parody, no mere tribulation; this was pure, inspired folk rock gold. Despite the fact that only occasionally throughout the solo piece did he attempt – always successfully – to emulate Dylan (he actually sounded more like Colin Hay), he played a song that could have come straight off of a best hits album of the legendary songwriter. The refrain was, "I never meant to love you, but it's too late now," and it was heartbreaking while also being surprisingly fresh and funny. I guess the world can always use more freestyling, drunken Dylan impersonators. http://www.jambase.com/Articles/Story.aspx?storyID=21765