I.M.P. and Jammin’ Java present The Civil Wars w/ Milo Greene October 23, 2011

@ Lincoln Theatre - Washington, D.C

In some ways, music doesn't get much more modest or minimalist than it is in the hands of The Civil Wars, a duo comprised of California-to-Nashville transplant Joy Williams and her Alabaman partner, John Paul White. They travel without a backup band, and on their first full-length album, Barton Hollow, the bare-bones live arrangements that fans hear on the road are fleshed out with just the barest of acoustic accoutrements. Each song is an intimate conversation, and no third wheels or dinner-party chatter are going to interrupt that gorgeous, haunting hush.

On the other hand, there's been something distinctly loud about the duo's introduction to the world, even prior to the album's release. Their signature song "Poison & Wine" was heard on Grey's Anatomy-in the foreground, in its entirety, over a key climactic montage, prompting hundreds of thousands of viewers to Google the mystery music. And they got a wholly unsolicited endorsement when America's biggest pop star gave The Civil Wars a seal of approval. After first tweeting her love for the duo, fellow Nashvillian Taylor Swift included "Poison & Wine" as a selection in her official iTunes playlist, saying, "I think this is my favorite duet. It's exquisite."

When "Poison & Wine" was heard in its entirety on Grey's Anatomy-versus in the background, for a few seconds, as Williams and White had expected-they knew that if the show's audience liked what they heard, it would put their search skills to the test. The title only pops up in a verse, not the chorus, so it involved some ingenuity or intuition to track the tune down. Fortunately, viewers proved up to the test of finding, and choosing, their "Poison." At last count, the song's official YouTube video had been viewed 400,000 times.

There's something circuitously satisfying about the fact that "active listening" is taking place on-stage at The Civil Wars shows as well as among the audience, heightening the sensation that it's a conversation being eavesdropped on, not just a performance. So much synchronization to go around... but also so much delicious tension, as the duo hardly shy away from the conflict that gives them their moniker. Harmonious discord, thy name is The Civil Wars.

"Barton Hollow may be a fictional location, but The Civil Wars' music gives it a voice and identity-one of mystery, mystique and beauty. War has never been so pleasant." - Paste Magazine - 'Best of What's Next'

http://thecivilwars.com/

Official Website: http://www.jamminjava.com/