The Club at Water Street filled up like any other Friday on October 16, in pairs of ones and twos, people sticking to the groups they came with, grabbing a drink before the show. There was a calm in the air that you don’t feel at concerts most times, no drama no judgment, just love. And after speaking with Adam Ezra and his group, it was very apparent, this show was more to them than just a concert, and that shows in not only their music, but in their passions as well.
The Adam Ezra Group gives you a break from everything outside the venue doors that is going on and allows you to enjoy the moment. A small tight-knit community, for the two hours music being played by the end, you probably found yourself with some new friends. Made up of Adam Ezra, a Corning native originally, on vocals, guitar, banjo, harmonica and any other roots instruments you can think of, Corrina Smith on violin, Poche Ponce on bass guitar and Alex Martin on drums, the group brings down home roots and Americana music with a mellow feel and vocals that please your ear drums.
Talking with the Boston-based group, it was no surprise that they are involved in so many causes to help people; “The Gathering” and “The Ramble” are just two examples of this.
“The Gathering” started during the shutdowns of Covid where so many people felt alone in a world we were not allowed to be with other people. Adam started doing live streams, playing music and creating community for 500 days in a row, determined to help people in severe isolation. “The Ramble” is a pay-what-you can event that the proceeds go to end Veteran homelessness in the Northeast. These are just two of the philanthropic and humanitarian projects of this gold aura group.
When The Adam Ezra Group took the stage at The Club at Waterstreet, the crowd had grown from groups gathered together talking, to a full-blown crowd you could barely make your way through. But with the high energy and goodwill radiating off the stage, all you had to do was say, “excuse me” and you were on your way. There was no pushing and shoving, no one complaining they were uncomfortable and an understanding in the crowd that we are all here as part of a community, The Adam Ezra Group community, something you rarely experience at concerts at this time.
The Adam Ezra Group hits like a mix somewhere between The Avett Brothers and The Charlie Daniel’s Band with a unique blend of harmonica, violin and banjo accompanied by the traditional guitars, forming that Americana sound The Adam Ezra Group has become so well know for, plus his signature style of no shoes. If the harmonizing instruments and smooth vocals weren’t enough to grab your heartstrings, Adam talking on stage was sure to pull you right in and grab your attention, with stories from the road to the events that the group promotes, down to Adam talking about his wife and two children in Maine and how he cannot wait to get back to them; the crowd, by consensus, was all in.
As the show started to wrap up and the spectators were wrapped in that warm feeling of community, The Adam Ezra Group did something I haven’t seen many large name artists do: they jumped off the stage, made their way to the bar and all took a seat. As everyone gathered around, a crowd member was handed a shaker to play along with the group, and Adam took to his feet.
As the last songs were played from the bar counter, and Nick Brassard as the guest shaker, we all swayed and danced together enjoying the personal moment The Adam Ezra Group gave to Water Street that night. As the music came to a close, the crowd hung around and you could see Adam, Corinna, Poche and Alex in the crowd talking to fans and sharing stories with the people, again sharing that feeling of community before it was time to call it a night when the stage was packed up, the crowd was all but in their cars and heading home, the feeling of being a part of that community, even for a night seems to be what The Adam Ezra Group stands for; joy, peace and togetherness, one note at a time.
