Editors note: I’ve come across a few reviews and articles that got lost in the shuffle. Better late than never! my apologies to the bands and the writers involved.
Hot Buttered Rum & the Brothers Comatose 
Harlow’s Restaurant & Night Club
Sacramento, CA
January 14, 2012
by Monte Gullo
Ben Morrison-guitar, vocals
Alex Morrison-banjo, vocals
Ryan Avellone-mandolin
Gio Benedetti-bass,vocals
Philip Brezina-fiddle
Well you can tell by the date this was a while ago. No idea why I lagged. Birthday week? I think I published another show then? I don’t know, but I do remember a good time from both bands. It was the first time I ever saw the Brothers Comatose or even heard of them so I had no idea what to expect. Still didn’t stop me from being totally shocked and surprised when they did Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie”. I really liked it and they said they just learned it backstage from a band that played before them. I must confess when she passed away, I went on youtube and checked her out. This was the first song I heard and she did it acoustic for a radio interview. I think it’s a great song and you can hear the BC version here http://youtu.be/-UO2bkpbvDE Maybe happycat will edit out that I dig Amy, so I can still wear tie-dyes around my friends. These guys write some great songs played and sounding like traditional Bluegrass with excellent harmonies. The rest of the set was high energy and pretty fast paced with a good deal of jamming. I didn’t get access to their set list this time around. On June 5ththey opened for Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers at San Francisco’s Rickshaw stop and she also appears to duet on the track “Morning Time” from 2012’s Respect the Van Release. A great album but like the lyrics say in “Strings” ‘You know you wouldn’t love me if I wasn’t on the Road!”
Tour dates on the west through Sept here
http://thebrotherscomatose.com/tour
https://www.facebook.com/thebrotherscomatose
Hot Buttered Rum
Erik Yates – Banjo, Dobro, Flute, Vocals
Nat Keefe – Guitar, Vocals
Bryan Horne – Bass, Vocals
Aaron Redner – Fiddle, Mandolin, Vocals
Lucas Carlton – Drums, Percussion, Washboard
Set 1
Cody>Ramblin’ Girl, Way Back When>Every Side of the Coin,The Love You Gave>Right between Your Eyes
Working Man, Another City>Waiting for a Squall>Irish Medley
Set 2
Sweetest Thing>Be Kind Boys,Doctor’s Daughter,From Missoula to Miami>Blackberry Pie,Let the Love Come Through, Rockin’ in the Free World,
Desert Rat> Angeline>Cindy,
Less Guns More Butter, Beneath the Blossoms
Encore
The Genie is Loose
The Crest
Thanks to tapers everywhere and archive.org that I used to find 
complete song titles! And thanks to the crew that let me stand at the sound board and shoot some photos and lots of video. Harlow’s is one of the best places to see live music in Sactown.
Hot Buttered Rum is a band that is very hard to put into any one
category of music and I would imagine that’s the way they would
like it. Although they usually play traditional bluegrass instruments,
they also have a drummer in the band. Really I would just call them
a song writing band that happens to like acoustic instruments and
has a heavy folk influence. A bunch of folks! Folks from America, lots
from Africa, some from India, and a large smattering of Europe show up
in their playing. This all somehow equals out to some fun, danceable
music that fits well in bar and festival settings. Here is
“Beneath The Blossums” from 2011’s “Limbs Akimbo”.
http://youtu.be/31SK9Z5yygE Find them here for some of their
dates coming up http://www.hotbutteredrum.net/tour-dates
