Chamomile and Whiskey Puts it All Together for St. Paddy’s at the Jeff.

The Ides of March, 2025.

Where to start with this one? 

I got my Sunday morning hillbillies on (WNRN’s Cempre and Mosolgo), the Bialetti full of espresso grade coffee and the lil’ Vibro Champ warmed up in case I need to stop and play. Grab a cup, this might be longish.

Honestly, Old Hank walks away from a show like last night A: wobbly 2: dayyum grateful for our stupid luck and C: in awe of the Nelson/Cville/Albemarle talent pool.

Let’s back up. 

Saturday the 15th started with Chamomile and Whiskey’s “Put it All Together” album on my Spotify machine on infinite repeat. I’d heard songs here and there, some at shows, but I hadn’t sat and listened to the record. Fuck it is good. It will get Shane Smith or Zach Bryan level airtime at Buck Naked Hunt Camp, I shit you not. 

This is a mature band. A band in full. The production is lush. The songs are deep, rich and full of story. Koda and Marie’s voices are growing together beautifully. The band’s musicianship is elite, and they play like they know and love each other. 

By the time Saturday evening rolled around, we were over-stoked.

The Mysterious Jon and I decided to meet up at Millers for pre-game Guinii. Jon housed a fish sandwich faster than I’ve ever seen it done, and Old Hank managed to keep the lobster bisque off his shirt. We were curious about Jesse’s House, the lead-off band so we decided to head over to the Jeff right at 7:30. 

I was also pumped to finally get a chance to see Ramona and the Holy Smokes, in the two-spot on a 3 band night. Not really sure how I’ve not seen her Honky-Tonk outfit yet.

Things got going right off in terms of the bowls, beers and bands. 

We quickly realized that the Jesse in “Jesse’s House” is Jesse Fiske—a Hackensaw Boy. Right off that meant the guitar work and showmanship was gonna be good and it was, even though Jesse announced that he cut his fanger that morning and had to get 4 stitches!!! It did not slow him down. He and the “House” laid down a tight set of originals. Koda joined Jesse on keys for a couple. Old Hank and The Mysterious Jon got to meet Jesse’s wife Jen when he called her out from the stage. She’s pretty cool and running for city council. Go Jen!!

After a little break, Ramona and the Holy Smokes bounded onto the stage. Old Hank loves a Honky-tonk (and a sea-foam Dan Electro Bass guitar) and Ramona and her band just exude that good-time-Saturday-night vibe. She got busy in her Wanda Jackson/Kitty Wells/Loretta Lynn kinda way and jumped right into “Gonna Be Mine” from an upcoming release. She killed ‘em with “You’re Not My Dad”, gave us a beautiful song in Spanish ”Historia de un Amor” and finished appropriately with a drinkin’ song, which we did.

Ramona runs the stage, her band and her audience with authority, affection and humor that, put together with her musical talent, well, it’s just real easy to see why audiences fall in love with her. 

And hitting clean-up, Chamomile and Whiskey. 

I’m gonna assume the reader of an obscure CVille Music blog like this knows who CandW are but just in case…Chamomile and Whiskey was formed by Koda Kerl and Marie Borgman, over a cup of tea and shot of whiskey.  They’re part of a generational tradition of fine, fine music that pours down out of Nelson County’s stretch of the Blue Ridge like clear mountain stream water mixed with fine liquor. If Cville is blessed with an intoxicating abundance of great local music, and we are, Nelson county is the still.

The band jumped all over songs off the new record and old favorites, too. “Nelson County”. “Joy”. “Hard Luck Dreams” (with Jesse). A kick-ass version of Thin Lizzie’s “Ballroom Blitz” (they Irish!).

“No Bingo” inspired a fun senior moment when a confused Old Hank yelled to The M. Jon, “What the hell do you mean no Bingo!”. 

This iteration of the band has fused over time into a tight, together team. Mahon and Gunter are as formidable a rhythm section as you will hear. Kimball’s lead guitar is effortlessly athletic, unassuming in support of the vocals but willing and able to burn nitro when called on. And of course, Marie’s fiddle and Koda’s songwriting and voice.

The M. Jon described the sonic feels as “wall of sound”.  Koda and Marie have crafted this outfit into a dayyum good rock band. 

But let’s get metaphysical.

For Old Hank, “Look Out” is the song of the moment and the story of this band in this moment.

If “Put it all together” is as good a record as we think it is, and the stars over the mountains align, you start to wonder about the demands on the band to tour. As successful as they have been thus far, we’ve been lucky to have them to ourselves a lot, and lucky they love home and Nelson as much as they do. 

But you better look out, this might be a moment when the rest of the country tries to take our Koda and Marie away from us for a spell.

Sheesh, Old Hank can go on and on. 

Let’s finish with the finale. And it was amazing.

Chamomile and Whiskey were joined on stage by Hannah Pocock, a member of Sweet Afton (a band she and Marie play in as well). Marie and Hannah’s fiddles caressed the opening notes of The Cranberries’ “Linger” and the hair on the crowd’s collective neck stood on end. Those ladies sang like a couple of angels sent down the mountain to make us better people. 

The overall effect was beautiful and heart-breaking. Dolores O’Riordan’s overdose and death hit extra hard again this St. Paddy’s Day.

Then as if that weren’t enough, Koda and the boys let it rip on a cover of American Girl. God. Petty. 

It was bittersweet and it was gorgeous. And then it was over. Like most good things.

Charlottesville, I hope we know how lucky we are. These three fantastic home grown bands are part of our rich tapestry of Cville artists who write great songs and play them in beautiful venues like the Jefferson for us to see.

Well where has this day gone? Sunday gummy naps for all y’all.

Old Hank