9th Ward turns 'Fuzzy'

It was all rainbows and sunshine for Fuzzy and the Rustbelts are 9th Ward last night in an intimate acoustic show that paid homage to the Americana band’s first performance ever at the venue in February of 2019.

If you’ve never seen Fuzzy, you are missing out. Half country with a blues heart and soulful tone, lead singer Fuzzy Thurston harmonizes effortlessly with his sister Amanda who called him “the brother I never wanted and the one that I am glad I have.”

Sometimes siblings hit a certain harmony from life experience, locally like Darryl and LP Tonemah or famously as in the Everly Brothers.

The band was tight with drums, standup bass, keyboards, two guitars and Mandy on back up vocals to bring home harmony on fun songs like “Who knows what she’s thinking.”

Thurston has a great range and thought it was gone a few years ago when he suffered long covid only to find it one day. It took time, effort and faith for the band that rose from a church in Eden “take me to a river and resurrect my soul" to reach its current heights.

Fuzzy’s evolution wasn’t without its dark spots. He played his guitar in a Colorado Springs hotel room working on the song “Perfect” strumming softly and singing gently when a knock on the door found the police asking him to quiet down. The song survived and so did he. “I ain’t perfect. I try to be the man my wife and kids adore.”

We took a flyer on this show because Beth saw it listed and we listened on the internet and liked what we heard. Tickets were $18. What a great time.

Our friend Anita West, hearing we were planning to see them said it would be a great show. She was right.

Fuzzy fits right in the middle of the sort of Americana acts we have come to cherish in recent years, together with Uncle Ben’s Remedy, Leroy Townes Band, Donna the Buffalo and Ten Cent Howl. We will be back for more.