![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/live.jpg\" "\\"live\\"")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
This week marks the anniversaries of two major Civil War<\/strong> events:\u00a0 the 150th anniversary of the Confederate victory at Bull Run<\/strong>, and the 148th anniversary of General Sherman’s sacking of Atlanta<\/strong>, a major mark in the Union’s march to drive old Dixie down<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Combining this anniversarial yin and yang (sure, a stretch), we give you two covers of The Band’s<\/strong> The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down<\/strong><\/em> as performed by the phenomenally talented Richmond, Virginia band Fight the Big Bull.\u00a0 <\/strong>We love the song, the band, and the two versions that do the song serious justice.\u00a0 The first version is a raucous sing-along while the latter is a comparatively sedate (if not mournful) interpretation (until the end, that is–how can you keep a good band down?).\u00a0 Fight the Big Bull<\/strong> is an improvisatory, horn-based ensemble that has recently been garnering more attention due to the accolades of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon<\/strong> (FTBB’s Reggie Pace<\/strong> is in Bon Iver’s touring band) and The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle<\/strong>.\u00a0 Darnielle was so impressed by the band that he sought out Fight the Big Bull’s\u00a0Matthew White<\/strong> to play on The Mountain Goats<\/strong>‘ impending album, Transcendental Youth<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 As further indicia of their worth, Fight the Big Bull<\/strong> has had two 2010 recordings selected for NPR’s<\/strong> Best of the Year lists<\/a>.\u00a0 In addition, White has just released his debut recording, “Big Inner<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n Check out the two covers, and then check another vignette of the band stretching out in full jazz flight with Brian Jones<\/strong>.\u00a0 Then go over to Fight the Big Bull’s site<\/strong><\/a> to stream most, if not all, of their recordings.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n