In Town: Brother Dege At The Nick (June 18)

Hailing from Deep Southern Louisiana, blues musician Brother Dege comes back to Birmingham tonight to perform at The Nick.

 Touring through the underground scene since the early ‘90s, Dege Legg, aka Brother Dege plays the blues from hard-earned experience. He’s traveled all across creation and has encountered a cast of interesting people along the way. In addition to his delta-true slide playing and odd jobs, Dege has made it a priority to learn from the folks he met. “I love people. Even people I don’t like,” says Dege. “How their stories affect me and my art is kind of a mystery that I’m still figuring out.”

 His 2007 stint in a homeless camp provided a bare insight into the lives of its inhabitants, and he shared that experience in the award-winning feature “Slipping through the Cracks.” “Everyone has a story,” he says. “Everyone’s life is a book.”

 Brother Dege has come away from those experiences a bit wiser and equipped to deliver the Deep South’s own authentic music: the blues. When asked how he fell into the genre in the first place, he can only answer “I didn’t. It kind of chose me. And I just relay the messages through song.”

 There’s a good bit of the old delta greats in his playing, with Son House resonating loud and clear. That’s not to say Brother Dege is simply relying on a tried and true genre. He’s forged his own way with a fusion of blues, rock, and surreal tunes blended into what he refers to as “psyouthern.” His weapon of choice is the slide guitar, which from the first rattling note evokes images of the swampy, wooded recesses of the South. “Nothing sounds like it,” he says. “Just sounds cool.”

   His genuine blues sound has lately caught the ear of a few producers, and his music has been featured on the Discovery Channel’s After the Catch miniseries. Last year, his song “Too Old to Die Young” was featured in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained.

 Dege is currently on tour with Truckstop Darlin. They’ll be at The Nick tonight at 9:30 with a $5 cover.

 Images and video courtesy of Brother Dege.