The Cambridge Room, in the Dallas House of Blues, may be the most intimate venue around.  With a capacity of 250, and stuffed couches around the perimeter, it feels like you’re watching your favorite band in your own living room.  I was fortunate enough to catch Cornmeal there last Wednesday.  This is the second time that Cornmeal has played the DFW area this year (see my January 15 review of Cornmeal at Lola’s in Ft. Worth).  Following the Dallas show is a gig in Houston and then on to Utopia, TX for Utopiafest. 

The show started off with Stand Up, followed by a long version of Calling Me Back Home.  Next up was an extended jam of Southern Flavor.  The beginning of the show was definitely going in a jam direction, straying a little from the more traditional bluegrass style.  As the setlist progressed, the vibe moved back toward country/bluegrass with tunes like Dirty Rag, The Way it Oughta Be and Drinking Away the Memory of You.  The cover of the Talking Heads tune, This Must Be the Place was a highlight towards the end of the show.  The setlist didn’t include a lot of songs, but several of them featured extended jams.

You can expect Cornmeal to keep up their busy schedule through the rest of 2011.