Dust and Ashes – sans two members – and I headed into The Diamond that Monday. We were looking to warm up after lugging heavy musical equipment in the cold rain. The morning crowd of hardcore regulars was about to experience anything but the usual in this well-loved Charlotte diner.
Lead singer Heather Himes, flutist Jude Salinas and cellist Leah Erin Smith began the first few notes. Then, their gritty, guttural thumping suddenly vanquished the dull chatter of the room. Smith’s cello groaned, soaking into the cracked wallpaper. The haunting melody of Salinas’s flute diced the air. Himes’ dark, wailing vocals and bluesy rhythm guitar made the walls shake and rock and tremble. It may have been a Monday, but the band with the tagline “Queen City Stomp Swamp” was taking us to church.
In the latest episode of [Untitled] with Lara Americo, you’ll see Dust and Ashes rock a diner. Plus, Himes and I take a break in one of the green booths to talk religion, music and God as a tattoo.