Samar Yahya

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The “Act of Congress” band held a concert at the US Consulate General one recent evening here.



Saudi Arabia was the four-member band's first stop in their Middle East tour, holding concerts in Riyadh and Dammam besides Jeddah.



The Birmingham, Alabama-based group was formed seven years ago. Its founding members Chris Griffin (guitar) and Adam Wright (mandolin) met in college. The other two members are Tim Carroll, who plays bass. and Tyler Andal, who plays the violin.

They use only acoustic instruments, giving them a sound that is unique, meshing several genres of music together.

Act of Congress has also played alongside several symphonies including the Alabama Symphony orchestra.



Early this year, they wrote in their official website that in 2013, they are looking forward to more international tours, symphony performances and making more music for loyal fans.



Guests enjoyed the band's hourlong performance. Sereen Brown, one of the guests, said: “I love music and this is a very nice opportunity to come here and learn about different cultures. I sometimes come for culture events when I have time.”



“I love music and art and it is a nice chance to relax and forget about work and business for few hours,” said Najlaa Saleh, an accountant who came to enjoy the concert.



Muhannad Mahjoub, an accountant who lived in the US for 5 years, said: “I usually come to Consulate events; I like to listen to country music.”



Wright, the mandolin player, told Saudi Gazette that they observed a rich history in their visit to the Kingdom. "We really enjoyed the culture. We met with Saudi musicians; the music is diverse, yet we really enjoyed it. I have seen many instruments that I have never known before. It is really nice to exchange and mix with other cultures."



For Wright, mixing different kinds of musical instruments is possible. “We have an opportunity to come to Saudi Arabia and experience the Oriental music. We may think of using some new instruments and this is possible. Our fans would expect different music to merge and come in our albums.”

During their visit, the band was also interviewed on the Saudi morning show on Channel 2.