TWO FROM TEXAS - Aaron Watson/James McMurtry @ Whelans, Dublin

The Dublin venue Whelan’s, hosted two distinct examples of how broad roots music can be. On his Irish debut the history making Watson played what was the smallest gig he has appeared at since he started his career. He made history by being the first independent artist to hit the number one spot on the Billboard Country charts. The venue, he observed with amusement, was smaller than his kitchen. However, despite suffering from a sore throat he delivered a set that reflected his fast-paced energised country music.

He was accompanied by his band, that included electric guitar, bass, drums and fiddle, as well as Watson’s acoustic guitar. This was an upfront, good-time, close quarters concert with Watson interacting closely with the sold-out venue. The set was centred around his most recent album (the chart topping) The Underdog. He commented that he had made it to that spot because he was blessed with the best fans. That showed clearly in the way they responded to Watson and he to them. He took every opportunity to interact with them by holding a pose for the inevitable selfies.

Played live, the songs take on a different energy that rarely lets up other than when he played a song that came from the heart about a mamber of his family such as the song he dedicated to his father - a disabled Vietnam vet and a song for his daughter, who died young; how the words of the mother of rodeo rider Lane Frost had helped to connect him with his faith and deal with the grief. These moments were poignant spaces in the otherwise overtly up and positive music.

Watson was having a small radio mic problem at one point and got his band to show off their chops which included his bassist Jordan McBride playing and singing a funky grooved number while his guitarist Jason Lerma showed off some high-speed playing. There was a brief drum solo from Brian Ferguson before Damian Green the fiddle player did his piece including bringing up a member of the audience to hold his bow in place while he played the fiddle against it. This showmanship got a proactive response while allowing Watson some moments of vocal reprieve from the effects of singing with a sore throat. It also showed that these guys have played a huge number of shows together that has made them an effective and tight live band. On his albums, Watson uses a set of studio players and a wider range of instruments such as pedal steel to enhance the recorded textures.

That underscores what Watson told us; that his music is a family business and that he is the man taking care of business. He told us about the various requests from the family in recent times amd on overseas trips. How his Mum had asked for some dirt from Ireland, where part of her family had come from. He held up a small jar of soil that he had received. He then jokingly told us then that, in contrast, his daughter wanted a card. When asking her what kind of card she wanted, she had replied "one like mommy use in the stores." Another of her requests was for Santa Claus to bring her a Taylor Swift guitar and for daddy to teach her some of her songs. His sons though were listening to more the good stuff he noted.

Merle Haggard’s Silver Wings was request by an audience member and duly played with feeling and a dedication the man. Watson promised to be back in Ireland soon and as his latest album Vaquero is released soon; that may happen. He is the sort of act that the C2C festival should embrace and his performance would undoubtedly be a hit there as much as it was here.

By way of complete contrast James McMurtry played the main venue in Whelan’s the following night to an equally enthusiastic audience but in a wholly different manner. McMurtry was accompanied by regular drummer Daren Hess, accordion and guitar player Tim Holt (who also handled the sound) and bassist Cornbread. They have a relaxed demeanour onstage as they work through songs from McMurtry’s extensive back catalogue. He commented at one point that since the number he was about to play had been written; a whole new generation had been born and grown up to adulthood. However, that doesn’t detract from their inherent quality. He closed the show with the title song of his 1989, John Mellencamp produced debut, Too Long In The Wasteland.

The characters in McMurtry songs and the situations they may face tend to be somewhat timeless and therefore as relevant today as ever. And though there is nothing overtly political in either the song choices or introductions, the nature of the stories are inherently related to such manipulations. The music spoke for the everyday  people. The rhythm section found it’s groove and McMurtry and Holt’s guitars played off each other well. McMurtry played acoustic, electric and electric dobro while Holt held his own on his black Gibson Les Paul. It was often loud and loose. There were extended and eventful versions of Choctaw Bingo and Red Dress - though, in truth, few of the songs were short in a close to two-hour set. Following which, after a call for “more” McMurtry came onstage to give us a song solo on his acoustic guitar, Lights of Cheyenne. This allowed one to focus on the strength and quality of his lyric writing that would sometimes get lost in the band’s playing. There was no written set list so the band followed McMurtry’s lead which after the years they have played together seems a subconscious thing.

There is no overt stage craft or audience interaction in the performance other than a few comments such as the fact that he told us how some of their significant others though they were "on vacation" when they toured in Europe. He had, he said, addressed that in song but that hadn’t gone down too well and had gotten them in big trouble with various women. Being just the right amount of drunk and pissed off was, he noted, a place you could write a song from if you did it in time. Other than that, he was feeling "good to be back." McMurtry relishes the live stage, more than the studio, and this is pretty obvious in the ease and effusiveness with which he delivers his songs. He may have been too long in the wasteland but it is too long since he was last here, something that he will hopefully remedy when he tours his next album.

Review by Stephen Rapid   Photography by Kaethe Burt-O'Dea

Margo Price @ The Button Factory, Dublin - 22 January 2017

There was a strong sense of anticipation for the first Irish date of Margo Price and the Pricetags. She is a traditionally-minded country music artist who has received prominent exposure in the rock press and mainstream media rather than just the more genre based magazines and websites. The venue was full and kudos to Aiken Promotions for bringing her in with her full band rather than just as a solo act. It sure payed off as the band were terrific.

The show was opened though by her husband Jeremy Ivey who played some songs and offered some good natured banter with the audience. One of his songs Staring At The Wall was about having to stay at home minding their young child while Margo was touring. Margo Price joined him for a couple of songs including a recently written instrumental and a song called I’m Gonna Miss Me about a man contemplating ending everything in a black-humoured way which contained some entertaining lines such as “You can keep the life insurance but be sure to feed the dog.” 

The band took the stage a little later and opened with a storming Jerry Reed instrumental entitled Swarmin’ before Margo joined them with the first of several tracks from her debut album Midwest Farmer’s Daughter. About To Find Out, Tennessee Song, Since You Put Me Down all followed in a strong if slightly tentative style as both artist and audience got the measure of each other. But she soon got into her stride and began to loosen up and enjoy herself. This was noticeable on the several covers included in the show where she often put down the guitar and simply concentrated on her singing. These were well-chosen cover songs that included Johnny Cash’s Big River, Red Bandana that came with a dedication to it’s author Merle Haggard and the Dolly Parton classic Jolene - a song which hit the spot for many judging by those singing along.

There was a band cover showcase when they played Nashville Skyline Rag an instrumental from Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline album. This was a show where band and singer (as well as Ivey who joined the band on some nifty harmonica and acoustic guitar for several songs) showed their chops and how well they work as a well-oiled team. Some of the intros bordered on a hard rock noise before setting into the pedal steel and Telecaster twang that ran behind Price’s expressive and impressive voice. These are (some of) the same players who feature on the album: Kevin Black on bass, Jamie Davis on guitar, Luke Schneider on a ShoBud pedal steel guitar and Dillon Napier on drums. All deserve a mention as a major part of the sound and feel.

There were some non-album songs too; notably and the country-themed and genre fitting It Ain’t Drunk Driving If You’re Riding A Horse  (the  song was a “true story” she told us) and Desperate and Depressed a song that was released on the b-side of one of her singles. For the end of the set Price left the stage to sing among the audience on After Hurtin’ (On The Bottle) before she left the main venue. 

She came back after much encouragement from the audience to play the final three song encore segment which included Four Years Of Chances and two covers, an extended and convincing version of Me And Bobby McGee and a final high octane version of Rodney Crowell’s Ain’t Living Long Like This which ended the evening on a high and they all then came forward to take a deserved bow to acknowledge the response from the audience. Later Price came to the merchandising stand to meet and greet those who wanted to say hello. They were many who took the opportunity and many who will remember the evening with a big smile and look forward to the next time that Margo Price brings her Pricetags to town.

Review by Stephen Rapid  Photography by Kaethe Burt O'Dea

Michael McDermott @ Whelan’s, Dublin - 13th December 2016

A singer/songwriter who has been lauded for his ability to tells stories that ring true from personal experience and imagination. Michael McDermott played to a small but enthusiastic audience. in the upstairs venue. This was the end of a European tour and Michael had contacted a sore throat towards the end of the jaunt. He didn’t however let this affect his performance. He sipped hot lemon throughout the show and apologised that his voice wasn’t up to its best. But that didn’t take away from the raw power of his songs and commitment. 

He opened with a trio of songs from his latest album Willow Springs; These Last Few Days, Getaway Car and Folksinger. The latter prefaced by a long and funny story about being that very creature who is “weirder than rock stars” and about the “in the round” scenario whereby three of four writers play a song in turn. A bit like a ‘who has the biggest willie contest’ he noted. He had been asked to play one in Nashville with a trio of writers including Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary fame. Being that his wife was a fan he asked Yarrow if he’d say hello to her on the phone. When the time came for this quick intimate moment, McDermott handed him the phone and instead of an expected “hello” all were treated to a full on, many-versed rendition of Puff The Magic Dragon. Weird Indeed - but thoroughly amusing none-the-less. He also noted that while the other three were introduced with their track record of million selling songs he was introduced as someone who “watches Judge Judy a lot.” So much for getting the big build up before you go on.

Throughout the show, McDermott told anecdotes about the songs and the people behind them. Shadow In The Window was a touching song written for his father about their difficult relationship, which ended with an emotional refrain of “Hey, I Love You” that was honest and universal. He also played a song for his mother, the only song he confessed that she felt that she could sing in church. Where The River Meets The Sea is from the album Hit Me Back and if, like me, you know McDermott from his Westies albums and Willow Springs you can find numerous other Michael McDermott releases on his website.

Many of McDermott’s songs are dark but many have a path to something more positive in their make-up. As he noted at one point you “need the darkness in order to see the light.” There were songs from the Westies album West Side Stories including Trains and Devil. Another song was written for a friend who was wounded in a robbery and discovered in treatment that she had terminal cancer. Carry Your Cross was a poignant and powerful testament to friendship.

McDermott went between guitar and piano for various songs and played the latter when he was joined onstage by Mundy who first met McDermott when he opened for him in Chicago. Mundy played two songs in the two-part set. Firstly, Linchpin and later July - wherein he got the audience to join him in the chorus. Something I’m not sure would have been possible with McDermott’s songs. However, there was an obvious comradeship between the two.

Throughout McDermott’s voice was ragged but determined. Partly due to fatigue and illness but also showing its own quality and highlighting that he is a strong singer as well as a talented writer. He finished his set with an impassioned A Wall I Must Climb but was called back to the stage for two encores, both audience requests, that included Summer Days; a song written for a high school friend who was going to be an actress (and he a rock star). The point being that life doesn’t always deal you the hand you want or expected. These are songs that make you think and react and these days that makes them as striking as those of some of his heroes. McDermott can stand tall in that company.

He told us that he had wanted to play the Dublin venue since seeing Bruce Cockburn playing in Whelan’s and was delighted to get to fulfil that wish and thanked the audience for being a part of that experience. The pleasure was evident from both sides of the stage and next time, hopefully, the word will have spread and more will get to experience the power of his music.

Review and photographs by Stephen Rapid

I Draw Slow @ Whelans - December 11th 2016

This evening is a welcome return home to Dublin band, I Draw Slow. A Christmas gig for their enthusiastic fans at the end of a tour in the USA is just the tonic to get all the political posturing of America out of the collective. Not that the subject is ever mentioned during the performance.

Comprising of Dave Holden (Guitars and Vocals), Louise Holden (Vocals), Konrad Liddy (Upright Bass), Colin Derham (Banjo) and Adrian Hart (Fiddle), this folk/roots band are a very tight unit, all of whom excel on their instruments. Old-time, bluegrass and the North Carolina heritage are touchstones for this interesting band.

The 90- minute set is focused on new material from their forthcoming third release and the compelling rhythm created by the ensemble goes down a treat with an audience who move in tandem with the carefree arrangements.

Louise Holden is a confident spokesperson for the band with a real swing in her performance. Her undoubted vocal talents are to the fore on every song as she knits together the bravado in the playing and the performance.

Mainly comprised of story songs, the set includes much to admire in her harmony vocals with brother David and the feeling that Louise is fully invested in the performance of each song.

Tales of murder, prostitution, weddings, deceit and fallibility all take turns in keeping the crowd entertained while the rhythmic swing of Liddy, Derham and Holden whip up a fine groove. It is left to the fiddle playing of Adrian Hart to raise the tunes and add colour to the arrangements as he plays against the beat and dovetails around the tempo.

Garage Flowers is a fine new song that tells of the hazards of forgetting anniversaries while old favourites such as Goldmine and Valentine are delivered with great fervour. Carolina and Twin Sisters are also well received as a twin track while Little Switzerland is a great example of the band in complete unison and in the moment.

Low Down Girl Like Me closes the show with plenty of cheering and dancing among the assembled fan base. They may want to rethink the band name because there are plenty of bullets to fire from their gun or their artists pen, depending on how you interpret the name…!

Review by Paul McGee  Photograph by Vincent Lennon

Peter Bruntnell, Jeff Finlin & Clive Barnes @ Cleeres, Kilkenny-16th Nov 2016

 

I’ve often considered if a musically educated punter was sent on a mission around Ireland, The UK and The States to assemble the most under-rated artists in each location it’s likely that his catch would include Peter Bruntnell, Jeff Finlin and our own Clive Barnes.

Bruntnell’s back catalogue, for me, compares with the work of his fellow country man Elvis Costello. Surely Finlin’s body of work is up there with his peer Rodney Crowell and possibly the only detail that prevents Barnes spending his days and nights as a session player is the market being so small in Ireland.  Having toured the UK to great reviews last year the trio decided to bring their show to Ireland and play nine dates over a ten day period with the opening gig staged in Kilkenny.

Not an obvious three piece as Finlin and Bruntnell, both excellent songwriters, are quite different in style and delivery. I had incorrectly assumed prior to the show that the format would be a song writer circle set up with all three taking to the stage together. The delivery was in fact two separate sets by Bruntnell and Finlin with Barnes playing guitar, sublimely it has to be said, with both acts. Barnes also played a solo number between the two sets.

Jeff Finlin plays the opening set, a visit through his vast songbook featuring material from his current retrospective album Life After Death. His delivery, as is always the case, is passionate, intense and spirited. Never ever going through the motions Finlin is an artist that seldom wastes a word lyrically as evidenced by I Killed Myself Last Night, Jesus Was A Motorcycle Man and American Dream, all included in tonight’s set list.

Bruntnell stage demeanour is altogether at variance to that of Finlin’s, though every bit as compelling. Totally laid back and relaxed his set visits his early work in the main. "I’ve a new album out Nos Da Comrade but I can’t play any of the songs off it without a band!" Fortunately Bruntnell is not entirely true to his word and encores with the beautiful Caroline, the closing track of the album, performed acoustic solo and a fitting end to what preceeds it. Obvious inclusions are his career stand outs By The Time I Get To Phoenix, Domestico, Cold Water Swimmer and Have You Seen That Girl. He also includes a new song Widow's Walk, which is particularly well received by the crowd. Very much a favourite of Kilkenny audiences having played the Roots Festival on a number of occasions his set, as expected, goes down a storm.

All in all a wonderful night's entertainment enhanced of course by the stunning guitar work in support of both artists by Clive Barnes and his precious Gretsch. Barnes is without doubt the finest player on this island whether performing blues, Americana or metal and his contribution this evening elevates both Bruntnell’s and Finlin’s performances to another level. 

Review and photography (Left to right above, Clive Barnes, Jeff Finlin and Peter Bruntnell) by Declan Culliton

Sara Watkins@ Whelan’s - 2nd October 2016

Sara Watkins last performed at Whelan’s eighteen months ago as part of I’m With Her, the trio comprised of fellow singer songwriters and musicians Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan. This project resulted in solo albums this year from all three artists and a change in musical direction in particular for Sara Watkins and Sarah Jarosz who both temporarily abandoned their bluegrass roots to concentrate on more country/folk confessional albums.

Tonight’s show by Watkins in the main concentrated on material from her current solo album Young In All The Wrong Ways while also including some of her solo back catalogue, older Nickel Creek material and a few well-chosen cover songs.

Being a solo concert I have to admit to having preconceived concerns as to how the material from the latest album would come across as it is quite instrumentally populated. Any reservation I may have had were swiftly set aside by Watkins, leaving me with an impression that the material possibly even works better in a live setting that the studio versions.

The stage in Whelan’s tonight featured one mike, four instruments and a Vox speaker located centre stage behind Watkins. Renowned for her technical prowess as a multi-instrumentalist it should not have been a surprise that she utilised different individual instruments, fiddle, ukulele and acoustic guitar on her first three songs. Opening with Too Much from her self-titled debut album and following with You and Me from Sun Midnight Sun the majority of the remaining set featured material from her current album played to a large attendance in an atmosphere where you could hear a pin drop during songs. So much so that during her vocal delivery of Without A Word the only audible sound accompanying her in the room was the creaking of hinges when the door between the public bar and venue was opening, prompting Watkins to add tongue in cheek "Halloween must last a week in Ireland, that was the spookiest sounding door in the world."

The new songs worked wonderfully even when stripped to the bone, The Truth Won’t Set Us Free retained its studio honky-tonk sound and both Invisible and Move Me gave Watkins the opportunity to reveal her flawless vocal range.

Her stage demeanour was confident, talkative, good humoured and happy to relay tales of a scary drive earlier in the week from Sligo to Cork on "windy roads that challenged two Americans not accustomed to driving on the left-hand side of the road". However, what really won the day was her musical ability on all instruments including her Gibson guitar, christened Tom based on an unknown previous owner who had posted his name on the instrument and her luscious vocal delivery throughout.

Almost in anticipation of a question from the audience in respect of her change in direction on her latest offering she explained how she felt that going forward she would have regretted having gotten stuck in a certain style and needed to adapt both musically and lyrically on the album to"consider exactly who I am."

Also included in the set was the Nickel Creek 'Whistling Song' Anthony, a wonderful cover of Young Man in America by Anais Mitchell, name checked by Watkins as one of her favourite songwriters and John Hartford’s Long Hot Summer Days. She finished the set with the title track from the latest album and the closing and quite beautiful track Tenderhearted, dedicated to all the understated social workers and carers out there.

An encore of Buddy Hollys Early in the Morning completed what was an outstanding evening’s entertainment by a young lady approaching her prime yet also with the potential to offer so more musically going forward. Certainly also worth a mention is opening act Clara Rose who also went down a storm. Monaghan born Rose has a voice soaked in blues and played a thirty minute set that complimented what was to follow.

Review and photography by Declan Culliton

Hot Club of Cowtown @ The Sugar Club - 25th October 2016

The Hot Club of Cowtown opened their eleven-date tour of Ireland in fine style at The Sugar Club this evening. The Austin based trio’s trademark and quite unique mix of western swing, gypsy jazz and layers of sweet traditional American music is delivered in two sets. Their welcomed return to Ireland after an absence of six years is a joy to behold. Playing to a packed venue and with a deserved reputation for feeding on the energy generated by their audiences, that two-way passion is very much in evidence from opener Dev'lish Mary right through to their second encore Ida Red.

HCC consist of fiddle virtuoso Elana James, Whit Smith on his faithful Gibson L5 guitar and Jake Erwin, the man that slaps and plucks the upright bass like no other. James and Smith share lead vocals and all three contribute delightful harmonies throughout their very well received show by an audience that ranges from students to grandparents.

The band are renowned for selecting standard swing material and putting their own stamp on it yet managing to remain faithful to the original recordings. They have also written and recorded a large catalogue of their own material over nearly two decades and up to thirteen albums. This evenings show features twenty-five offerings in total from that vast catalogue of material in two sets, the first lasting forty-five minutes and the second, following a fifteen-minute interval, sixty minutes. The playing throughout is timeless, seamless and almost telepathic by three instrumentalists and vocalists that appear to effortlessly achieve the perfect balance between the Texan swing sound of Bob Willis and the mid-20th century French jazz vibe of Stéphane Grapelli and Django Reinhardt.

Stay a Little Longer and Oklahoma Hills from their 2010 album What Makes Bob Holler both feature together with crowd favourites Forget-Me-Nots, Avalon and Emily.

New material including Marty Robbin’s 160 Acres is delivered in three-part harmony alongside the old standard Cotton Eyed Joe ("deemed explicit by I tunes’ Ervin adds ‘no idea why maybe you lot can figure out"). They also display an ability to slow things down with ballads Call of the Canyon from their latest album Midnight on the Trail and Chip Away The Stone a song Smith tells us he is told is very popular in Ireland ("probably a lie but we’ll play it anyway!"). They even manage to feature a smarting of Elana's Reunion.

Without appearing to be working from a prepared set list Smith invites requests from the audience and responds to a request to perform There'll Be Some Changes Made, a song selected by Jools Holland on one of their appearance on his show ("our five minutes of fame" jokes James)

A Big Ball's in Cowtown closes the second set in style with the three leaving the stage but returning within minutes to a tremendous reception. "It’s good to see you all again so soon" jokes James before launching into a rousing Ida Red which, like so many of their songs, affords each of the three the opportunity to perform individual solos, rewarded by a standing ovation by the crowd.

"We’re Hot Club of Cowtown", announces Ervin before leaving the stage."If you liked the show please tell your friends as we’ve lots more dates In Ireland, if you didn’t like it let your enemies know instead."

It’s difficult to bring to mind many other groups of musicians with the ability to generate such passion, humour and excitement both musically and vocally. No surprise that they have toured with Bob Dylan, Roxy Music and Willie Nelson as support act.

Review by Declan Culliton   Photography by Ronnie Norton

Richmond Fontaine@ Whelan’s - 15th October 2016

Willy Vlautin has been writing his story songs for close on 20 years now as the creative source and inspiration behind the reflective beauty that is Richmond Fontaine.

Lauded as a true poet and chronicler for everyman, Vlautin has remained steadfast at the forefront of our dance with the devil and our continued need for redemption. His songs are populated by the ordinary characters of life’s fabric who have dotted the landscape of hard earned living on the edges of our broken dreams.

With 12 releases over a career that has seen the band on the cusp of success many times, their ‘less is more’ philosophy has kept them under the media radar and forged a place in cult status history that is all but guaranteed.

Playing their farewell tour in Europe before packing away their memories and disbanding, they deliver a set tonight that has the capacity crowd in this tightly packed venue cheering their every move.

Playing songs from across their extensive catalogue has a real glow of joy for everyone as we get to hear many of our favourites and the intensity of the playing is matched only by the quiet, restrained subtlety of the gentle moments when the band really prove their talents as a superb group of musicians.

Dan Eccles on guitars is credited by Willie Vlautin with having made Richmond Fontaine into ‘a real band’ with his dynamic and sensitive playing, while the rhythm section of Sean Oldham, drums and Freddy Trujillo on bass, joined tonight for the latter part of the set by David Murphy on pedal steel, shine brightly throughout.

The dark underbelly of the American Dream is exposed in songs such as; A Ghost I Became, The Janitor, I Can’t Black it out if I Wake Up and Remember, $87 and a Guilty Conscience, Don’t Skip Out On Me, You Can Move Back Here, Two Alone, Post to Wire, We Used to Think the Freeway Sounded Like a River, Northline, Wake Up Ray, Exit 194b, A Night in the City, Montgomery Park, 43 and Western Skyline.

Vlautin delivers his stories in a resigned vocal style that is full of empathy and pained acceptance but always full of hope for the journey ahead. Was it William Shakespeare who said that ‘parting is such sweet sorrow’?

Well, Willie Vlautin leaves the stage tonight with a simple ‘thanks for letting me do this’ as his parting words – such humility and such understated class. It’s the end of the natural life span of what has been Richmond Fontaine; one of the most iconic alt.country bands in recent generations and one that will be sadly missed.

Review by Paul McGee   Photograph by Kaethe Burt O'Dea

Freakwater @ Whelans (Upstairs) Dublin 16 October 2016.

From keeping on the sunny side to invoking generals gathered like witches at black masses Freakwater covered a lot of lyrical ground at their first Dublin gig (and first Irish tour). Although Irwin did informed us of her time spent in Northern Ireland growing up and how she used to sit on the floor in a bar in Cookstown, finding all sorts of interesting things while drinking beer froth. The venue witnessed a small turnout which must have carried a sense of disappointment, however it did not affect the band’s performance or overall attitude. 

Bean told us that we were obviously smart, attractive and intelligent people for showing up. There was a lot of such humour and banter in the between-song talk which made the show that bit more intimate and memorable. Bean also commented on the fact that she had not played a venue with an open fire grate before and that she could watch the flames rather than the exit sign she would normally focus on at a gig.

Freakwater tonight were Catherine Irwin (acoustic guitar and banjo) and Janet Bean (four and six string acoustic guitar) with Moregan Geer on Telecaster electric guitar and Anna Krippenstapel on violin.  It was a slightly stripped down version of the band which had also included bass and drums for the earlier part of the European tour. This rhythm section-less version of the band  however well able to give the songs an interesting perspective that worked well in this particular setting.

Geer plays under the name Drunken Prayer as well as performing as a guitarists with other acts and is soon to be touring with The Handsome Family. He played a solo set before joing the band that included his version of Missionfield, a song also on the new Freakwater album.

The band opened with an impressive acapella start, before bringing the instruments in on version of The Carter Family staple Keep On The Sunny Side and they encored with a full on cover of Black Sabbath’s War Pigs. Between those two points the songs were largely taken from their own back catalogue with a natural emphasis on the current album Scheherazade. They played the opening song from that album What People Want after Irwin had spoken about being asked “why can’t you write a song that people like.” She explained how she had set about trying to remedy this by listening to songs that were hits and deciding that she had cracked the code. To which Bean responded “yeah, but you’re playing a banjo and the song is about rape and being thrown down a well.” A catchy song none-the-less.

Number One With A Bullet, Bolshevik And Bollweevil and other songs from the current album followed along with a number of songs from the back catalogue like Waitress Song - from the album Old Paint (and an anecdote about how bad a waitress Irwin was and how she felt that getting tips was degrading) and Binding Twine - from the Springwater album, which was one of the set highlights with a telling violin solo part. Geer’s slide guitar was also an effective foil that added an additional tone to some of the songs. The sit list for which had been written on both of Bean's hands which at one point had her wondering what "forge" was until she realised it was short-hand for Forgetable Song from the Feels Like The Third Time album.

In terms of the music, the harmonies and vocals were central to the live show and when joined by Geer and Krippenstapel, were entirely forceful and full on. Both players added much to the overall sound with violin and guitar textures bringing great tonal colour to the acoustic basis of this live performance. There was an understanding and ease between the players that comes from being together for such a lengthy tour; as well as noting how easy it was to get on each other’s nerves in confined spaces, such as a tour car. That side of the touring process didn’t show however. But there were stories of trying to fix the fifth string on the banjo with a “dirty Dutch plumbing wrench.” Something that hadn’t turned out quite as planned.

They dubbed the tour as ‘The American Apology Tour’. The apology being for Donald Trump and such politicians in general. Irwin commented with tongue in cheek that she has something in common with the Donald in that he has said nice things about Putin, because Putin had made similar remarks about him. “if people say nice things about me I’ll say nice things about them.” Towards the set, a stage light suddenly begins to flicker which distracts the band, until Krippenstapel unplugged it, to much applause.

They played two encores after the official set, the first was a song from the Freekons, an occasional collaboration between themselves and the Mekons. They closed with War Pigs which they had previously released as a single back in 1990. Bean noted that she had played bongos on that version which brought an audience comment that essentially bongos were the worst. Bean said she didn’t quite know how to take that but she’s moved on to congas anyway. It was a powerful finish to an equally strong set. One that will hopefully see the band return on these shore in time. Those present were the winners when the girls (and boy) from Loserville came to town.

Review by Stephen Rapid  Photographs by Kaethe Burt O'Dea and Stephen Rapid

Kevin Montgomery and Clive Barnes - Mick Murphy’s, Ballymore Eustace - 10th October 2016

Monday night at this intimate venue and the last date on an Irish Tour. The place is packed with long-time fans, word-of-mouth newbies and interested onlookers, who just want to catch the experience of extending the weekend a little bit further.

This singer-songwriter has been producing quality music for many years now and although commercial success is something that he has flirted with and even dated seriously for a while, his undiminished talent stays true and shines as brightly as ever.

He is accompanied tonight by the always impressive Clive Barnes, a superb guitarist and interpreter of live performance dynamics, who supplies the right shades of colour to each song performed by the duo. They have an easy presence and spark off each other with a mutual respect that is clear for all to see in their playing.

Visiting his releases over the years, Kevin treats the audience to a string of finely crafted songs about love gained and lost, journeys of the heart and mind, feelings of aspiration and desperation and plenty of thoughtful reflections on life as another fellow traveller along this unknown highway.

Favourites come in the shape of Another Long Story, Tennessee Girl, Red Blooded American Boy and Let’s All Go To California. He also treats us to a version of Heartbeat, a song written by his Dad, Bob Montgomery, for Buddy Holly. Nothing is a beautiful and heart-felt song written for his daughter who passed away and the naked emotion in the lyric really hits home in such a small venue; you could hear a pin drop …

A few songs from the new release, Some Comfort, are given an airing - Motion Picture, I Will Love You Anyway and the superb The Greatest Love I Never Knew, a song of unrequited love which shows all Clive Barnes interpretive skills with some spine-tingling guitar work as he lifts the song to increasing heights.

Clive also played a short solo set during the gig and showcased his bottleneck playing virtuoso talent on a couple of blues tracks, in addition to playing an acoustic song from his upcoming release. Fantastic to see such a craftsman perform so close at hand.

It was a night of real warmth with both performers completely relaxed and not distracted by the close proximity of the audience. Kevin finishes with an encore of Fear Nothing, an old favourite that has the room harmonising on the chorus and leaving the venue with a smile and renewed resolve to face the daily routine. 

Review by Paul McGee  Photograph by Vincent Lennon

Americana Music Festival Nashville 20th – 25th September 2016

 

It’s that time of year again and the first thought is how the past twelve months have gone by in such a flash. As was the case last year, Lonesome Highway booked accommodation in the heart of East Nashville close to the Five Points yet only ten minutes’ drive into Broadway which is the more commercial Downtown area. East Nashville has become more and more popular in recent years and is a particularly vibrant neighbourhood with hip music venues such as Basement East, The 5 Spot and The Family Wash and some buzzing bars including the 3 Crows, The Crying Wolf, The Duke and The Village Pub and Beer Garden, to mention but a few. It’s also where two cool independent record stores, The Fond Object and The Groove are located. Both of these record stores host outdoor showcases during the festival and given that a large amount of the artists actually live in the East Nashville neighbourhood, you’re most likely to be rubbing shoulders with many of these people together with visiting musicians who seem to gravitate to these two venues in particular.

As has been the case in recent years the weather on arrival in Tennessee was glorious, approaching 90 degrees. Daylight was from approximately 7am to 7pm which resulted in the perfect evening temperatures.

The Americana Music Festival developed a particularly user friendly programme/schedule ‘app’ some weeks in advance of the festival. It included a complete listing of all the artists, venues, showcases, conferences etc. and allowed you to prepare your own schedule in advance of the festival. The app was constantly updated which also allowed you to view the interest and probable attendance numbers to be expected at the various shows which was very useful particularly if the intention was to ‘venue hop’ each evening to attend a number of shows.

Having arrived on schedule at our accommodation on Edgewood Place in the early evening we decided to pay a visit to The Country Bar on 28th Avenue North. The evenings music on offer included The Black Feathers, Don Gallardo, The Rosellys and Hannah Aldridge. I was quite looking forward to seeing Bristol based The Rosellys perform and was not disappointed by their laid back blend of country infused folk. Don Gallardo, a regular visitor to the UK, performed material from his current Clubhouse Records album Hickory and the extremely accomplished Hannah Aldridge played a spell binding solo set to close the evening. Mention should also be given to the young Texas born Rachel Laven who made a guest appearance and had quite a number of punters in line to buy her debut album Love and Luccheses at the end of the evening.

The first observation is how the festival, currently in its 17th year, is increasing in popularity year on year, not surprising given the quality of acts on offer for a very reasonable cost. This year’s line-up offers a choice of nearly 200 acts over a number of venues, many of which are in close proximity to each other.

Early Tuesday morning featured the annual trip to the thrift and discount record stores around Nashville for certain members of our party to seek out bargains and rarities in both vinyl, cd’s and books. The two larger stores, The Great Escape and McKays, stock literally thousands of records, books and memorabilia, mostly second hand (or pre-loved which seems to be the more politically correct description). Prices for albums are generally pitched at ninety-nine cents each with discounts for buying in bulk. Needless to say our car boot was half full after a few hours visiting a number stores. Next stop was The Mercy Lounge to collect our pre-purchased wristbands. They cost $60 each and entitle the buyer access all the showcase acts and many afternoon outdoor events during the festival. Entry to The AMA Award Show held at The Ryman is not included and visitors intending going to the show must purchase a laminate prior to buying tickets. Having attended the award show in previous years we decided to give it a miss this year.

Having regrouped to distribute wristbands and slake thirsts our party headed out to The Fond Object, a mere ten minute Uber drive, to take in some music outdoors in the glorious sunny afternoon. The afternoon’s entertainment was provided primarily by musicians residing in East Nashville. Radio presenter, film maker, record producer and singer song writer Anne McCue got the afternoon of to a flying start with a set that featured mostly material from her wonderful current jazz-influenced album Blue Sky Thinkin’. One of Nashville’s hardest working artists Tim Easton followed and the equally talented (and recently married) Amy Speace also delivered a beautifully laid back set. Kevin Gordon and Wild Ponies were also on the set list but unfortunately we had to make a dash to The Basement East at 917 Woodland Street to get in line for what promised to be a stunning evening’s entertainment.

One of the most highly anticipated shows of the festival the sponsors Guitartown and Sin City christened the event Better Together and promised a five-hour marathon at the five hundred capacity venue. The first part of the show was to be co-hosted by both Chuck Mead of BR549 fame and the hardest working musician in Nashville Aaron Lee Tasjan, with the final two hours presented by the legendary Lee Ann Womack.

The anticipation was well founded with the show kicking off with a ripping version of I Can’t Explain by Chuck Mead and finishing some five hours later in style by Lee Ann Womack singing the Way That I’m Living from her excellent album of the same title. 

In between we had stunning contributions by both Mead and Tasjan with a backing band made up of some of Nashville’s finest, we had the legendary 75 years young Charlie Mc Coy (who has played with Elvis, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Chet Atkins to name a few) blasting out Baby Elephant Walking on harmonica, we had Dan Baird, Buddy Millar, Jim Lauderdale and Patty Griffin all performing. However, the highlight of many highlights was the appearance of Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell and the four song set that they contributed. Shires played You Are My Home, the closing track of her latest album My Piece of Land. The gorgeous love song which includes some beautiful violin playing by Mrs.Isbell and a wonderful guitar solo by her husband. Isbell name checked the eccentric and Nashville based bad boy Todd Snider noting that after his day everyone will claim to have known Snider, before launching into Play A Train Song, one of Snider’s many exceptional songs. Flagship by Isbell from his award winning 2015 album Something More Than Free completed their set.

The Country Music Hall of Hall is an iconic building situated on 222 5th Avenue South and is the largest museum in the world representing primarily American music. In 1964 The Country Music Association was chartered by the state of Tennessee to begin the process of gathering all information and memorabilia relating to American music. Originally located in a small car park in Nashville the museum moved to a 130,000 square foot building in Downtown Nashville in 1971 and subsequent extensions resulted in the building currently occupying 350,000 square feet. Wednesday morning at 9.15am found us at the museum, arriving early to gain entry to a gathering and interview with Margo Price due to take place at 11.30am. She is without doubt the most talked about artists in town at present. Practically unknown this time last year, the Illinois born Price, now residing in East Nashville, has taking the country music industry by storm this year. Her debut album Midwest Farmers Daughter was the first album by a female solo artist in history to enter the top ten in the Billboard Country Music charts. This morning’s event is titled Songs We Love; Americana Edition; Margo Price and Friends. It is moderated by Ann Powers of NPR music and takes the format of a This Is Your Life show featuring Price, her husband, band and a selection of friends who discuss and recall the circumstances that have led to her meteoric rise to fame. 

The show starts with Price and her band performing Hands of Time, the opening track from her album and a song in itself that recalls her transition from childhood to her current status. What follows is a journey through her musical history, which started by playing as a folk duo with her husband Jeremy, part of the country blues band Buffalo Clover and finally, after quite a number of rejections, her album been picked up by Jack White’s Third Man Records, the first country album to be released on that label. Ann Powers introduced a number of Prices musical friends and fellow East Nashville residents such as Lilly Hiatt, Aaron Lee Tasjan and Erin Rae who recalled the graft and determination that Price displayed to get the breaks her talent so richly deserved. Each artist also performed on stage with Price. Erin Rae, better known as a backing singer, sang the beautiful Clean Slate (a song that Lonesome Highway suggested was probably the best of the year when reviewing the album earlier this year) from her debut album Soon Enough, with backing vocals by Price and Lilly Hiatt. Guitarist Kenny Vaughan, who has played with Lucinda Williams, Marty Stuart and was an original member of Margo’s backing band The Pricetags, joined the band on stage for the final number and there were also contributions from producer Matt Ross-Spang who recalled how the album only took three days to record at Sun Studio Memphis as a result of Price and her band being so well prepared and professional. Also introduced to the stage was Price’s grand uncle Bobby Fischer who has written songs for Reba Mc Entire, Phil Vassar and a host of others during his forty-year career. Price told of how influential and supportive Fischer has been throughout her musical journey. A wonderful ninety minutes indeed, professionally moderated by Ann Powers and an introduction to the modest, articulate and extremely talented artist that is Margo Price.

The evening showcase acts generally start at 8pm and finish at 12.45am with each act playing a forty-five-minute slot. However, as the AMA’s Award Show is held on the Wednesday evening the showcases do not start until 10pm that night. After some very difficult choices which included Dwight Yoakam at The Mercy Lounge (with a likely queue for ninety minutes), a rumoured appearance by Steve Earle and Jason Isbell at Roberts Western World (which did in fact materialise) we decided to opt for The Station Inn where Aoife O’Donovan was the main attraction. The Station Inn is a landmark music room in Nashville best known for featuring bluegrass acts and is located on 12th Avenue South, a prime location in an area which has seen major redevelopment in recent years.  There were three acts playing this evening, firstly Americana String Band Moonsville Collective from California who warmed up the audience with a lively set. The venue was packed to the doors for Aoife O’Donovan’s set and in recognition of the esteem she is held in she was introduced on stage by AMA Executive Director Jed Hilly, who had made a dash from the Award Show at The Ryman to do the honours. A long-time favourite of Lonesome Highway, Ms O’Donovan name checked us after two songs adding that we had attended the first night of the current tour in Dublin last January. Her backing band consisted of Anthony da Costa on percussion and the wonderful Steve Nister on guitar and as was the case in Dublin the trio performed a mesmerising set with the majority of the material from her current album in The Magic Hour.

Closing out the evening was Front Country from San Francisco. Described as a bluegrass band a more fitting description might be soulgrass based on the sassy and soulful vocals by Melody Walker, who was accompanied by mandolin, violin, guitar and bass. A young group of musicians that certainly made an impression and a name that I expect we will be hearing more about in the future

Those who did attend the Americana Music Association Award Show were treated to appearances by the cream of the industry including the following award winners -

Album of the Year: Something More Than Free Jason Isbell

Artist of the Year: Chris Stapleton

Group/Duo of the Year: Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell

Song of the Year: 24 Frames Jason Isbell; Written by Jason Isbell

Emerging Artist of the Year: Margo Price

Instrumentalist of the Year: Sara Watkins

Spirit of Americana/Free Speech in Music Award co-presented by the Americana Music 

Association and the First Amendment Centre: Billy Bragg

Lifetime Achievement Award, Trailblazer: Shawn Colvin

Lifetime Achievement Award, Song writing: William Bell

Lifetime Achievement Award, Performance: Bob Weir

Lifetime Achievement Award, Wagon Master: Jim Lauderdale

Thursday lunchtime was spent at Alley Taps in Printers Alley which is located in Downtown Nashville. The occasion was an invite only preview show of Emily Barker’s latest album due for release in early 2017. It was recorded at the famous Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis and was produced by Matt Ross Spang who recorded both Jason Isbell and Margo Price’s recent albums. As you would expect the sound was soul drenched, rootsy and quite wonderful. Emily was joined on stage by the actual session players that will feature on the album which included Rick Steff (Lucero, Dexys Midnight Runners) on keyboards, Steve Potts (Neil Young, Booker T & The MGs) on drums, Dave Smith (John Mayall, Cat Power, Buddy Millar, Norah Jones) on bass and David Cousar (Al Green, Amy La Vere) on guitar. Super stuff by the versatile and talented Barker who seems to have an endless number of projects on the go at any given time and a wonderful way to spend a Thursday lunchtime. 

The next stop later on that afternoon was at New West Records Headquarters recently opened at Berry Hill Drive South Nashville. New West record a house hold list of artists including Buddy Miller, Sara Watkins, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Shovels & Ropes, Luther Dickenson and Giant Sand to name but a few. The party which started at 5pm and finished at 8pm and was held outdoors, included complimentary food and beer and great music provided by Lilly Hiatt, Sammy Brue, Sara Watkins and Aaron Lee Tasjan. Time restraints allowed us to only catch the opening act Lilly Hiatt who performed a blistering set from her opener Jesus Would Have Let Me Choose the Restaurant to her closing number Somebody’s Daughter. It was unfortunate having to leave just as Sammy Brue was starting his set. Brue is the youngest artist to have appeared at the festival having played at the age of thirteen and the now fifteen old recent Nashville resident is surely destined for a bright future with appearances already at The Newport Folk Festival and Summerfest.

Having been kindly offered a lift back to town we managed to catch the last two songs of Mindy Smith’s slot at independent record company The Razor and Tie before driving a dozen blocks to the 3rd & Lindsley which was hosting an evening of sets by artists from Oklahoma. First up was Austin based Jimmy La Fave whose blend of folk, country and blues has earned him a considerable reputation among music lovers and his peers over his thirty-year career. He performed as a duo this evening and no doubt won over some new fans with his relaxed yet rootsy set. Carter Sampson was on stage next accompanied only by a guitar player. Sampson is finally making a deserved breakthrough in Europe and the UK having released a number of excellent albums among them her most recent Wilder Side. Her vocals are divine, powerful yet sweet as she performed stand out tracks from her last two albums including Wilder Side and her signature song Queen of Oklahoma. She excitedly informed us how honoured she was to having fellow Okie Wanda Jackson watching from the side of the stage.

A quick dash from the 3rd & Lindsley to The Cannery Ballroom had us up front stage just in time for the start of Dori Freeman’s slot, an act I had been particularly looking forward to seeing. Freeman is a 25 year old singer songwriter from Galax, Virginia whose debut album released in February of this year took the industry by complete surprise. It’s an album that you expect from an artist that had been living and groomed in Nashville for a number of years instead of being released on a very small Washington D.C. label, Free Dirt Music. It certainly made its mark with us at Lonesome Highway and Freeman was one of the new artists that caught my attention this year.  Regrettably she got a graveyard slot, scheduled immediately before Rodney Crowell, which resulted in the large venue being very well attended but also meaning that she had to play to an extremely talkative crowd. Unlike audiences in Ireland and the UK in the main, there seems to be a tendency in the States for people to attend shows and proceed to talk to partners and friends throughout the acts. Many of the crowd, even at front stage, seemed to be doing their level best to make as much noise as possible throughout her singing and only stopped talking at the end of each song to applaud! Playing on one of the largest stages at the festival Freeman, who could pass for a mid teenager given her diminutive stature, stood mid stage accompanied only by a percussionist. Halfway through her set, having made a casual remark about the verbals offstage, she turned to her stage colleague and we could hear here gently saying to him ‘I gonna do this’ and bravely launched in to a quite wonderful acapella which did actually result in some quiet in the hall. Her wonderful set, one of my favourites of the festival, featured You Say, Tell Me and the superb Go on Loving from her debut album and also an appearance by Teddy Thompson (who was involved in the production of the album) on backing vocals. Despite the ‘talkers’ this young lady certainly gained a number of new fans among our group and is an artist that we hope plays Ireland in 2017.

A mere twenty minutes later and Rodney Crowell was on stage with a full band and being, well just being Rodney Crowell. No surprises, simply forty-five minutes of nonstop favourites played at pace to a loving crowd. Stars on the Water, Ain’t Living Long Like This and Leavin’ Louisiana in particular worked well to mention a few and superb playing by Crowell, Jeff Hughes on guitar and Steve Fishell on pedal steel and guitar was a joy to behold. I’ve been lucky to see Crowell perform many times over the years but this really topped the lot.

Friday morning involved a visit to Grimeys Record Store on 1604 8th Avenue South which is without doubt the premier independent record store in Nashville. It is located above The Basement which was one of the music venues used throughout the festival and also possess a large car park which was also used for afternoon events during the week. An adjoining building, owned by Grimeys, includes a bookstore stocking new and second hand books, cd’s and vinyl. It’s a great spot to spend an hour or two, browsing, listening to music and inevitably engaging in a spot of retail therapy.

The afternoon found us at the rear of Groove Record Store a mere ten minutes’ walk from our house for the annual Bloodshot Records Backyard Bash. The schedule included four of the labels acts, Lydia Loveless, Robbie Fulks, Cory Branan and The Bottle Rockets.  With the temperature well into the nineties and a large crowd in attendance a place in the shade was an imperative. Lydia Loveless played solo but with maximum attitude as expected and no less talent. Her set featured material from her current album Real, possibly the album which will gain her the deserved industry breakthrough and recognition she deserves.  Given the temperature levels I decided to slip down the road and go indoors to The 5 Spot where Tim Carroll was playing his weekly residency with his crack band. Carroll’s ability to still write three minute, one hundred miles an hour songs is laudable and as a result his band, air conditioning and cold beer resulted in me staying for his whole set and not getting back to The Groove for The Bottle Rockets or Robbie Fulks. Can’t win them all unfortunately.

Hopping in an Uber, ten minutes later we are Downtown having decided to work between The Mercy Lounge, The High Watt and Cannery Row on the Friday evening, all three venues being under one roof and fifteen acts on offer. A few songs from The Secret Sisters before slipping downstairs to catch the start of Lee Ann Womack’s set at a very packed Cannery Row. Lover of all things Lee Ann Womack as I am, the main attraction for me of the evening was Marlon Williams scheduled upstairs at The Mercy Lounge. The twenty-five-year-old New Zealander’s debut album had highly impressed me earlier in the year and having heard positive reports of his live shows he was top of my wish list. Difficult to describe or categorise, his soaring, sophisticated and rich vocal range slots somewhere between Scott Walker and Jeff Buckley. He certainly did not disappoint, quite unique and quirky and his delivery and take on the Billy Fury song I’m Lost Without You was stunning. 

Downstairs at the heaving The Cannery Ballroom Buddy Millar was halfway through his set but we managed to catch the final twenty minutes. As expected Millar introduces a number of guests on stage including Jim Lauderdale and Lee Ann Womack. 

Saturday morning involved a second visit to The Country Music Hall of Fame for an event titled Songwriters Session: Jim Lauderdale. The sixty-minute show comprises of songs and an interview with the Nashville legend and one of the most popular characters in the industry. Always full of surprises Lauderdale tells us that the interview is going to be slightly unorthodox as he has decided to play the part of both interviewer and interviewee and proceeds to launch a series of questions and answers which involves him moving from one side of the chair to the others while adopting both roles. Lauderdale as expected also includes song in the show, playing the title track from his latest album (and 28 release) This Changes Everything and the closing track from the album, Drive, a co-write with Hayes Caryll. The interview is informative and honest with Lauderdale confessing to only getting a record label at the age of 34 after many years of rejection and was only finally in a position to support himself four years later when his iconic song The King of Broken Hearts was recorded by George Strait.

The event closed with a question and answer session which was particularly interesting given the number of singer songwriters in the audience. Dealing with rejection, which Lauderdale noted was still a reality for him, was fascinating. A young female writer from the floor asked how to best deal with it and Lauderdale’s reply was both enlightening and positive when he simply said "I write my way out of it". As always he spend at least a half hour after the show meeting, greeting, signing albums and allowing photos with him to be taken. Some things change in the music industry from time to time but Jim has proved consistently over the years to be one of the most honest and likeable artists in the business.

The afternoon saw a return to The Groove for the yearly Bootleg BBQ which is a showcase produced in association with Americana UK and featuring a number of UK and International acts. Free beer and food is also provided by the sponsors and the event runs from noon to 6pm. This year’s line-up includes UK acts Robert Vincent, William the Conqueror, Yola Carter, Teddy Thompson and Kelly Jones together with American band Sons of Bill, The Americans and Applewood Road, a three piece all female act made up of Amy Speace (USA), Emily Barker (Australia) and Amber Rubarth (USA). 

I missed the first two acts but arrived in time to catch the last two songs by Yola Carter who wooed the crowd with her powerhouse vocals and country blues style verging on gospel. Teddy Thompson and Kelly Jones set featured material from their current album Little Windows, the stand outs being I Never Knew You Loved Me Too and You Can’t Call Me Baby. Their harmonies were to die for and Thompson’s relaxed stage presence interspersed with humour made for a highly enjoyable forty-five minutes. Equally enjoyable was the glorious vocal trio that is Applewood Road, three artists that live thousands of miles apart but managed to record their excellent debut album which has been gaining very positive reviews. Particularly well received were their performances of the title track of the album also called Applewood Wood and a silky version of Loving My Religion enhanced by heavenly harmonies from the three ladies.

Sons of Bill are no strangers to Lonesome Highway having been one of the star performers at Kilkenny Roots Festival a few years back. This afternoon the Virginia based brothers play a stripped back acoustic two piece set and include a particularly riveting rendition of Brand New Paradigm from their current album Love and Logic.

Last to play are The Americans, a band I had heard quite a lot about without having listened to their music and they certainly did not disappoint. A four piece rock band hailing from Los Angeles they have supported Lucinda Williams, Ryan Bingham and Nick Cave. The PBS documentary American Epic was produced by T Bone Burnett who is quoted as saying that the band are part of a group reinventing American heritage music for this century. High praise indeed and in fact Burnett attended their showcase concert later that evening at The Station Inn and even got on stage and sang a number himself. They sounded excellent this afternoon and are an act I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for.

Next pit stop was The Mercy Lounge for Jason Eady and his band. Having witnessed a blistering straight down the middle honky tonk set from Eady two years ago at the same venue this was an artist that was certainly not to be missed. Last time out he included his wife and singer songwriter Courtney Patton in his band but this time around he performed with an ass kickin’ four-piece band of upright bass, guitar, drum and pedal steel. Opening with AM Country Heaven he played a wonderful set that reminded me of exactly why I love die hard traditional country music. His sound is very much in the Merle Haggard School of country and it continues to baffle me as to why he is not a household name given the quality of the many albums he has released and his stomping live shows.

Next on our list is Dylan LeBlanc who was due to start thirty minutes after Eady but in The Anchor Fellowship which is located approximately a mile away from the Mercy Lounge. As we exited the venue and anticipated a fifteen-minute walk in extreme heat it came to our attention that a female bicyclist with a back car was offering rides at the princely sum of one dollar per block. Two of us hopped in the back and the young lady somehow managed to transport our combined thirty stone weigh to the venue in no time at all. The Anchor Fellowship is a small converted church at 629 3Avenue South and still functions as a multi-domination church together with staging music and art shows. Having been informed by a number of locals that it is also known as the mini Ryman I was determined to get to see at least one act at the venue. Dylan LeBlanc first two albums did not particularly light my fire but I have been loving his latest offering Cautionary Tales.  Renowned for his shyness I was expecting a laid back acoustic set either solo or possibly as a duo. How wrong could I get! His six piece band at an ear deafening level played a blistering set covering the best part of Cautionary Tales in what was without doubt one of my highlights of the festival. LeBlanc was on fire on stage and a total contradiction to the very shy and humble young man that we congratulated at the end of a stunning performance.

The 5 Spot is a local bar and music venue in east Nashville where many of the local artists get there first musical break and it’s where we decided to relocate for the last two acts of the evening. Hollis Brown, named after the Bob Dylan The Ballad of Hollis Brown, are the brainchild of New Yorkers Mike Montali and Jonathan Banilla. They perform as a four piece landing somewhere between New York 70’s punk and southern rock. They certainly hit the right notes this evening with a lively set played to an audience which probably included as many local musicians as it does festival goers. The night ended in some style by the one-man blues dynamo that is Dex Romweber who, in a former life, was part of the Flat Duo Jets, a duo that were quite a name in the late 90’s and were hugely influential on a young guitar player named Jack White prior to him forming The White Stripes. Romweber is moody, loud, and bluesy and has the ability to generate a melody from his screeching guitar feedback like no other. An epic end to the day’s musical adventure before a visit to the 3 Crow bar a mere two minutes’ walk away to regroup and compare notes with the rest of my crew who had attended different shows throughout the course on the evening.

For the third year on the trot JP Harris had organised a very special Sunday afternoon of great music, food and of course, beers. The most welcoming of hosts, Harris prepares and cooks monumental amounts of gumbo and manages to feed possibly a couple of hundred people while also introducing his guest artists on stage. The venue is at the rear of the Fond Object record store at 1313 Mc Gavock Pike which is in the heart of East Nashville and also close to where many of the locals reside. Today’s line-up includes Tim Easton, Ariel Bui (an album release show), Tommy Ash, Aaron Lee Tasjan, JP Harris and his Band (and friends), Blackfoot Gypsies and Fly Golden Eagle. The audience is made of festival attendees and musicians but also many locals including quite a number of families who have arrived with their children for the afternoon. As always JP is the most charming of host making a point of welcoming everyone, introducing the acts, keeping an eye on the slow cooking gumbo while managing to chain smoke without pause.

Tim Easton’s set was short and started at 12pm as he had other commitments and as a result we did not get to see him play. Ariel Bui is a really interesting artist. A formally trained classical musician the young lady’s sound incorporates jazz and country into a set of songs that are both dark, intoxicating and quite experimental. She basically plays her debut album in total in the order that it is recorded and is accompanied by some excellent and equally talented musicians and backing singers. By way of comparison her sound is not unlike Angel Olson and she’s an artist I certainly will be following. Her album was only released on vinyl but expected to be followed on cd in the coming months.

What follows is a complete contrast and not exactly what I expected when I read the name Tommy Ash on the schedule. Expecting a male artist, I was surprised that Tommy Ash is in fact a female country singer songwriter from Phoenix Arizona but currently living in East Nashville. She is straight honky tonk country with a classic country vocal, dress sense to match, a delightful southern drawl and with an absolutely killer band. It transpires she has also opened for Merle Haggard, Dale Watson and Ryan Bingham.  With obvious influences from Merle, Dwight, Wanda and Patsy her set is no nonsense, straight down the middle country and lots of fun. 

Aaron Lee Tasjan and his band are next to perform and it’s fair to say that Tasjan must be the hardest working musician at the festival. Apart from co-hosting the Tuesday night event at The Basement East he has played his own showcase sets and appeared on stage with numerous acts over the week. He is also highly supportive of his fellow musicians and always prepared to give them a dig out. Tasjan has a remarkable musical pedigree from playing in the gender bending rock band Semi Precious Weapons, a member of the re-formed New York Dolls through to his present day focus as an exceptional song writer and guitarist with the ability of combining wit, grit and no end of passion to his live performances. All these ingredients are packed into his set this afternoon which ends with Tasjan on his knees in the crowd encouraging his long-time fan and Festival regular Bob Mc Adam to strum his guitar for the final riffs. Stunning stuff indeed.

With the gumbo slow cooking outdoors in a gigantic pot JP Harris finds the time for his own set. As in previous years Harris invites and introduces a number of emerging artists during his set to perform on stage with him and his band. The first artist up this year is Kelsey Weldon a young lady that has been living in Nashville for a number of years and like so many others working endless hours waitressing while trying to make a breakthrough in the industry. Her vocal is classic country, natural and controlled. I learned afterwards that her latest album ‘I’ve Got a Way’ is top drawer and she is certainly another new artist for me to investigate.

Courtney Granger is a traditional country singer hailing from South Louisiana. Introduced on to stage by Harris the young man’s appearance is more like an accountant than a country crooner but his vocal, accompanied by Kelly Jones, is remarkable and worthy of the praise heaped on him by Harris who predicts that Granger has the quality to make a major impact going forward. 

Harris’s set naturally also includes some full on honky Tonkin’ from him and his crack band which as usual includes the superb Brett Resnick on pedal steel. South Oklahoma, Golden Ring & Gear Jamming Daddy all featured together with the Lera Lynn and Conway Twitty standard You’re The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly.  It finishes, all too quickly unfortunately, with Harris resuming duties in the outdoor kitchen serving up plates of gumbo and rice to the masses.

Blackfoot Gypsies, up next, were another new act to me. A mixture of blues, roots, rock ‘n’ roll and country the young four-piece band are fronted by a young man named Matthew Paige with a most incredible, distinctive high pitched voice and the ability to belt out a song with the best of them. They succeed after only a few numbers in having men, women and quite a number of children up front dancing, air guitaring and generally having a ball. Extraordinary live band and another act to follow in the coming years. 

Unfortunately, time pressure did not allow us to catch the final act on the bill, Fly Golden Eagle but the time had come to make a move to relocate and catch the last acts of the festival. The intended show for the Sunday evening was Holly Williams supported by Travis Meadows at the 3& Lindsley. However, word filtered through during the day that a host of artists, including Robyn Hitchcock, Emma Swift, Lilly Hiatt, T Hardy Morris, Tristan, Pony Boy and others, were due to jam at the 5 Spot and the venue being local to our accommodation, won out. The event was attended by probably more musicians than punters, packed to the doors and a great end to the festival. Particularly enjoyable for me was the opportunity to meet Robyn Hitchcock, an artist that I have admired since my teen years and his partner Emma Swift who were both delightful, amiable and conversational.

The evening ended, as many had during the week, with a few beers across the road in our local bar The 3 Crow. 

As the saying goes just when you think it’s over … Monday provided another pleasant surprise. Never short of music events to attend in Nashville the plan had been to catch The Time Jumper’s Monday residency at the 3& Lindsley. Consisting of a number of elite local musicians The Time Jumpers perform Western Swing every second Monday at the venue. Plans changed however when word spread that Cale Tyson was hosting an end of festival celebration at The American Legion joined by an array of artists who had performed over the past week. Due to join the party were Aaron Lee Tasjan (no surprise), Nikki Lane, Jonathan Tyler, Molly Parton, Robyn Hitchcock, Emma Swift, Jamie Wyatt and Erin Rae and with such an impressive list is was decided to defer The Time Jumpers until another year. The American Legion, situated at 318 Donelson Pike East Nashville, is a private members club which hosts events from time to time to raise funds for the maintenance and upkeep of the complex. It’s like a workman’s club in by gone times and punters are required to sign in at the venue prior to admission. If features a hall which was still decorated from previous functions including a mirror ball and happy birthday balloons which may very well have been located at ceiling level for quite a while. A separate bar is situated the entrance door where old timers very busy playing cards and drinking beers. In the hall the stage has been decorated by Cale Tyson and his team and to our delight included not one but two steel pedal guitars on stage. 

The format for the evening sees Tyson invite the various guest to the stage where they each perform one song, all covers and mostly standards, well known to all present. Tyson’s band includes his regular steel player Brett Resnick and an equally talented group of players. It’s a wonderful evening, relaxed and the perfect end to a wonderful festival. 

What follows could not be script written by the writer. Lonesome Highway has been unapologetically raving about both the album and live shows by the hottest name in Nashville this year which is Margo Price. During a break between artists I slipped out to the near empty bar to arrange refreshments and fate would have it Margo and her husband Jeremy were sitting at the bar. She had just arrived at the venue to make special guest appearance having been on stage with Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle at a recording of Skyville Live just minutes earlier. Having had the pleasure of meeting the charming young lady after her show in Manchester in September it was a fitting end to the whole adventure to have another chance to encourage her and her husband to visit and play Ireland in 2017. A lasting memory for me as I lifted my drinks from the counter was her engagement with the lady serving the drinks who must have been in her eighties. Price gently whispered “Mam I got to sing on stage tonight with one of my all-time heroes Emmylou Harris”. To which the smiling barmaid replied with a slow southern drawl and holding Price’s hand “Honey, you’re a big star now.” You couldn’t make it up!

Minutes later Price was on stage belting out Guy Clark’s Rita Ballou in fine style. The evening finished with all the artists on stage closing the set with a rousing Goodnight Irene.  

It’s difficult to know where to start in mentioning the many people that made the festival another outstanding mix of music, laughter, education, glorious weather and the odd beer. 

A word of thanks to my housemates, the 3 Crows group of similar minded people, Dandy & Rose, Ark PR, Americana Music Association Executive Director Jed Hilly and his wonderful team, Yazoo Brewing Company and of course the many musicians and artists that continue to make the festival a very special week indeed.

Lonesome Highway got to see approximately 60 acts out of the 200 that performed at the Festival this year. Time to make plans to get back in 2017 to catch some of the ones we missed.

Written and photographed by Declan Culliton

Fantastic Negrito @ Whelan’s, Dublin. Sunday 18th September 2016.

When you grow up with the lessons learned on the streets of Oakland then you are a survivor with a story to tell. Having lost close family to the gun violence that is all too often a backdrop to life in USA cities, this aspiring artist turned his energies into making music and created something of real value before a horrific car accident took it all away.

Arriving in Dublin for a debut gig, all these years later, is a million miles away from those dark days and Xavier Dphrepaulezz, stage name Fantastic Negrito, is clearly in a much happier place right now. With a critically acclaimed debut album, The Last Days of Oakland, making quite a stir across the music grapevine, the last thing that we are going to be is disappointed. The energy levels of Fantastic Negrito and his superbly rehearsed band is full-on, loud 'n' proud, in your face and racing you through an experience that will long stay in the memory.

Playing tracks mainly from the album release, Fantastic is, well… quite simply Fantastic...!

Boasting a huge stage presence, he dances and moves around his band, engaging the enthusiastic crowd at every turn and raising the performance levels ever higher. He has a natural way with stories and his likeability factor wins everybody over by the time he has removed his full-length leather coat, a few numbers into this really impressive performance.

This is Black Roots music that fills a particular space in the music consciousness with plenty of Soul and Funky grooves that really hit hard. Add in some wonderful keyboard sounds on top of this driving beat and it is impossible to not jump into the sweet surrender of it all.

The 5-piece band are clearly having a blast and so are the crowd as we are treated to the real essence of live performance. The song titles will not mean anything to those who are discovering this artist for the first time so let me just add the actual set-list which I was fortunate enough to photo after the show, courtesy of a newly anointed fan who was taking it home as a souvenir of a special night.

The next time Fantastic Negrito visits Dublin it will be to a larger venue as his reputation is only going to grow in one direction...

Review and photographs by Paul McGee

Margo Price @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester - 30th August 2016

Margo Price is hot property of late and rightly so. The rave reviews for her debut album Midwest Farmers Daughter earlier in the year were followed by appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Saturday Night Live and Later with Jools Holland. The first Country artist to be signed to Jack White’s Third Man Record label, her album highlighted an ability to pen outstanding and mainly autobiographical songs and also placed the 32-year-old Illinois born Price (now residing in East Nashville) among the finest authentic female country vocalist of the present day. The album was also the first debut solo release by a female artist in history to enter the top ten in the Billbord Top Country Albums chart. However, it has not been overnight success by a long shot and her album details in no uncertain terms much of the tragedy and hardship she has encountered to date.

As a venue The Deaf Institute could hardly be more suitable, a medium sized room with a capacity of approximately three hundred. A noticeable sense of anticipation most certainly prevails prior to Price taking to the stage at 9pm.

Her backing band, The Pricetags, consist of electric guitar, acoustic guitar (played by her husband Jeremy Ivey), bass, drums and pedal steel and together with Price they deliver a seamless set that despite being over ninety minutes long passes in a flash. From the opening song Travel On to her final encore of Neil Young’s Old Ways Price owns the stage, making all the right moves, energetic, oozing confidence, visibly doting on the audience feedback but most of all showcasing her stunning vocal ability.                           

Understandably the majority of the set is taken from her album, mostly true to the studio versions with the exception of Desperate and Depressed which rocks out more that the studio take. This Town Gets Around (her take on Music City ("When I first came here the streets were paved with gold and you can walk that road I’ve been told, but I won’t put out or be controlled, I don’t write the shit that get bought and sold") is a delight. Her signature song, Hands of Time is immediately recognisable and greeted with applause from the first few notes even before her vocal kicks in, Tennessee and Weekender get similar treatment from a very engaged and enthusiastic audience. This gives the whole experience more of a Saturday night than Tuesday night feel.

Her covers are well chosen and pertinent, from the beautifully delivered Levon Helm song Dirt Farmer performed acoustically with price sharing vocals, to a rousing rendition of Gram Parson’s Ooh Las Vegas. Hurtin’ (On The Bottle), co-written with Caitlin Rose after a nights drinking, finishes the main set before encoring with the aforementioned Old Way. A fine way to close what had been a memorable concert.

Ironically Margo Price is most likely too "traditional country" to generate the airplay she deserves on country music radio these days. The tendency to lean towards a more diluted form of pop country is unfortunately leaving artists like Price struggling for radio airplay despite the plaudits being generated within the industry. This is reinforced by her inexplicable recent omission from the CMA 2016 nominations. The honesty of her song writing probably does her no favours on Music Row either, leaving her possibly approaching categorisation as a modern country outlaw artist in the company of her heroes Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Jessi Coulter.

However, on the basis of her performance this evening it will take more than a lack of exposure on commercial radio to deny Price the career her talent richly deserves. I may attend a better show this year but I seriously doubt it.

Review and photography by Declan Culliton

Big Sandy & The Fly Rite Boys @ Grand Social - Saturday Aug 20th 2016

It’s not too often lately that a gig will bring together such a wide bunch of rock ’n’ roll fans to appreciate live music as were at the Grand Social this weekend - music that encompasses boogie-woogie, jazz, rockabilly, rock ’n’ roll and the occasional instrumental twang. Tonight’s gig started with an opening set from veteran piano player Gavin Povey who most assuredly tickle those ivories with style. His fellow musicians know as the Fabulous Oke She Moke She Pops - Simon Farrell on upright bass and vocals alongside Shane Atlas, top hat, drums, vocals and dancing - offered solid support throughout with a set that is full of danceable rhythms and memorable hooks that were appreciated by the dancers and drinkers alike. The songs included a well deserved encore of Moon Mullican’s Seven Night To Rock as well as a tribute to Etta James, in the song of that name, as well as such gems as Go Cat Go, Hook, Line and Sinker, Red Man and Glory Bound.

The star attraction however was the return of Robert Williams aka Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys. Big Sandy is a regular visitor thanks to Ubangi Stomp Club presentations. It turned out to be Big Sandy’s birthday a reason for celebration overall but one that somewhat derailed the show mid set as Happy Birthday was sung to Sandy and also to other members of the audience who also claimed the day too. One who took the stage to sing his congratulations was Welshman John Lewis (a fellow rock ’n’ roll artist in his own right) who also brought a round of Tequila shots only to be called back onstage to sing a song with the band.

The songs ranged from the first song from Big Sandy’s first album to both sides of his latest 7” single release Fine, Fine, Superfine and Every Time (on Ruby Records). Other solid favourites included Jumping From 6 To 6, Tequila Calling (which it was!), The Greatest Story Ever Told and Chalk It Up To The Blues. As per usual the players in The Fly-Rite Boys deserve special mention and none more so than long-serving guitarist Ashley Kingman whose playing is every bit the attraction that Big Sandy is. A stunning guitar player who can turn his hand to many styles and moods. He is joined tonight by the current line-up of Kevin Stewart on upright bass and vocals and Ricky McCann on drums. The trio delivers a striking instrumental mid-set that was a testament to their undoubted playing skills.  

Yet it is the big man upfront who holds court whether joking with the audience or expressing his love for playing in Dublin. Asking “you been alright since we last met?” as well as noting that “a Mexican can now feel right at home in this international city”. The distraction of the “happy birthdays” aside he was in fine form and obviously enjoying singing and playing for the assembled finely-dressed fans who thoroughly enjoyed the show. They danced throughout and at the show’s end demanded an encore  - which they duly got. A three song set that started with Night Tide and finished fittingly with a extended and energetic Carl Perkins tune that left everyone in a good enough mood as they headed out into the rainy early morning.

(Top: Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys Below: Gavin Povey and Fabulous Oke She Moke She Pops & Dancers)

Review by Stephen Rapid  Photographs by Kaethe Burt-O'Dea

Anne McCue @ House Concert: Knocklyon, Dublin - 11th August 2016

House concerts, particularly in the States, have become essential for touring musicians and offer the best of both worlds to both audience and artist.They often act as fillers between club dates for the artists and give punters the opportunity to enjoy the act in more intimate settings without the distraction of clinking glasses and over-talkative spectators.

I have to admit that this was my first attendance at a formal house concert but what better way to start than with the East Nashville based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Anne McCue. The concert was the last of four shows in Mc Cue’s tour of the UK and Ireland. McCue said that she "needed this tour to raise funds for some new guitar strings, you gotta have big dreams!".

The venue is the front room of a residence in the leafy suburb of Knocklyon and is hosted by the extremely welcoming Joe Kelly and his wife Monica. The room comfortably accommodates twenty two people seated and with an excellent sound system (courtesy by John O’Leary who also provided electric guitar, acoustic guitar and ukulele which McCue on a number of occasions makes reference to the best ‘pick up’ equipment she has ever encountered) contributed to a wonderful evening’s entertainment. Throughout the set McCue performs material from her current jazz influenced album Blue Sky Thinkin’ together with visiting her extensive back catalogue and some well-chosen covers.

Her stage manner is relaxed and quirky, telling tales of her Catholic upbringing in Sydney such as the wry commet that "I was child number eight, my mother used to say she only wanted four, imagine how that made me feel, needed therapy for years" and marvelling over the scenic drive earlier in the week from Kilkenny to Clonakilty and a breakfast earlier in the day at Inchydoney Strand.

The evening certainly reinforces the extreme talent of McCue possesses both as a song writer and as a musician. Her guitar work throughout is quite stunning whether it be playing acoustic, electric, lap guitar or indeed ukulele.

The range of material on offer is testament to how she has explored and crossed many genres throughout her career.

She introduces one of her signatures songs Want You Back as a western song that was "in fact a Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly song to the key of e-minor".Things You Left Out In The Rain, Spring Cleaning In The Wintertime, Cowgirl Blues, Uncanny Moon (a tango co-written with Carl Byron,) all feature on her current jazzy, ragtime album, yet sit comfortably beside a powerhouse version of Hendrix’s Voodoo Chile ,The Door’s Cars Hiss BY My Window and her own delta blues number Hangman which includes superb soaring lap guitar.

Milkman’s Daughter, she recalls, was written in recognition of one of the many additional jobs her father worked at in order to raise and educate his large family.

She finishes the set in style, encouraging and succeeding in having the chorus of Little White Cat sung by the audience, telling us that "I’ve broken my golden rule by writing an audience participation song" before fittingly encoring, ukulele in hand, with Say Bye Bye.

The one hour forty minute set passes all too quickly, evidence of the all engaging quality of the artist in a most comfortable environment. A first but definitely not a last house concert for the writer, though it will no doubt be difficult to match the standard set by Anne McCue this evening.

Review and photograph by Declan Culliton

Luan Parle @ Dockyard 8 Bray - 21th July 2016

Dockyard 8 has earned the reputation in recent years as one of the hippest diners in the Wicklow/South Dublin region. As a further string to their bow they have decided to host midweek music events offering the best of both worlds by combining talented acts with casual dining.

The first of these evenings features Wicklow born Luan Parle, Irish Meteor Award Winner and one of  Irelands premier female vocalist. Luan has been touring extensively this year both at home, in Europe and America accompanied by blues guitarist and singer/songwriter Clive Barnes. This evenings show was an opportunity to witness their combined talents and in particular to reassess an artist who career appears to be enjoying a renaissance in recent times.

The setting is ideal on a scorching summers evening with the stage situated at the entrance to the restaurant overlooking Bray Harbour and the retractable roof opened slightly to allow adequate ventilation. Luan Parle comes on stage via the front door announcing how impressive her outdoor dressing room is!

The evening is relaxed with the duo performing material from her current EP Roll The Dice together with songs from her back catalogue. As expected her vocal is sweet and evocative throughout supplemented by some stunning guitar work by Barnes on his favoured Gretsch guitar.

Highlights include the title track Roll The Dice which Parle introduces as "not the mix version which also features on the album, I was aiming at the boy racer market with that mix!" You’re Not Here and Funny also feature from her latest together with Why Baby Why and Strawberry Fair from her 2010 album The Full Circle. Ghost, her 2002 hit single, featuring lyrics sung in Irish and English also features as a strong contender in the set.

Barnes also performs a number of songs solo, playing some divine slide guitar and also amusing the audience with anecdotes relating to some dodgy tour managers he engaged early in his career. He also recalls an encounter with Bruce Springsteen whom he had the unexpected pleasure of sharing an adjoining urinal when Barnes inadvertently ended up in a VIP toilet at a Springsteen gig in the States. "An introduction and unwashed handshake followed" we are told!

The evening closes with two covers, a sultry rendition of Springsteen’s I’m On Fire, in honour of the bathroom handshake and a rocked up version of Where Did You Sleep Tonight?.

All in all, a particularly enjoyable evening, very well received by those present in a worthy venue and based on this performance evidence that Luan Parle is entering a period in her musical career that can only bring her further positive recognition.

Review and photograph by Declan Culliton

Joe Ely @ BB Kings NYC - 27th July 2016

Having been lucky enough to catch Joe Ely live in Dublin on a number of occasions either with his roots rocking’ band or with The Flatlanders this was a chance to catch Ely on his tod - with just his voice, guitar, songs and anecdotes in tow in the surroundings of this New York supper club style venue. Ely drew from a wide range of songs, mostly from the earlier part of his career as well as more recent songs as Magdalene (a Guy Clark co-write) from his last album Panhandle Rambler. A title which could equally have suited the evenings themes. Between many of the songs he reminisced about the origins of the songs or its writer. He spoke about the late Guy Clark and having recently played Clark’s songs at an event with Kris Kristofferson and Terry Allen. Other songs from other writer’s pens he included in his set were Live Forever by Billy Joe Shaver (and he told how he’d been honoured when the author asked him to sing it at a tribute to Shaver) as well as songs from his fellow Lubbock songwriters Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore.

He played a set that included many favourites as well as some audience requests; although on some he struggled to remember some of the verses but always managed in the end to get through the song. “I don’t know why I do it” he wily commented having worked hard to recall some of the words to the longer songs. Some of the songs included in the set were Silver City, Up On The Ridge, Pay The Alligator and Cool Rockin’ Loretta. While one particular song Billy The Kid sparked the comment that since the newly discovered photograph of the said William Bonney playing croquet he wasn’t quite sure what kind of car a croquet playing outlaw might drive. He then updated the lyrics to accommodate a revised viewpoint.

He told us about his first trip to New York and busking outside Carnegie Hall only to find himself on the inside many years later when invited to play there with the Flatlanders. Something he couldn’t have imagined back in the day. As mentioned he included songs by his fellow Flatlanders that included Butch Hancock’s If You Were A Bluebird and Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s Dallas (the night’s final encore). Pay The Alligator another Flatlanders co-written song was sung with some an energy that would have befitted the younger Ely. He also included his version of the Flatlanders co-write Borderless Love a song he has revised in recent times as a comment on the more polarised political attitudes that prevail in America, in some quarters, right now. “It’s all gotten too weird for me” he professed while also noting that “they should let out all the pot smokers to make room for the politicians”. That comment aside Ely’s set was delivered with insight and humour but without rancour as befits his overall attitude to life and love. A intimate setting for an evening with a seasoned rambler and reasoned storyteller.

Review and photograph by Stephen Rapid

Cactus Blossoms @ Rough Trade NYC - 26th July 2016

Arriving at the venue to find a sparse crowd was reminiscent of some gigs in Dublin where the audience was much less than the artist merited. However by showtime the venue had filled up when the band opened with Hank Williams’ Tennessee Border. From then on however the bulk of the set came from the songs on their new album You’re Dreaming which they co-produced with JD McPherson and is a move away from the more traditional country song choices of their first two albums.

 

These included the title songs along with such songs as Adios Maria, Change Your Ways Or Die, Spotlight Kisses, Traveler's Paradise, Clown Collector all written by Jack Torrey as well as a Powder Blue written by his brother Page Burkam. They were ably assisted by Andy Carroll on upright bass and Chris Hepola on drums. The latter deserves a special mention for doing a great job of playing with both subtly and drive as the songs required.

 

However the focal point is the exquisite sibling harmonies that are a fundamental part of the music. Each took the lead for certain songs while the other added the harmony vocal, or else they sang together in a way that few outside of siblings can. It was a simple, direct and pleasing sound that is a modern take on the many brother duos of the past - The Everly Brothers would immediately spring to mind on hearing them. But much as that duo updated the sound of the past so the Cactus Blossoms do today.

 

It is also apparent that they listen to a wide range of music outside of the more traditional when they cover the Kinks' song Who’ll Be The Next In Line towards the end of the show. The Muswell Hillbillies fitted right in - as any good songs would. Other covers included another British Invasion related choice with The Beatles This Boy as well as Waylon Jennings' Only Daddy Who Walked The Line. 

 

Throughout there was some banter between the band and the audience with them noting that although the soundcheck was fun that ”they couldn’t have done it without you” and also thanking the audience members who danced upfront. That some think that only the country audience dance was a misnomer they noted with appreciation. A round of drinks send onto the stage elicited the comment that they had (stated with tongue in cheek I suspect) never drunk whiskey before! They also gave a shout out to the music of their home town and state Minneapolis/Minnesota and to two of its better know exponents - Bob Dylan and Prince.

 

It was a great night’s entertainment with good humour and solid playing. Torrey’s electric guitar was seemingly simple but very effective even if he was self depreciating about it during the show. His brother Tyler he told us had recently been playing lead guitar with them on some dates. But in the end it is the combination of the songs and those voices that are the stars of the show - if you think you’ve heard better could be you’re dreaming.

Review by Stephen Rapid  Photography by Kaethe Burt-O'Dea

The Supersuckers @ The Grand Social - Friday 15th of July

"The Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Band" in the world recently played in Dublin. Least ways that’s what Supersuckers’ frontman Eddie Spaghetti modestly told us who we were in the presence of. You can’t fault their belief or energy though. The audience was a mixed bunch of punk and metal fans with a smidgeon of hard country fans too - judging by the t-shirts on display anyway. The band with it’s current line up of Spaghetti (who is the band leader as well as it’s only constant member) on acoustic guitar, Mountain Marty Chandler on guitar and vocals and drummer Captain Von Streicher were joined on bass and vocals (and merchandising sales) by Adam Kowalski. 

The effects on Spaghetti’s vocals following his bout with oropharynx cancer (or constant touring or both) were obvious from the get-go. However he never let that effect his performance as these guys are bad asses who live the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle. This was reflected in the lyrics of several songs, in requests for substances  and in the general appearance of the band. They opened the set with some old favourites that also peppered the set including I Want The Drugs, Must’ve Been High, Roadwork and Weary and Non-Addictive Marijuana. The latter three were taken from their 1997 country album Must’ve Been High. There were some murmurs of disapproval when Spaghetti announced that they would be playing some country songs. However nobody seem to object to these same songs in reality when the performed them with their usual attitude and accoutrements.

Those who favour Eric Church and the like should have been here checking this band out. They have been playing hi-energy country rock with an outlaw inspiration when most of those guys were in kindergarten. The band also played several tracks from their latest album Holding The Bag which again revisits their hi-octane blend of rock and roots. These included Let’s Bounce, with the bassist and guitarist doing just that on the chorus. Jibber Jabber and Billy Joe Shaver’s Georgia On A Fast Train also got an airing - the latter with Chandler on lead vocals. It was also the baseball-hatted guitarist’s birthday. Guess what he wanted!

Each song ended with the “Cha Cha Cha” phase and Sapghetti’s crossed arms that are now a part , like the guitars raised in unison, of a Supersuckers' show. They managed also to ride the line between their rockin’ and hard country tendencies with Chandler’s Telecaster twangy and gritty by turns. They are a tight and entreating band who have continued to make good music despite the odds. Odds that seem to get more stacked as time goes on. However we all looked into the creepy jackalope eye and lived to tell the tale and they showed us why they claim the title. Cha-cha-cha champions.

Review by Stephen Rapid. Photograph by Kaethe Burt-O'Dea

Phil Vassar @ Whelans - 29th June 2016

The first support act is Dublin born Niamh Lynn, now residing in Cavan. Lynn has been building up quite a reputation of late in country music circles, quite justifiably based on her short set this evening. Her classic country vocal recently earned her the compliment, by Ryan Tubridy, of being the Imelda May of country. Particularly striking are her delivery of the Irving Berlin classic Always dedicated to her late grandmother and an equally impressive version of Sing Me An Old Fashioned Song. Expect to hear a lot more about this talented young lady going forward.

Next up is Athboy singer songwriter Matt Leavy. Highly respected within Irish country music circles Leavy does what he does best, breezing through a set of impressive covers of material by Randy Travis, George Jones, Kenny Rogers and Kris Kristofferson.

Phil Vassar’s pedigree as a songwriter in Nashville is second to none and includes ten No.1 singles and over twenty top forty hits. Alan Jackson, Tim Mc Graw, Jo Dee Messina and many others have all successfully recorded Vassar’s material. He has also gained a deserved reputation as a powerhouse piano player and live performer and those lucky enough to be in attendance this evening are treated to a full on, whirlwind journey through his back catalogue together with some newer material to be included in his next recording.

Less country than I expected, his stage show often brings to mind the music of Billy Joel, Bruce Hornsby, Ben Folds and surprisingly even Springsteen on a number of his songs.

His band consists of long time guitar partner Jeff Smith, Danny, Dessie and Simon Sheerin (from the hugely talented Sheerin Family)  providing his rhythm section and Vassar himself on piano, occasionally sitting, more often standing upright but always showcasing his playing skills.

Vassar plays a low key solo opener before being joined by the band and launching into crowd favourites Carlene and Just Another Day in Paradise. His stage presence and ability to engage with and entertain the   audience is second to none and clear evidence of an artist in his comfort zone as a live performer.

His set is comical (Just Another Day In Paradise), sad (Last Day Of My Life), romantic (Love Is A Beautiful Thing), fun (Like The Rolling Stones) and also includes a superb rendition of Help Me Make It Through The Night. Not content on reeling out all his best known songs Vassar also performs some very impressive new material (Sound Of A Million Dreams and I’ll Meet You There) to be included in his next album.

The age profile in the audience is interesting given that it ranges possibly from early twenties to three or four decades older, quite encouraging to see quite a number of younger punters for an artist that has been performing and entertaining for over twenty five years.

The standing ovation at the end of the show summed up a complete evening’s entertainment by a consummate professional and delightful artist who appeared to enjoy the show every much as his audience.

LCM Promotions promised a night of rock and country music and they delivered with an evening that was welcomed by an enthusiastic gathering.

Review and photograph by Declan Culliton