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MerleFest 2018: Robert Earl Keen

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As MerleFest 2018 approaches, a highlight from one of the 100+ performing acts will be featured daily…

“The road goes on forever…”

It’s not always easy to sum up a career — let alone a life’s ambition — so succinctly, but those five words from Robert Earl Keen’s calling-card anthem just about do it. You can complete the lyric with the next five words — the ones routinely shouted back at Keen by thousands of fans a night (“and the party never ends!”) — just to punctuate the point with a flourish, but it’s the part about the journey that gets right to the heart of what makes Keen tick. Some people take up a life of playing music with the goal of someday reaching a destination of fame and fortune; but from the get-go, Keen just wanted to write and sing his own songs, and to keep writing and singing them for as long as possible.

“I always thought that I wanted to play music, and I always knew that you had to get some recognition in order to continue to play music,” Keen says. “But I never thought of it in terms of getting to be a big star. I thought of it in terms of having a really, really good career and writing some good songs, and getting onstage and having a really good time.”

Now three-decades on from the release of his debut album — with well over a dozen other records to his name, thousands of shows under his belt and still no end in sight to the road ahead — Keen remains as committed to and inspired by his muse as ever. And as for accruing recognition, well, he’s done alright on that front, too; from his humble beginnings on the Texas folk scene, he’s blazed a peer, critic, and fan-lauded trail that’s earned him living-legend (not to mention pioneer) status in the Americana music world. And though the Houston native has never worn his Texas heart on his sleeve, he’s long been regarded as one of the Lone Star State’s finest (not to mention top-drawing) true singer-songwriters.

He was still a relative unknown in 1989 when his second studio album, West Textures, was released — especially on the triple bill he shared at the time touring with legends Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark — but once fellow Texas icon Joe Ely recorded both “The Road Goes on Forever” and “Whenever Kindness Fails” on his 1993 album, Love and Danger, the secret was out on Keen’s credentials as a songwriter’s songwriter. By the end of the decade, Keen was a veritable household name in Texas, headlining a millennial New Year’s Eve celebration in Austin that drew an estimated 200,000 people. A dozen years later, he was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame along with the late, great Van Zandt and his old college buddy, Lyle Lovett.

Bio provided courtesy of www.robertearlkeen.com

You will not want to miss Robert Earl Keen on Thursday (April 26) during MerleFest this year.

Thursday, 7:15pm-8:15am (Watson Stage)

View the full MerleFest schedule and stage lineup here.

MerleFest 2018: Gunner and Smith

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As MerleFest 2018 approaches, a highlight from one of the 100+ performing acts will be featured daily…

Hope and redemption. Philosophy and folklore. The music of Gunner and Smith has always been a collection of fiery elements, blending searing guitars, brawny rhythms and distinct folk-family vocals to produce tightly-knit rock anthems. But on Byzantium, the group’s second full-length album, the songs simmer and seethe with a newfound brooding energy that looks at the darker sides of love, loss and humanity.

Anchored by the stolid songwriting of frontman Geoff Smith, the ever-shifting nature of the band has once again undergone another evolution, with a talented cadre of musicians joining the frontman at the helm. Featuring an ever-expanding sound that combines indie rock, alt-country and sizzling psych-Americana, Byzantium is borne from a deeper, darker place than the group’s previous material.

Conjured from realms where empire lie in tatters, the story of Byzantium is one of densely layered narratives that weave and wend ominous tales of imaginative and tactile worlds. The album’s namesake, taken from a besieged ancient empire centered in Constantinople—modern day Istanbul—hints at the endless cycles of war and waste that plague humanity. But while the themes are seemingly grim, the music keeps the mood buoyant. Opening the album with a wry, snakey guitar line, Smith’s oft-dark, meticulous visions are rounded out by balladry and brightly melodic guitar-heavy rock.

The mainstay signature element of Gunner and Smith identity has always been built by the overriding concepts behind each individual album. Conjuring a literary amalgamation of decay, faith and ambition – whether it’s the uncertainty of modern life, or the constant life shifts of middle age, Smith’s latest offering is one that exists in a barren world where light ultimately shines through.

Bio provided courtesy of www.gunnerandsmith.com

Catch Gunner and Smith at one of their two sets on Friday (April 27) during MerleFest this year.

Friday, 9:45am-10:15am (Cabin Stage)
Friday, 11:00am-11:15am (Austin Stage)

View the full MerleFest schedule and stage lineup here.

Live Review: Casey Donahew in Charlotte

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An electric Coyote Joe’s welcomed Texas native Casey Donahew back to North Carolina…

Fans of Casey Donahew appreciate both his upbeat storytelling and ability to slow things down with love songs that are in stark contrast to the rowdy tales of Carl Wayne. Critics however, attempt to put his musical stylings in the same file folder as today’s pop country musicians hailing from Nashville – on the opposite end of the spectrum from traditional Red Dirt and Texas Country music.

Regardless of where you feel Donahew’s sound falls in the genre, there is no denying his commitment to legends like George Strait, Chris LeDoux and Garth Brooks. His music is inspired by classic country and his live show a combination of each, capable of running around the stage, firing up the crowd and slowing the tempo when needed. All of these characteristics were evident on Saturday night at Coyote Joe’s in Charlotte.

Nashville based Jacob Powell started the night before giving way to Donahew and his band. Kicking things off, Donahew opened with ‘Feels This Right’ to set an upbeat tone for a majority of the night. He quickly followed with ‘Double Wide Dream’ warming the crowd up for other hits like ‘Stockyards’ – an anthem about his hometown where he began this “wild ride” he’s been on for 15-plus years.

After mention of the Cantina Cadillac, Donahew dialed up LeDoux’s ‘Cadillac Cowboy’ to the excitement of all on hand. Later in the evening, new music was on tap as ‘He Ain’t A Cowboy’ is sure to be another hit in a long line of Donahew favorites with a powerful line, He can’t saddle up no horse / so he ain’t never gonna ride away. Earlier in the evening, Donahew shared his commitment to writing songs about cowboys and belief that people still exist who appreciate just that – many were in attendance and expressed their gratitude for the sentiment.

The Matchbox 20 cover of ‘3 AM’ was included and every bit as entertaining as the original before Donahew broke into his third cover with a brief rendition of, ‘In Da Club’ by 50 Cent after noticing a fan celebrating a birthday in the audience. He also took a request and played, ‘White Trash Bay’ prior to launching into a partying finale.

Announcing prior that he didn’t see the point in walking off stage and returning, the crowd received instead a two-minute warning of sorts before ‘White Trash Story’ sandwiched ‘High’ as the crowd sang along at full throat to end the evening.

An entertaining performance worthy of ranking alongside artists like Pat Green, Cody Johnson and countless others hailing from Texas who have graced the stage at Coyote Joe’s.

FULL SETLIST 4/14/2018

Feels This Right
Double Wide Dream
No Doubt
Crazy
Kiss Me
Fallen
Country Song
Stockyards
Cadillac Cowboy
Whiskey Baby
Back Home in Texas
What Cowboys Do
One Star Flag
Breaks My Heart
Go to Hell
He Ain’t A Cowboy
3 AM
12 Gauge
White Trash Bay
Going Down Tonight
High
White Trash Story

MerleFest 2018: Lindsay Lou

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As MerleFest 2018 approaches, a highlight from one of the 100+ performing acts will be featured daily…

Touring behind the release of their most recent record, Ionia, they’ve been featured in the lineup of prestigious affairs such as The Shetland Island Folk Festival and Celtic Connections in Scotland, Stagecoach Music Festival in California boasting around 55,000 attendees, The Bluegrass Jamboree in Germany, and a number of the best acoustic music festivals in the US including: Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado, Merlefest in North Carolina, Wheatland Music Festival in Michigan, GreyFox in New York, Strawberry Music Festival in California, Redwing Roots Festival in Virginia, ROMP in Kentucky, and Pagosa Springs Folk Festival in Colorado. They were named one of NPR Music’s 12 best live performance sessions of 2015 by Mountain Stage with Larry Groce, a program which has featured acts like Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Amos Lee, Joan Baez, Regina Spektor, Norah Jones and PHISH.

Her singing floats over the instrumental mastery and deep groove of her band with dynamics that range from a lullaby to a battle cry. In the words of David Grier, “Lindsay…sings the way you would want to if you could. Phrasing, tone, emotion, it’s all there. Effortless seemingly. Simply mesmerizing. Riveting! Don’t miss the musical force that is Lindsay Lou.” Lindsay’s brand new full-length “Southland” (April 2018) is a collection of songs examining the range of emotions and complex themes of our changing times; delivered with soulfully fierce intensity and tender intimacy that demands your attention.

Bio provided courtesy of www.lindsayloumusic.com

Go see Lindsay Lou at her set on Friday (April 27) during MerleFest this year.

Friday, 11:00am-11:45pm (Hillside Stage)

View the full MerleFest schedule and stage lineup here.

John Moreland: Changing your tune

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Now there’s a John Moreland song for whatever mood you’re in…

Singer and songwriter John Moreland has built a reputation for passionate lyrics and acoustic performances that connect with audiences across the country. Born in Texas, Moreland spent time there and in Kentucky before another move brought him to Tulsa, Oklahoma when he was 10 years old.

It was here where Moreland began to play guitar and write his own songs. A member of a few different bands, his initial interest was in hard core music but a transition to his more familiar sound began to occur following high school. Moreland has built a following largely on his own, consistently writing songs, self-producing and releasing three solo albums. Even using his parent’s home as a recording studio for his third album, High on Tulsa Heat.

Becoming known for his story telling capabilities and piercing lyrics that often not only hint at, but face dark and depressing tones full on, Moreland himself began to succumb to his own endeavor. He shared these feelings with Rolling Stone in a past interview.

“When I heard the sad bastard thing more and more, it came to a point where I felt like a caricature of a real person. It made me really depressed for a little while, where I kind of believed it and put too much stock in that. I felt like it was all I had to offer: just bumming people out. It got really dark. I was a happy person, and then everybody called me a sad person, and then that made me sad. I felt like, ‘Am I just bumming everybody out? Is my art just this one-dimensional, negative thing?'”

Now a few years older, in love and married, Moreland released his first full band record, Big Bad Luv last year. His most recent performances have been a mix of his rock based beginnings, fully backed anthems and a peppered mix of his acoustic renditions, which still can quiet a venue demanding their appropriate attention.

Moreland has been heralded by country superstar Miranda Lambert but won’t be writing anything for her or anyone else, anytime in the near future. A rising star in his own right, Moreland continues to receive praise from Lambert and countless others in the music industry.

As his evolution continues, expect Moreland’s music to maintain its hard hitting ability to impact an audience – now, covering an even wider array of emotions.

MerleFest 2018: Mike Aiken Band

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As MerleFest 2018 approaches, a highlight from one of the 100+ performing acts will be featured daily…

Life on the fringe has its benefits, not the least of which is the perspective from an outsider’s view. Northwind Records is proud to announce the release of Mike Aiken’s seventh studio album, WAYWARD TROUBADOUR. Aiken’s 11song package is the anticipated follow-up to the Grammy nominated Captains & Cowboys (produced by Dan Baird, Georgia Satellites). As the first track’s title indicates, ‘Everything Changed’ with this album. Another conceptualized work that each of us can relate to, WAYWARD TROUBADOUR tells tales of trouble and charm.

It has been five years since Captains & Cowboys made its debut and Aiken says he wasn’t going to stop, not until he achieved what he was after. “I had a very clear sound in my head for this album, one I’ve always wanted to capture and I was not going to settle. At this point in my career I don’t have time for folks who don’t believe in the music 110%. These are the folks I want to write, record and perform with.”

Wayward, by definition, is difficult to control, unpredictable, non-conforming. It took three studios and almost as many years to complete this troubadour’s collection of true north. Tracking began in Austin, Texas late in 2016. Aiken then found his way to Latitude Studio South in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee. Here is where the magic started, where the wayward musicians could be themselves and Mike could begin to capture what he heard in his head on the vintage equipment.

If anybody has earned the title of WAYWARD TROUBADOUR, Mike Aiken has. He ran away as a kid to play music, he became a licensed USCG Captain, he has sailed over 30,000 bluewater miles on his own sailboat and logged countless miles on the road performing in North American and Europe.

Bio provided courtesy of www.mikeaikenmusic.com

Catch the Mike Aiken Band at one of their two Friday (April 27) sets during MerleFest this year.

Friday, 12:15pm-12:45pm (Cabin Stage)
Friday, 1:30pm-2:00pm (Austin Stage at Alumni Hall)

View the full MerleFest schedule and stage lineup here.

MerleFest 2018: Alison Brown

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As MerleFest 2018 approaches, a highlight from one of the 100+ performing acts will be featured daily…

Alison Brown doesn’t play the banjo. Alison Brown plays music on the banjo.

In the instrumental food chain, the five-string banjo is one of the more dominant beasts: loud, brash and very hard to tame. In 1945, Earl Scruggs made the biggest leap in harnessing its raw power, bringing a revolutionary precision of touch and depth of tone.

Thousands of three-finger style banjo players have since made their marks, but none has cut such a path or moved so far along it as has Alison Brown. She’s acclaimed as one of today’s finest progressive banjo players, but you rarely find her in a conventional bluegrass setting. Instead, she’s known for leading an ensemble that successfully marries a broad array of roots-influenced music: folk, jazz, Celtic and Latin.

With her new Compass project, The Song of the Banjo, the 2015 IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award and 2001 GRAMMY Award-winning musician/composer/producer/entrepreneur plants another flag in her ongoing journey of sonic exploration.

“It’s amazing to me how much the banjo changed in the 20th Century,” Brown says. “And here we are in the dawn of the 21st; who knows where it may go?”

For one answer to that question, look no further than The Song of the Banjo.


Bio provided courtesy of Larry Nager at www.alisonbrown.com

Make sure you see Alison Brown perform at one (or all!) of her three sets during MerleFest on Saturday or Sunday (April 28-29).

Saturday, 1:45pm-2:30pm (Hillside Stage)
Saturday, 5:45pm-6:30pm (Walker Center)
Sunday, 11:15am-12:15pm (Watson Stage)

View the full MerleFest schedule and stage lineup here.

Live Review: Brent Cobb in Charlotte

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Georgia native Brent Cobb captivated the Queen City on Friday night…

Brent Cobb has recently been making the rounds throughout North Carolina with stops in Asheville and Raleigh, prior to his show on Friday night at the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte. It was the last of his local dates before a spring spent mostly on the west coast touring prior to joining up with Chris Stapleton on his All American Road Show, traveling throughout the country. Once he does, even more people will get to witness the magical sound that immediately connects with listeners in a small venue but remains capable of translating to stadiums and amphitheaters.

In a world where every artist attempts to separate themselves from the next, whether by sound or unique instrumentation, Cobb achieves both. Immediately, his voice is recognizable no matter the song being played, while his use of the guitar keeps the momentum going with a solid sound.

Cobb took the stage at Neighborhood Theatre in front of a good crowd with many who were there to sing along. Word for word, a majority of the audience was ready for “Diggin’ Holes,” “Down Home” and “South of Atlanta,” despite some in attendance who needed a lesson in concert etiquette from American Aquarium front-man and North Carolina’s own BJ Barham.

Regardless of the unnecessary chatter taking place, Cobb declared that while he normally prefers to tell tales, he would instead stick to the music in an effort to fit as many songs into his two-hour set as possible. The time passed quickly as another highlight included the tribute song for Wayne Mills when “The King of Alabama” and our very own Tuesday Tune of the week, “Ain’t A Road Too Long” were played.

Overall, an exciting show with a receptive Charlotte crowd who was familiar with Cobb’s music because once he graces stages across America prior to Stapleton, his stock is only going to rise. For those in attendance on Friday night and in audiences recently throughout North Carolina, remember your time well spent when friends ask you about him in October, following dates with Stapleton in Raleigh and Charlotte.

You had a chance to witness his musical mastery in an intimate setting and while it may briefly continue, once more individuals are exposed to his relatable lyrics, then the opportunities similar to what Charlotte experienced on Friday night will diminish.

Cobb is on the rise and we are thankful he chose to spend multiple dates within his northeast neighbor before moving on across the country. See you again soon and while we’ll always be thankful for choosing the smaller venues, we’ll simultaneously appreciate your continued rise to whatever the future has in store.

MerleFest 2018: Brandy Clark

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As MerleFest 2018 approaches, a highlight from one of the 100+ performing acts will be featured daily…

“Ain’t we all the stars playing the leading part in our own soap opera?” Brandy Clark belts out that question to kick off Big Day in a Small Town, positing the premise of not just the opening track (“Soap Opera”), but all 10 songs that follow it. The towns that anchor Clark’s new album may be small enough to warrant only a single blinking light, but the lives lived in them are anything but … and neither are the hopes and dreams that rise from their backroads and bedrooms.

When you grow up in a small town, oftentimes, your dreams are all you have. Whether it’s to become a football star or a father, a homecoming queen or a hairdresser, your dreams might be the only thing that keep you going. For Clark, the dream she harbored in her small hometown of Morton, Washington, was to be a country singer. Sure, once she moved to Nashville, she had successful cuts as a songwriter [The Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two,” Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart,” and Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow” which won the CMA Song of the Year Award in 2014], but being an artist in her own right was a dream she had stopped dreaming until three years ago when her first album, the stunning 12 Stories, debuted.

Along with Sturgill Simpson, Ashley Monroe, Chris Stapleton, and Kacey Musgraves (who provides guest vocals on “Daughter”), Clark is part of a new vanguard in country music — one that tips a hat to tradition, while not eschewing its evolution. “I see what’s happening right now and I feel this groundswell of people who love… I would say ‘country’ music, but I’ll take it a step further and say ‘real’ music. I feel like there are people who are starved for that,” she says. “The only music I’ve ever made is country music. The only music I’ve ever really listened to consistently is country music. And I want to keep that alive, so there’s a responsibility in that, for me.”

But, for Brandy Clark, that responsibility is a dream come true.

Bio provided courtesy of www.brandyclarkmusic.com

You don’t want to miss seeing Brandy Clark perform during MerleFest on Friday (April 27) afternoon.

Friday, 3:15pm-4:15pm (Watson Stage)

View the full MerleFest schedule and stage lineup here.

MerleFest 2018: Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn

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As MerleFest 2018 approaches, a highlight from one of the 100+ performing acts will be featured daily…

Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn present their eponymous debut album as a duo, after many years of prominence as banjo players and composers in their own eclectic avenues. Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn is a front porch banjo and vocal album of new music, Appalachian murder ballads, gospel, chamber and blues; the culmination of a yearlong tour as a duo in 2013, following the birth of their son, Juno.

Béla, an icon and innovator of jazz, classical and world, with more multi-category GRAMMY wins than any other artist (15 total), and Abigail, a formidable talent with triumphs in songwriting, theater, performance, and even Chinese diplomacy by way of banjo, turn out to be quite a fortuitous pairing with a deep, distinct and satisfying outcome. The culmination is an album like no other. The record reveals their astounding chemistry as collaborators, as the two seamlessly stitch together singular banjo sounds (through an assortment of seven banjos spanning the recording) in service to the stories that their songs tell, with no studio gimmickry needed.

According to Béla, “finding a way to make every song have its own unique stamp, yet the whole project having a big cohesive sound – with only two people,” was at the core of their joint vision. Demonstrating seemingly unlimited rhythmic, tonal and melodic capabilities, Fleck and Washburn confirm the banjo’s versatility as the perfect backdrop to the rich lyrical component that Fleck and Washburn offer, “Sometimes when you add other instruments, you take away from the banjo’s being able to show all its colors, which are actually quite beautiful.” Thanks to this album, the musicians’ palette has never been more vivid or pure.

Sure, in the abstract, a banjo duo might seem like a musical concept beset by limitations. But when the banjo players cast in those roles are Abigail Washburn and Béla Fleck—she with the earthy sophistication of a postmodern, old-time singer-songwriter, he with the virtuosic, jazz-to-classical ingenuity of an iconic instrumentalist and composer with bluegrass roots— it’s a different matter entirely. There’s no denying that theirs is a one-of-a-kind pairing, with one-of-a-kind possibilities.


Bio provided courtesy of www.abigailwashburn.com

See Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn perform together during MerleFest on Friday (April 27).

Friday, 8:00pm-9:00pm (Watson Stage)

View the full MerleFest schedule and stage lineup here.