After the more familiar performances from night one, I was all the more excited to see three new-to-me acts. And given the intimate Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, I knew I was in for an up close opportunity to see each of the performers. The three acts managed to feature distinct shades of Americana music today: acoustic ramblin’, catchy pop-alt country and gritty roots rock.
While I’d heard his most recent record, Joe Fletcher live performance stunned me. He growling vocal lent his a bit more authenticity. His lyrics had a ramblin’ Dylanesque sensibility. His vocals have more in common with William Elliott Whitmore, sounding like a grandfather sitting down to play on a midwestern farm. You believe in hard-living themes. The tunes are likable for both the melodies and the lyrical content. A particular highlight was “Every Heartbroken Man” and its swinging melody. Fletcher ended his set with a Tom Waits cover and given his vocal delivery, its easy to make the connection between the too. Fletcher mentioned that he’d made a trip home recently and picked up a few copies of his first first album (now out-of-print) at the merch table; suffice it to say, I was first in line to pick up a copy. I look forward to examining his catalog a bit more closely.
Next, Stephen Kellogg took the stage. His demeanor was much more jovial and his songs had a romantic quality. His vocals were smooth and even edge toward some squeaky clean blue-eyed soul. His set and stage presence were polished from over 15 years on the road. He chatted directly with the intimate crowd, complementing audience members and had a very conversational tone. He related the story behind “Crosses.” The image of a figure on the highway with the crosses inspired the tune. Its a likable and catchy melody combined with an interesting story.
Finally, Sarah Borges and her band plugged in and blew out the crowd’s eardrums. After five straight acoustic sets, Sarah and the boys did not hesitate to crank up the volume. She and her guitarist Russell Chudnofsky immediately had a hilarious back and forth. Their banter and laughter set the tone for a loose Rollicking set. Borges came off as a rocker chick who takes no prisoners. Her vocals resemble those of Neko Case. Her songs have a nice variety of tempos and Borges could easily pull them off with her rockin’ guitarwork and melodies.
The three sets on Saturday ran the gambit of roots music today. They are furthest from the fiddle-driven country and closer to electric rock. They represent three distrinct strands of Americana music today.
All photos by Suzanne McMahon
About the author: Jeff is a teacher in the Boston area. When not buried correcting papers, Jeff can be found plucking various stringed instruments and listening to all types of americana music.