I think everyone knows someone who, when they enter the room, starts to add color to the discussion. Not the primary color, Jackson Pollack splat of conspiracy or disproven theory, but the rich tint that binds various hues together into a well-formed montage. Nashvillian, by way of several points in the Deep South, Afton Wolfe is just such a musical character. Whether solo with his acoustic guitar and Tom Waits vocal rumble, rocking out with an electric band, or jazzing it up with horns and winds and strings and percussion, a Wolfe performance is a unique experience.
A couple of years ago he was on an East Coast tour when his wife had a medical emergency (she’s fine now) and they had to cancel the last few shows. One of those was at the iconic Fallout Shelter in western Massachusetts. When Wolfe got back on the road he decided to not just make up the show, but to use it as the crucible for a live album, entitled simply Live From the Fallout Shelter.
The thirteen cuts on the record, spread across two sets, do a good job of spanning the reach of a Wolfe production. Last King of the Blues has a laid back vibe and expressive saxophone observing that “just because you ain’t in jail don’t mean you’re free.” Winter Comes For Mary is another bluesy number, this time more acoustic, about the late Mary Sack, a mentor for many an East Nashville musician including Wolfe himself. Forgive Yourself is a rocker about moving on because “there ain’t no reason to worry about it now.” Dream Song is a lighthearted, almost pop, tune that starts as a game with his nieces and turns into an existential crisis. Among some of the jazzier tracks is a cover of the Edie Brickell hit, What I Am.
One of my favorites is Cyclone. It’s sort of a storm-chaser metaphor about relationships, where there’s the excitement of the moment but when that passes it “leaves me for dead.” The tom-toms in the drum kit provide an ominous backdrop, with Seth Fox’s clarinet adding some tension (Fox does yeoman’s work on the album, playing several woodwind instruments, guitar, and vocals). We’re so happy to premiere that video here, so please enjoy Cyclone.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.