THE HEARTBREAKERS featuring CHRIS STAPLETON
It was hard not to be moved, from exhilaration to overwhelming emotion, watching the founding Heartbreakers reunite for the first time in more than 20 years and then accept a lifetime achievement award. (Don’t miss Shawn’s Americana Honors awards show coverage)
JOHN PRINE TRIBUTE
John Prine would have been 80 this year, and both he and his legacy need to be celebrated. His spirit was definitely in the room as Brandi Carlile, Allison Russell, SistaStrings, and a remarkable array of artists dug into the Prine catalog. A fine discovery was The Carlile Family Band, represented by siblings Caroline and JayJ, whose presence, musicianship, and candid storytelling won me over. And, as the picture below documents, I wasn’t the only one enamored by their performance…
We’re excited to host de la Cour at shows this month in Boston and New York City, so I wasn’t going to miss his only show of the week. He shared the stage with Lydia Loveless, about as good a pairing as you can get. With just his voice and guitar, his dark, literate songs landed with extra weight.
Miller is not just Nashville royalty but music royalty, period. In that light it was no surprise that when Robert Plant accepted his lifetime achievement award, Miller was one of the marquee names he acknowledged. Miller helped close out the week with a masterful set built around songs from his great new album.
One of the best parts of AmericanaFest is seeing artists play multiple sets in different rooms, giving them the opportunity to show different sides of their musical personality. Payne’s appearances were a case in point. He was the first artist I saw upon arriving in Nashville, in a wonderful country-oriented set featuring Ashley Monroe at a big, crowded industry event. A few days later, I saw him at a small bar on Music Row, where the vibe was more subdued singer-songwriter. The consistent thread across both was Payne’s stellar songwriting.
Harris’ “Oklahoma band”, including John Fullbright, jumped in their van to join her for AmericanaFest. She previewed songs from a forthcoming album she recorded with the Oklahoma crew. No surprise, the songs balance melodic grace with lyrical depth.
I caught an afternoon set from the Texas singer-songwriter who leaned heavily on her soon-to-be-released A Mile South of Heaven. It was a great preview of an album as endearing as it is moving.
Another artist I knew by name but had never seen live. Legendre delivers great songs in an old-school country style, so it’s no surprise she’s a leading honky-tonk light in Texas. Shout out to Austin’s Nakia, a Twangville fave artist, for jumping into my photo.
Marks delivered a forceful Saturday night set. AmericanaFest may have been nearing its end, but she made sure it didn’t go out with a whimper. Her blend of rock and roll and R&B was fueled by a soaring, big-hearted voice.
New Orleans-based Dollbaum played a ramshackle set of rock and roll on a restaurant patio. I loved the grit of both the songs and the performance.
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.