Showcasing Durham Region, Ontario's Finest

Some of the finest local music in Durham Region was on full display at the recent Inn From the Cold benefit concert held at the Garnet B. Rickard arena in Bowmanville, Ontario.  Organized in part by The Stone Sparrows' bass player James Gorry, and wonderfully promoted by Bowmanville record store Vinyl Alibi, this was a tremendous opportunity to see first hand the dearth of talent that exists in this region.  And the best part, the gathering was all to benefit Inn From the Cold, a charity designed to provide shelter and other resources to those in need.

Kicking off the evening was a talented group of teenagers, whom I understand just completed their first foray to perform in Nashville, Tennessee.  Jake Henley and Jacob Lauzon are two sixteen year old singer-instrumentalists that capably set the table for a great night of music and celebration, as the evening took on an atmosphere of a family reunion.  These two young men, backed with two additional outstanding young musicians on fiddle and upright bass, showed that the future of bluegrass and roots music is in great hands.  There are big things in store for this developing group of teenagers as they embark on what can be expected to be a long and fruitful music career.

Following the next act, rockin' bluegrass group Amorak, Bootleg Glory took the stage to deliver a standout set of pure rock.  While I have not attended a Bootleg Glory show in the past, it is clear these gentlemen are building a name for themselves as an engaging and talented group of musicians and songwriters, judging by the number of people in attendance stagefront during their set.  While the night clearly had a more roots based music bent to it, Bootleg Glory were by no means out of place on the bill.  Their set provided a nice switch from the earlier, more bluegrass sounding groups to the main acts of the night.

I would suspect that if Bowmanville, or Durham Region for that matter, is going to be recognized for any contribution to music on the big stage, that recognition will come from the Stone Sparrows.  Evidenced by the loud reception and joyous interaction between the crowd and band, this group is poised for much bigger things in the near future, starting in 2013.  The band worked through their set with some great difficulty, as the sound system in the performance hall was not really the best (with lead singer Megan Patrick repeatedly requesting for her vocal to be turned up, and rightly so.  It was extremely difficult to hear her sing).  The Stone Sparrows will be making an appearance on February 23, 2013, returning to the legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, so look for a more thorough review of their show following that date.

Getting back to the sound issue, this would be my only complaint of the evening, as the sound was an issue that plagued all performers on this evening.   It was very tough, at times beyond tough, to hear the lead singer in any of the bands.  This was the first time, at least to my recollection, that an endeavour of this type had taken place at the venue, and I truly hope it won't be the last.  Overall, the event was really well run and another event of this nature should take place.

Although I did not stay for their set (the paying job does take some precedence every now and again, and the show was running late), I would like to make mention of My Kind of Karma, a group that is based out of Vancouver, British Columbia and its members are comprised of former Bowmanville residents.  Those in attendance informed me that the members of the band had never known or met each other when they were kids and students growing in Bowmanville, but they all met each other out in Vancouver for the first time.  Not forgetting their roots or where they came from, My Kind of Karma returned to Bowmanville to lend their talents on a cold winter's night in their hometown for a very worthy cause.

Giving Thanks at New Year's

This is one of my favorite times of the year.  New Year's has always represented what I feel is a great opportunity.  The opportunity to reflect on the past year, where your life is and where you would like it to go.  It's a time to review and sometimes re-calibrate your goals.  If nothing else, the New Year holds as much promise and potential than at any other time of the year.

I've been working at this blog site for almost three years now.  It seems hard to believe that time has flown by so quickly.  As I do every year, I like to look back on where I'm at with the blog, and where I want to take things for the upcoming year.  Right now, I would admittedly say that I'm a little mixed about where things are at.  There have been some positives, many positives to be honest, but some negatives have crept on to the scene. 

Overall readership is up for the site, which is something that pleasantly surprises me.  I haven't advertised this blog at all, really, with the exception of making many wonderful contacts at the Americana Music Association and meeting with other Americana music fans at various shows.  I've said it before in this space and I will say again, it is my honour and pleasure that so many of you take valuable time out of your day to sit and read this blog.  I understand how busy life can be, and I'm humbled that you're willing to share your time with me.  The big negative that has crept in to the picture (and here is my mea culpa), is my seeming inability to be consistent with my writing here.  For example, this is the first piece I have written since November 7.  It's frustrating to the max for this guy, as writing this blog is one of my greatest pleasures.  My goal for the upcoming year is to be consistent.  In reality, I owe it to all of us who gain enjoyment out of this space, and that definitely includes myself.

Other positives that were gained from writing this site from 2012 were meeting all the truly wonderful people that I had the great fortune to meet this past year.  At the recent Americana Music Assocation Conference and Festival in Nashville this past year, I was amazed at how welcoming this community is for bloggers like me.  For one week out of the year, I get to be involved in the music community in a way that I am not regularly able to be at this point in my life.  Perhaps that will change down the road, but for the time being, it's a thrill and I appreciate it so much.  In the big picture scheme of things, I have been able to meet people that I would not otherwise have been able to meet, and I can now call them my friends.  To quote another famous blog, "That's AWESOME!"

What am I looking forward to this upcoming year?  I'm looking forward to changing the site around, and the possibilities that change can bring.  I'm looking forward to more shows to write about.  I'm looking forward to meeting old friends and making new friends at the Americana Music Conference in Nashville, and the upcoming International Folk Alliance Conference in my hometown of Toronto coming up in February.  I'm also looking forward to hearing the next breakthrough artist in Americana ... in 2011 it was Mumford and Sons, 2012 gave us Alabama Shakes.  Who will break through in large fashion in 2013?  Stay tuned.

I hope you and your families had wonderful Christmas and holiday season, whichever holiday you celebrate.  The year 2013 is just beginning, and may it be a beautiful, prosperous and healthy year for all.  Take care and God Bless.

The Beginning of the End of The Civil Wars? Or the End of the Beginning?

Some sudden and shocking news to come out of the music world today as we kick off the next 100 pieces of Americana Review, with word that The Civil Wars have cancelled their remaining tour appearances due to "internal discord and irreconcilible differences of ambition", as reported on their Facebook page. 

This news comes as such a shock for many reasons.  First and foremost, the duo have achieved a rare feat in acquiring a gold record certification for their debut album "Barton Hollow.  Equally as important, they were recently honored as the Vocal Group or Duo of the Year at the Americana Music Association Awards this past October.  In accepting their award, there was no indication of any internal strife.  But as we all know, things can change in a hurry.

The one and most obvious change from their auspicious debut is the fact that Joy Williams is new mother.  Embarking on a European tour can be a challenge for anyone, never mind a new mom who is leaving her baby for what can be speculated as the first time.  Perhaps the dream of a life on the road may have changed a bit for John Paul White.  Or, perhaps it was the obvious pressure that was on the band to come up with a record as compelling and original as their debut, which would be a monumental challenge.  Not insurmountable mind you, but a great challenge nonetheless.  Other reasons I've seen today hinted that the difficulties may not even be between Williams and White, but between The Civil Wars and their record label and/or management.  There is no shortage of speculation on the web as to what has happened here, and of course, anything I've written in the above paragraph is just that as well -- speculation.

Whatever the reason, I do hope The Civil Wars can take the time out they clearly need to reflect and recharge, and ultimately decide their future on their own.  They are two giftedly talented individuals, of that there is no question.  In my mind, they are the most original sounding duo to have arrived on the music scene in a generation.  There is no one that sounds like them.  In reading a blog post from earlier today, an audience member at what has now turned out to be the duo's last concert performance, in London, England, said that while the group performed, they did not look happy about doing so. If that is the case, then this is a real shame.  Watching The Civil Wars perform on stage is what makes them special.  The chemistry that exists between the two while performing is one of the most beautiful and special things I have ever witnessed in music.  Fans can take some solace in the fact that the Facebook posting also included word that the band may have new music in 2013.

However, if that chemistry is in fact gone, then the best thing they can do is call it quits now and leave us with their wonderful, but brief, period of work.   Hard as it may be, it would be the best thing for the group and their fans.

Some Final AMA Week Thoughts and Observations

It's been a little over two weeks since the conclusion of the 2012 Americana Music Association Conference and Festival, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention a couple of related noteworthy events in the honky-tonks of Broadway.

Canada was well represented as Toronto-based record label Six Shooter Records and Starfish Management got together to present the Outlaws and Gunslingers Luncheon at The Second Fiddle.  The well-fed guests were treated to an awesome lunchtime show featuring Americana artists from their respective rosters.  In all, four of the finest performances of the week took place on the Second Fiddle stage, as multi-talented trio Belle Starr chamed the audience and Joe Nolan made his Nashville debut.  The superb Deep Dark Woods closed out the luncheon, while arguably the hottest duo in Canadian Americana music, Whitehorse, amazed the crowd with their unique sound and outstanding musicianship.  This was my first time seeing Whitehorse in action, and I really enjoyed their sense of experimentation and "anything goes" attitude, it lent itself to fantastic set that really worked well. 

Another awesome hang was the Red Beet Records Happy Hour at the Crossroads.  This event featured a wonderful array of artists from East Nashville, as well as some Americana legends.  With this event being held on Friday in the late afternoon, it served as the perfect warm up for the nights activities at hand.  This event featured the lovely Anne McCue and Mary Gautier (who put on an outstanding set), as well as David Olney.  The packed house was treated to a wonderful performance by East Nashville mainstay's Eric Brace and Peter Cooper, whose version of the old Herb Pederson song "Wait a Minute" is absolutely killer.  

In addition to the showcases in the evening, it's events like these and many others that take place through the day that make the Americana Music Festival and Conference one of the best festivals today.  It's at events like these that make you truly feel welcome in the Americana community.  It is a special musical movement that is happening and one that I am proud to be a part of.  

Speaking of something to be proud of, this piece represents the 100th piece that has been written on this blog.  I thank all of you who have stopped by to read, comment, share, laugh and/or cry at anything that has been written.  This blog started two years ago and since then, over 7,500 of you have stopped by to check it out.  All with virtually no advertising.  It's been 100 posts, and I feel like I'm just getting started.  I look forward to continuing this journey with all of you well in to the future.

Day 4 Roundup -- AMA Music Festival

The final night of the 2012 Americana Music Festival and Conference held to me the most magical performance of the week.  After all, it’s not every day you get to see the wizardry of master musician and master record producer Buddy Miller team up with Nashville’s newest mainstream free agent Lee Ann Womack in a club setting.  But that’s exactly what occurred on the stage of the Mercy Lounge this past Saturday, as Buddy and Lee Ann performed to a packed house to close out this year’s conference.  More details a little later on in this write up …

Opening the nights festivities at the Mercy/Cannery/High Watt complex was a young lady whom I had not seen before but heard great things about, Jill Andrews.  Jill put on a wonderful set at The High Watt that included music from her latest release "The Mirror."  Jill has recently completed a successful tour with Kasey Chambers and will continue to tour into the fall with dates in New York, NY, Alexandria, VA and Bristol, TN.

Next up in the evening saw great performances by honeyhoney (whose show really picked up when they went with their electric instruments), awesome rockabilly from Derrick Hoke, and the beautiful sounds of the always reliable Tift Merritt.  According to their web site, honeyhoney will be going in to the studio to cut a new album this winter.  Derrik Hoke has just recently released his latest album, "Waiting All Night."

11:00 pm rolled around and it was time for the magic to happen.  And happen it did.  Upon entering the Mercy/Cannery/High Watt complex, guests were invited to submit their requests to hear Buddy and Lee Ann perform duets from the 60’s.  This was intriguing, as anyone who has followed either artists career will be fully aware that both artists could perform the phone book and make it sound like a recorded classic.  Hearing both artists who have so much historical knowledge of the music that we all love was a tremendous experience.   The show was not necessarily without its bumps though, however, no one really paid much attention.  After all, the atmosphere in the Mercy would be akin to being in Buddy Miller’s living room watching he and the band perform with Lee Ann Womack.  If a requested duet was unknown to the artists on stage, a more than adequate substitute was brought forth.  Frankly, the substituted songs were superior to the original request, at least to my ear.  They were perfectly suited to Lee Ann’s voice, which in reality should have been the one thing that was considered when submitting a request.   Every classic country music duo was covered in this performance.  George Jones and Tammy Wynette with “Golden Ring”, Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn with “After The Fire Is Gone”, and the first of two Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton classics, “The Last Thing On My Mind.”  Their performance of The Flying Burrito Brothers Classic, “Dark End Of The Street” brought a hush to the audience, as the crowd savored the moment.

Selfishly, I will say that my favorite performance of the night happened when I heard the magical words introducing another classic tune. “We have another Porter and Dolly song.  ‘Just Someone I Used To Know’, requested by Jason from Toronto, Canada.”  To say this was the performance highlight of the week would be an understatement.  Sometimes it’s hard to be objective when, in reality, we’re all music fans.  That’s why we go to the shows, buy the records and attend the conferences. 

And with the conclusion of their set, the showcase portion of the 2012 Americana Music Festival and Conference was complete.  As the crowd slowly emptied from the Mercy Lounge to the darkened street, one had to wonder what could the AMA do next year to top this year's festivities.  It will take some doing that's for sure, but one thing is for certain.  The committee that plans this portion of the event is more than up for the challenge as evidenced by this year's output.   

 

Day 3 Roundup -- AMA Music Festival

Friday was a busy day for attendees of the Americana Music Festival and Conference, as several functions for industry types (read: happy hour parties) to go along with the showcase performances of the night ... and one very special guest lunch performance presented by the newly launched CMT Edge website. 

Conference attendees were honored with a performance by The Queen of Rockabilly Wanda Jackson, during the lunch hour in the host hotel lobby bar.  The chance to see another musical legend such as this Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is almost too good to be true, but it happened and it was thrilling.  Ms. Jackson is now in to her 70's, but she has the energy, vibrancy and vocals of a woman half her age.  She and her band performed an awesome lunchtime set that included her biggest hit "Fujiyama Mama" and the Jack White-produced "Shakin' All Over" to a very appreciative crowd who could not help but smile while watching this dynamo work the room.

The evening portion kicked off at 9:00 for this guy, which saw the night bring me once again to the Cannery Ballroom.  One of my earliest pieces made mention of Amanda Shires, so it was my great pleasure to see this young lady perform on this night.  Ms. Shires has the unique ability to completely hush a room.  A beautiful young lady with a soft voice that can sing virtually anything, so talented on the fiddle that she has played with Bob Wills' former backing band The Texas Playboys, she kept the room in the palm of her hand.  But don't let the sweetness fool you where Amanda Shires is concerned.  While she may perform songs that are filled with romantic tension and lust, such as "Swimmer, Dreams Don't Keep" and "Shake The Walls", she will also perform a song or two about exacting slow revenge on a cheating lover.  But she makes it sound so sweet when exacting that revenge ... which is effective, because that's kind of scary.

Moving upstairs to the Mercy Lounge brought my attention to an act I hadn't heard before, and that would be Dylan Leblanc.  Dylan is a talented stylist from Shreveport, Louisiana who has recently released his second album "Cast the Same Old Shadow."  Dylan's sometimes mellow performance was very well received from the crowd, and has set himself up nicely for a return performance at the AMA Festival in the near future.

Coming back downstairs to the Cannery saw the week of legends continute with singer-songwriter John Hiatt taking the stage.  This was John's second appearance at the Americana Festival this week, as he performed with and presented the Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance to Bonnie Raitt at the AMA Awards Ceremony this past Wednesday.  John and his fiery band reached back in to his lengthy catalogue to play some of the best Americana and blues anyone could ask for during the week.  John once again paid homage to Bonnie Raitt with a scorching rendition of "The Thing Called Love."  It was this performance and many others that kept the crowd rocking as the night wore on, and gave those of us who had experienced a full day of conference sessions and networking parties the energy to finish off the night.

And Lord knows I needed some energy to close this night off.  But I would not deny myself the chance to witness Reckless Kelly in action for my first time.  I've long documented how much I dig the Texas/Red Dirt music scene, so this was a great chance to see a major group from that part of the country.  The boys did not disappoint.  This was the most fiery performance of the festival, an absolultely loud and rollicking performance that once again turned the Mercy Lounge in to a Texas honky-tonk.  Performing tracks from their lenghty catalogue including "Wicked, Twisted Road", they worked in some great rockin' covers and performed tracks from their newest release (the first on their own record label), "Good Luck and True Love."

The day was damn near exhausting but well worth the effort from all parties.  The Americana scene truly has an embarassment of riches with respect to the talent that is out there for the music fan to see and consume. 

And we still had Day 4 took look forward too ...

Day 2 Roundup -- AMA Music Festival

Day two of the AMA Music Festival left attendees with some difficult choices to make.  Certainly not life or death choices, but difficult choices nonetheless.  The decision on a venue was at least made somewhat easier, as the Mercy Lounge, Cannery Ballroom and The High Watt are all connected in the same building, so naturally that makes that venue the heartbeat of the festival.  And naturally, that's ultimately where the night started for many of us.

The Mercy Lounge became a true Texas honky-tonk on Thursday as the first two performaces featured an act that has been burning up the Red Dirt trail for the past 5 years.  This act was the perfect opener for the night, as they set the bar high for those to follow.  The Turnpike Troubadours put on a high-energy show with the crowd and the band feeding off eacth other.  The Troubadours have a very bright future ahead of them, as evidenced with the crowd singing along to favorites such as "Evangeline", "Leaving and Lonely", "Every Girl" and "Gin, Smoke, Lies."

What made the Troubadours performance so impressive was the fact they were appearing right before the performance of a true music legend in every sense of the word.  When one thinks of outlaw country music and the outlaw, Billy Joe Shaver must be the name uttered after Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.   Billy Joe has written an unbelievable amount of hits for both Jennings and Nelson, especially Jennings, as Waylon's "Honky-Tonk Heroes" album was comprised of all songs written by Shaver.  Having said that, there is a lengthy list of artists who have recorded Shaver's material.  It's an astounding amount, actually, and that's a testament to the strength of the material that Billy Joe Shaver creates.  The large crowd at the Mercy could not get enough of the artist who has meant so much to the industry as a whole.  Performances included the aforementioned "Honky-Tonk Heroes", "Live Forever", "Ride Me Down Easy" and "I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal", an early hit for John Anderson.

It would have been easy to stick it out at the Mercy/Cannery complex, as performances from Paul Thorn, the Punch Brothers, Steve Forbert, John Fullbright and Jason Boland and the Stragglers were still upcoming.  Factor in performances from Mary Gauthier and Richard Thompson and the Station Inn, and Jim Lauderdale and the North Mississippi Allstars at the Rutledge, and you begin to see the dilemma.  Having said all that, I travelled over to the Basement to pick up performances by the Deep Dark Woods and the Black Lillies.  It was at the Basement, where I came across my first surpise of the festival.

Sons of Fathers are an Austin, Texas based band who will completely blow your mind when you see them.  The fluency at which they play their respective instruments is astounding considering they all appear to be in their early twenties.  A brilliant mix of rockin' country and showmanship blew the small, but very appreciative crowd, out of the water and wanting more. 

The Deep Dark Woods made their second appearance in as many years at the festival with a fine performance that featured Kendel Carson of Canadian trio Belle Starr sitting in.  In speaking with a band member after the show, Carson has been known to sit in with the band if they happen to be in the same city in their travels.  The addition of Kendel's fiddle to the musical stylings of The Deep Dark Woods added a whole new dimension to their music.  The Deep Dark Woods continue to impress and will be around for a very long time.  Watch for a tour of western Canada in the fall.

The final act of the evening was a group that had been brought to my attention by Nelson Gullett, Music Director of WDVX radio in Knoxville, Tennessee.  The Black Lillies have been around for several years now and continue to gain recognition as a band with varying styles of sound, all with outstanding prowess.  Currently in the middle of a national tour that sees them play predominently in the eastern half of the United States, The Black Lillies made their return to the Americana Music Festival for the second year in a row and delivered a wonderful performance that closed out Day 2 beautifully.