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Saturday began much like Friday night had, with an acoustic “Americana” artist. That label mystifies to me to a degree, but it’s sufficient perhaps to lead an audience to understand that it’s not Country (&/or Western), but more of a troubadour folk singer/songwriter capturing moments and experiences along life’s journey. I think that works for Margo Cilker, especially given prose that’s easy to follow and an extremely relatable style as she introduces her songs or tidbits about herself.
Highlights included “That River,” “Lowland Trail,” a song about Christmas Chile, and a song about remembering places she’s traveled (“I Remember Places?”). It was a fine performance, and her album Pohorylle is recommended for those who appreciate this style of music, backed by a full band.
And, like Aaron Lee Tasjan the previous evening, the energy shot up as Southern Avenue took the stage. I wasn’t familiar with their songs, but “Savior” was tremendous and “Don’t Give Up” offered the tastiest treats of the band. This Memphis band was really tight, with my attention drawn to lead singer Tierinii Jackson, who owned the stage, and the fluid percussion from her sister, the oft-smiling Tikyra Jackson. Throw in a groovy bass, a backup singer and strong lead guitar and keyboard solos, and you got good soul. Well, okay, there’s more to it than that. They play good songs.
The Lone Bellow followed, a band that a number of those in the audience came specifically to see. One said they “have the harmonies of angels,” and they’ve drawn ample critical praise. Again, categories get confusing. Americana? Alt-Country? I liked what I heard, the general formula being one of their members taking lead vocals, the the remainder kicking in to add a vocal oomph that ratchets the energy up.
Favorite songs included “Dried Up River,” “Good Times,” and “Count on Me.”
What to make of Rayland Baxter? Great energy, engaging, prone to stories and general chat… or maybe it’s his guitar that needs tuning after each song. In some ways it was a bewildering set as he can play any style, but not quite the variety show. I’d like to see him again after listening to his music more closely. Highlights included “Olivia,” “The Mountain Song,” “If I Were a Butterfly,” “Young Man” and “Bad Things.” His drummer was A LOT of fun to watch, and his lead guitarist laid down a lot of great licks.
As the sun finally began to set, out comes Paul Cauthen. He took control of the stage, almost in Freddie Mercury fashion. Reminder: entertainers of any size might be an extrovert. The highlight, without question, was a cover of The Who’s “Eminence Front.” The long intro was skillfully handled on keyboards, and unlike the Who’s version, the outro took it’s time, too. The song deserves it, and the performance was unbelievably satisfying.
A tongue-in-cheek “Freaks Like Me” fit Cauthen’s performance perfectly, and the set had plenty of highlights, some musical, like the guitar solos, and others just for the love of live performance, Cauthen style. A little Elvis and a little crooner? Highlights included “Holy Ghost Fire,” “Cocaine Country Dancing,” “Champagne & a Limo,” “Country as Fuck,” “Sweet Mama,” “Slow Down,” “Big Velvet…” Well, all of them. Cauthen – music and performance – is what you hope to discover in a festival environment. Hugely entertaining.
The heat changed, from the sun settling and Cauthen’s fiery set, which was suitable for the cool soul from Durand Jones and the Indications. Like, flip over to Marvin Gaye or your other favorite retro late 60’s early 70’s artist. It’s so smooth… and a benefit of songs running between three and four minutes is that you get a lot of them. You don’t have to know the words or the tunes… it’s just the type of music you follow the baseline and the rest just fits. Jones led off with “Circles,” which set the perfect tone for the set. Follow it up with “The Way That I Do,” “Love Will Work It Out,” and “Don’t You Know,” and the audience doesn’t have any choice but to sway and dance. Drummer Aaron Frazer’s falsetto leads added a nice variety to the overall set, such as “Is It Any Wonder?” Covers of Bowie’s “Young Americans” and the Beatles “Don’t Let Me Down” were well chosen.
The band was fully entertaining and a great closer to the festival, sending everyone home completely unwound.
