Feature photo by Bailey Brantingham
Story by Sidelines Staff
After five days and nights of navigating the boroughs of Nashville and tuning in to one of the largest collections of banjo, fiddle and steel pedal guitar performances the city may ever see, this year’s AmericanaFest has come to a close.
The Sidelines staff has returned, admittedly exhausted and Americana-ed out, but, most importantly, fonder and more knowledgeable of the congregation of musical influences that has been deemed “Americana.”
So, to celebrate this gathering of troubadours and truth-tellers, we’ve created a list of our favorite acts from the week to help satiate Americana-hangry fans until next year.
A Tribute to Mary Gauthier at City Winery
This week, Mary Gauthier received the love and admiration she deserves during an emotional tribute show at City Winery. Americana artists including Emmylou Harris, Jaimee Harris, Gretchen Peters, Odessa Settles, Rodney Crowell, Verlon Thompson, Steve Poltz, Jordie Lane and Lori McKenna helped celebrate the 25th anniversary of Gauthier’s first widely-available release, “Drag Queens in Limousines.”
Performances included the ever-adorable Verlon Thompson, who induced chuckles in the audience with his story of meeting a trucker before crushing his cover of Gauthier’s “Truckers and Troubadours.”
Steve Polts got the audience to look up from their wine glasses in awe as his wheat colored hair swayed from side to side under his wide-brim fedora along with gleeful fans singing along to his cover of “Drag Queens in Limousines.” Aaron Lee Tasjan’s soul cleansing cover of Gauthier’s “Evangeline” and Creekbed Carter Hogan’s tear-jerking rendition of “Slip of the Tongue” led up to a heavenly performance by Gauthier and Jaimee Harris.
The couple exchanged loving looks while they strummed their acoustic guitars. Jaimee Harris donned a dazzling red suit with bejeweled butterflies while Gauthier sported a dark shirt with red poppies under her iconic waistcoat while they serenaded the audience — and each other — with “Drag Queens in Limousines”
The celebrated album reveals a picture of an outcast who struggles with addiction, her past and questions for her future, but believes in the power of herself. That image of an outcast also acts as a mirror to those brave enough to confront their own truths and heal along with Gauthier.
In her book, “Healed by a Song: The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting” Gauthier tells readers that a truly good song does not just tell one story, but gives the space for listeners to see themselves in her lyrics.
Fish swim. Birds fly. Gauthier brings people together. Noah McLane
Iron & Wine
On Tuesday night, Samuel Ervin Beam, known by his stage name Iron & Wine, took a Cannery Hall crowd on a trek through a tranquil forest, eventually settling down at a campfire to serenade them with songs from his eclectic discography. The wrap-around stage screen acted as the forest, backing Beam in a time-lapse of woodland meadows and rushing streams, while two acoustic guitars served as the campfire, providing conduits for Beam’s soft-singing story times. Decked in a casual navy suit, tan slip-ons, a scruffy gray beard and hair piled-high, Beam is the epitome of an aged indie-folk poet.
During the acoustic performance, Beam displayed some highlights from his latest album “Light Verse,” including songs like the soft and folksy ”Yellow Jacket” and the tender yet heavy “Tears that Don’t Matter,” while also reaching back a few decades for fan favorites.
Following a few polite shouts of “Play ‘Flightless Bird,’” Beam whipped out the crown jewel of his discography, “Flightless Bird, American Mouth,” for the final performance. The tune, most known for appearing in “Twilight,” is perhaps Beam’s tenderest song, showcasing the power of meaningful lyrics and vocals. During the performance, the acoustic guitar acted as merely an accessory, the stage going silent while Beam gently belted the chorus. With the song complemented by the soft rustles of the nearby train, the performance was a tranquil and sweet end to the night and a soothing start to AmericanaFest. Bailey Brantingham
Julian Taylor
Canadian singer-songwriter, Julian Tayor, formerly associated with the band Staggered Crossing, began his AmericanaFest set on Thursday night with his most popular song, “Ballad of a Young Troubadour” from his 2020 album, “The Ridge.” The song set the tone for the night at Cannery Hall with his smooth voice dancing over the crowd, urging them to join in and teaching his audience the melody.
“They’re called records for a reason… they’re like little time stamps of my heart… this one’s about the weight they all carry,” Taylor said, introducing his latest single, “Weighing Down.”
The soulful acoustic act has been gifting fans with music since his 2019 single “Ben McCulloch.” His smooth voice captivated the crowd, and with his lyrical storytelling and vocal range, the audience couldn’t step away from the sight.
“I’m really proud of my family, I’m really proud of what they’ve overcome…” Taylor said as he told the crowd that his music is about the things that he and his loved ones had experienced in their lives.
The eclectically-dressed audience continued to pile into the small room throughout Taylor’s set, seemingly drawn in by his inviting voice, singing along during songs like “Seeds,” which came from his 2022 album “Beyond the Reservoir” and seemed to be a favorite among the crowd.
Taylor ended his performance with a faster pace and an engaged crowd, who moved closer to the stage as his set went on. Listeners clapped their hands and danced together during “Just a Little Bit” as it created a different atmosphere than the previous tunes. Kerstie Wolaver
India Ramey
In a past life, India Ramey was an attorney. Now, she’s a cowgirl.
After opening her set on Thursday at The 5 Spot with an electric performance of “Silverado,” Ramey set the tone for the night by explaining a bit about her songs and herself.
“I have PTSD from witnessing domestic violence,” Ramey said. “I tried being a domestic violence prosecutor to heal the pain.”
Ramey’s strength from her experiences and her determination from a past career in law shine through in her music. Songs like “Ain’t My First Rodeo” and “Go On Git” exhibit her fiery attitude and perseverance, but so do her slower, emotionally deep tracks like “The Mountain” and “It Could Have Been Me.”
A country-western class act, her stage presence was palpable, radiating through the entire venue. She turned the relaxed, dive bar vibe of The 5 Spot into a honky-tonk with her drawling, confident voice and dynamic energy. Emma Burden
Musicians Corner
A revival took place Friday night at Musicians Corner in Centennial Park, where smiling faces, lawn chairs, children who couldn’t help but dance and eager dogs —intoxicated by the aroma of local food trucks — gathered to hear live music.
Theo Lawrence kicked off the night, and, with his freshly pressed white button-down and slacks, he may have been mistaken for a well groomed Jehovah’s Witness who managed to get his hands on a guitar. There was no talk of religion, but his band spread the gospel with groovy tunes like “California Poppy.”
Melena Cadiz followed with stirring rhythms and a razor sharp voice..
As the sun began to set, the crowd swelled to hear the wholesome sounds of Tommy Prine and his guitar serenade the ears of anyone close enough to hear, with touching songs like “Purple Paint” and “Gandalf.” During his set, Prine, the youngest son of Americana legend John Prine, expressed his joy at being home in Nashville, which resulted in whoops and cheers from the audience.
The night rounded out with a performance by The Dead Tongues and a boot-stomping set powered by Kaitlin Butts and her unique brand of theatrical country. Noah McLane
Suzy Bogguss, Robert Earl Keen and Adam Wright at The Bluebird Cafe
On Friday night outside the Bluebird Cafe, a queue of hopeful fans waited in line for spare tickets to see Suzy Bogguss, Robert Earl Keen and Adam Wright in the round. Staff announced to the line that if they weren’t AmericanaFest Gold Pass holders, their chances of getting in were less than 10 percent. Still, they waited.
Inside the venue, all eyes were on Bogguss, Keen and Wright. With the audience packing in like sardines, waiters navigated the room on tiptoes as the artists took turns playing.
At the center of the room, the artists captivated the audience as they shared songs and stories in such an intimate setting. Rather than singing along or watching the show through the camera in their phones, everyone simply listened. People commended hard-hitting lyrics as if the artists were Southern preachers that earned an “Amen.”
Taking turns in the round, each artist would relay the key they were playing in so others could jump in. The show was a mixture of the artists’ hits and recent releases. Keen played “Western Chill” from his album by the same title. Bogguss played “Sunday Birmingham” from her most recent album, “Praying’ for Sunshine,” and “Gps,” with a strumming pattern that got heads bobbing. Wright played a tear-jerking song about his sons, singing “I’m sorry, you were right and I was wrong.” They shared plenty of quips, too. Bogguss told a story about once spending spring break in Texas with Keen, where Keen barbecued quail during the visit, and Wright played an unreleased song about middle-aged women that earned him a commendation from Bogguss.
“This is in F. Looks like it’s in G, but it’s not,” Bogguss told her fellow pickers as she ended the night with her hit “Someday Soon.” “I know y’all know this,” she said, inviting the audience to sing out the show with her. Kailee Shores
To contact the Lifestyles Editor, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.
For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, and follow us on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines and on X and Instagram at @mtsusidelines. Also, sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
