AmericanaFest 2022
Melissa Payne (Amp Managing Editor):
For those headed to Americanafest, it’s important to remember one thing, you’re never going to be able to see everything or everyone that you want. For some attending, they’re there for the networking and conference sessions. For others, it’s reuniting with old friends or discovering new artists. For me, my main objective is always to photograph and listen to artists that are new to me or that I’ve known about and have yet to see, as they haven’t toured in my part of the country.
This year, the team from the Amp was able to experience Americanafest over five days. At times we divided and conquered showcases, other times we banded together and hit all the same shows in a night. At any rate, there was always a special event or showcase to keep our schedules jam-packed.
Over the last few years, I’ve cut back on the amount of festivals I attend. There’s something about being in the sweltering heat, parched and having to run from stage to stage that takes a toll on you. Americanafest, though busy, is nothing like this. Instead it’s almost impossible to go anywhere without running into an artist, whether they’ve got an official showcase or not. Dylan Earl two-stepping at the 5 Spot? Check. Tony Hannah and Katie Jo seated at the American Legion? Check. Sarah Gayle Meech and her band backing the artists at Mojo Nixon’s party at Robert’s? Check. Mikaela Finn sitting on a barstool, watching the official Arkansas showcase at 3rd and Lindsley? Check. Although the venues are spread out throughout Nashville, you quickly find your favorites and know you’re taking a chance venue hopping. The only disappointment this year for me was finding that the Station Inn was regularly sold out and only admitting a few local attendees at a time.
Without further ado, here are a few of my favorites from this year’s Americanafest:
1. Abe Partridge - Abe is in every sense of the word, a true artist. Whether you’re talking about his paintings, his music or his podcast, his passion for what he does is palpable. His set at The Well Coffeehouse on Music Row, seemed a bit out of the way compared to some of the other venues, and although the crowd for his set was small, there was no idle chatter amongst those there. They were there to listen to Abe and his slew of unusual and engaging songs. “White Trash Lipstick” and “Arletta.”
2. Emily Nenni - with a new record coming out in November and fresh off of opening for Charley Crockett, Emily’s had a big year. I’ve been dying to see her for the last couple of years and unfortunately haven’t had the chance. Her Friday afternoon set at The 5 Spot was all I could have asked for. Backed by Teddy and the Rough Riders, Emily’s set was what Honky Tonk dreams are made of.
3. Hannah Juanita - another stellar show at The 5 Spot, Hannah’s Friday night set had the two-steppers out in force. It was a treat to see Mose Wilson, a stellar artist in his own right, as part of Hannah’s band. Hannah’s music is made for women who know what they want and aren’t going to stop until they get it and I’m here for it.
4. Teddy and the Rough Riders - I’ll admit, this one surprised me. I knew Teddy and the Rough Riders had recently released an album, produced by Margo Price, but I hadn’t really given it more than a few minutes of listening time. Having now seen those same songs performed live, made all the difference for me. Consider me a new fan of this band.
5. Nellen Dryden - though not an official showcase, I couldn’t pass up Nellen’s set at Martin’s BBQ on Saturday afternoon. I try to steer clear of Broadway when I’m in Nashville, but there was no way I was going to miss Nellen while I was in town. Her album, Standstill, was my favorite album of 2021.
6. Madeline Edwards - again, this was a surprise for me, which is part of the beauty of Americanafest. Often when I attend showcases for one artist, I get there in time to hear the artist before them. More often than not, it turns out that I enjoy the artist I had no intention of seeing, as much as the artist I had on my schedule. This time around, I got to the Basement East earlier than Sierra Ferrell’s 10pm set, to try to find a spot. It seemed like the winner of the Emerging Artist category was the hottest ticket in town this week and the absolutely packed Basement East surprised no one. However, Madeline Edwards stole the show in her own right. I definitely was left wishing I’d been there earlier to catch more of her set.
Favorite showcase: Abe Partridge. This feels like a no-brainer.
Favorite special event: Mojo Nixon’s Music City Mayhem. Powerhouses of Americana all in one jam packed lineup at Robert’s Western World. One of the best reasons to even darken Broadway this week.
Favorite meal: Lockeland Table. Don’t get me started on the empanadas.
Best coffee: Frothy Monkey
Jolene Horihan (Amp Senior Editor):
Picking shows to see at AmericanaFest is like picking your favorite song; there’s too many good ones to choose from. It’s a good problem to have though. You bring up the schedule on the handy app and plug in the “must sees” and the “favorites,” then wade through the slurry of artists you haven’t seen before and finally have the opportunity to check out. Personally, that is what a festival is all about for me. I never get to every show I plan on, but I am always satisfied with the effort and results of those I do. The array of artists on the line up each year is always vast and I appreciate satisfying my varied musical tastes.
After hitting some of our favorite restaurants, coffee shops, Honky Tonk Tuesday at the American Legion Post 182 and the Country Music Hall of Fame, we were ready to hit the official showcases. First stop was for Adam Hood at 3rd & Lindsley. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to hear songs off the new album live just days before the release. Adam wasted no time in his full band set. He packed in several old favorites alongside the newest singles such as “Harder Stuff” which features Miranda Lambert, “Business with Jesus” and he even brought out his good friend and co-producer, Brent Cobb, to help sing “Flesh and Blood.”
Next stop on the agenda was the Exit/In for one of the liveliest sets of the weekend – Adeem the Artist. Backed by a few of the American Aquarium band members, they filled the room with humor and activism about queer culture in the modern country music era. The crowd was all in on the tracks from 2021’s full-length debut, Cast Iron Pansexual. Plus, we heard the latest single, “Going to Hell,” from their upcoming project which released with much anticipation the week following AmericanaFest.
Always a live favorite, Joshua Ray Walker and his band were playing the Analog at Hutton Hotel. It was a swanky lounge that no one in our group had been to before, so we ventured over. The band and Josh rattled the chandeliers with “Sexy After Dark” and Josh brought tears to eyes and nearly shattered glass with his impressive 10 second note-hold in the emotional ballad, “Voices.” We were also front and center for his solo acoustic mini-set at Robert’s Western World for SiriusXM Outlaw Country Presents Mojo’s Music City Mayhem. We enjoyed hearing his stripped-down version of the otherwise big production “Sexy After Dark.” The iconic Broadway Honky Tonk was packed to the rafters for the event that afternoon. In addition to Joshua Ray Walker, we were able to catch Sarah Gayle Meech and The Meech Boys, Joshua Hedley, Nikki Lane, Jim Lauderdale accompanied by Lillie Mae, 49 Winchester, Wade Sapp and the legendary Ray Benson with Brennen Leigh.
Prior to the Robert’s Western World stop, we spent the early afternoon at 3rd & Lindsley for The Arkansas Extravaganza. We came in during a beautiful set from Shannon Wurst and look forward to more from her. But I have to say that Dylan Earl really stole the show for me. He was accompanied by the talented Jude Brothers on harp. This was my first time seeing Dylan live and I won’t wait so long next time. Dylan has a velvety voice with a keen delivery; the quintessential country music sound.
Later in the evening, we ducked in to see Melissa Carper give a knock out performance at 6th & Peabody and topped the night off with a show-stopping, crowd-moving spectacle from Bee Taylor. Bee and her band literally marched into the East Nashville venue, The 5 Spot, New Orleans style with a bullhorn and brought down the house with her rendition of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” and favorite originals like “Do It to It” and “10 Foot Pole.”
I was able to catch up with a pair of my favorite singer songwriters, Sara Trunzo and Tiffany Williams, at The Bowery Vault. (I want to take a moment to acknowledge their fantastic craft drinks.) Tiffany gave us a heartfelt and emotional delivery that included a couple of my favorites, “Carletta” and “Wanted It to Be” which are from her recent release, All Those Days of Drinking Dust. Sara very aptly sang “I Work Saturdays” and “Nashville Time” from her 2021 Cabin Fever Dream album to begin her Saturday morning set. She also spoke of her work with food security in rural Maine and shared the extremely powerful song, “Food and Medicine” off of her debut album, Dirigo Attitude.
All in all, it’s hard to narrow down the artists I want to discuss, but it’s always such a pleasure to see them perform, chat with them and celebrate alongside them. It’s also lovely to see the artists enjoying each other outside of their own performances and conference schedules.
Mandy Mitchell (Amp Contributor):
As my fellow "Ampers" have made clear, it is nigh on impossible to catch every set and showcase worth hearing at AmericanaFest. Bearing this in mind, I tethered my dinghy to Melissa and Jo's ship masts and let them serve as my captains o' captains for our nearly full week in Nashville. My trust in their musical taste was not misplaced, and we soaked in some really stellar performances at a dizzily fast pace ranging from Floridian guitar slinger, Van Plating to West Virginia's own siren, Sierra Ferrell to a lyricist that seems born of Buddy Holly but blessed by Bob Dylan, The Hill Country Devil. Before I dive into the shoes, honorable mentions go out to The Bowery Vault's cocktails, Dino's greasy 2 am cheeseburgers, Coneheads' hot fried chicken, and the 100 or so shots of espresso from the Frothy Monkey that kept us going.
First up, Van Plating's set at Martin's BBQ was rockin' and defiant. The crowd was a mix of tourists and fest attendees, and Van cut through the idle chatter with professionalism and a rock-'n'-roll attitude that had me shuffling my boots under my picnic table. Her most recent album dropped last November, but there are new releases on the horizon that I've no doubt will give further credit to her already solid catalog. Do catch her live if you can.
Despite some soundboard issues that had to be fought through, Kaitlin Butts and her full band delivered a confident set at the Exit/In Thursday evening that was indicative of the singer's upward trajectory coming on the heels of her most recent album release of "What Else Can She Do." Kaitlin's writing has matured with her person, and the harder hitting, more directly defiant lyrics and overall tone of her recent work prove that the dues she has paid over the years are returning dividends. With a supportive and professional band behind her, Kaitlin's live performances are bolder, braver, and suggest the talented red head from Oklahoma is finding her stride, and coming into her own.
The Basement East was crammed with bodies for Sierra Ferrell's Saturday night showcase, and for good reason. In an industry where the word 'siren' often gets thrown around to describe female artists, the term actually applies to Sierra perfectly. There is an ethereal reverberation to her lilting delivery tempered by just enough rasp to give some character, and the band's cohesively tight performance match her vocal abilities in talent. I highly recommend catching the West Virginia native live as soon and as often as the music gods allow. If you haven't yet, you're behind.
Evan Garmon, a close friend of The Amp and an avid supporter of the arts, arranged a private house show for us Saturday morning featuring The Hill Country Devil. This was my first time seeing him perform live, and his elevated writing paired with his artistic picking methods was reminiscent of the great and frequently mentioned past singer/songwriters of Texas, who I'm sure would be happy in knowing to whom the torch had been passed. It's important to mention the house show was at 10:00 am on Saturday, which is quite early when you've been going from set to set in Nashville for days, so extra appreciation goes to Hayden for making that set happen and rounding out our week in a special way. I look forward to hearing more from him in the future.
The Deslondes' showcase at The 5 Spot taught me two things: how to properly pronounce the band's name and also that they are, by definition, one of the purest Americana bands currently making the circuits. The combination of country, zydeco, jazz, soul, and rock blends beautifully into an easy rhythm and delivery that feels both representative of New Orleans music culture where the band is based, but also nods familiarly to the multiple other cultures encompassed by Americana at large. The show was a chill, vibey, and expertly crafted collaboration offered up by the group as a whole, making the Deslondes the stand out performance of the week, personally.
Americanafest remains as one of the best festivals and has the showcases and events to prove it. There really is something for everyone and although Nashville has evolved into a tourist mecca with bachelorette parties seemingly overtaking the city and the party wagons barreling down Broadway, there are still pockets of hidden gems that play music that made Nashville famous, you just just have to look for them. Americana Music Association and in turn Americanafest, is key in shining the spotlight on the music and venues that make Nashville a city worth visiting year after year.
