2019 Americana Music Awards Winners and Recap
2019 Americana Music Award Winners:
- Instrumentalist of the Year – Chris Eldridge (Punch Brothers)
- Emerging Act of the Year – The War and Treaty
- Song of the Year – “Summer’s End,” John Prine, (by Pat McLaughlin and John Prine)
- Duo/Group of the Year – “I’m With Her”
- Artist of the Year- Brandi Carlile
- Album of the Year – The Tree of Forgiveness – John Prine
- Lifetime President’s Award – Felice & Boudleaux Bryant
- Lifetime Achievement for Songwriting – Elvis Costello
- Lifetime Legacy of Americana Award – Rhiannon Giddens & Frank Johnson
- Lifetime Achievement for Performance – Delbert McClinton
- Lifetime Trailblazer Award- Maria Muldaur
- Lifetime Inspiration Award – Mavis Staples
- (see all nominees and winners below)
The 18th Annual Americana Music Awards transpired Wednesday night (9-11) at the Country Music Mother Church, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, with lots of love spread out among a diverse list of winners, but John Prine emerging as the biggest winner walking away with both Album of the Year for Tree of Forgiveness, and Song of the Year for “Summer’s End.” When he won for Song of the Year, Prine joked that he had the speech already written for when he lost at the Grammy Awards.
The show opened with the supergroup Our Native Daughters consisting of Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, Allison Russell opening the show, setting the stage for the underlying theme of the 2019 presentation: Diversity. With all four Artist of the Year nominees being women (Brandi Carlie, Rhiannon Giddens, Kacey Musgraves, and Mavis Staples), the Americana Music Awards offered a stark contrast to those award shows representing the artists of Music Row.
Hosted by the Milk Carton Kids for the second year, Jim Lauderdale came out during the opening monologue to do the ceremonial torch exchange as the award’s original and long time host. It was the moment some expected last year, but didn’t happen. Lauderdale gave the Milk Carton Kids Manuel Couture coats. Later the Milk Carton Kids told the best joke of the evening, saying they were forming a supergroup called “Hymen.” “It’s not just a band, it’s a movement,” they said.
Performers included Jade Bird, J.S. Ondara with Andrew Bird, Mumford & Sons singing around a single mic with the Mike Carton Kids, Erin Rae, Mark Erelli, Joe Henry with Rodney Crowell, The War and Treaty performing a capella, Ruston Kelly singing “Mockingbird,” Duo/Goup winner I’m With Her, and Lori McKenna performed the Saving Country Music 2018 Song of the Year “People Get Old.” The greatest performance of the night arguably went to Yola, who received a huge standing ovation for “Faraway Look.” The show ended with Mavis Staples leading a host of artists singing “I’ll Fly Away.”
Multiple Lifetime Achievement Awards were handed out as well. Fellow Texan Jack Ingram was an appropriate person to introduce and honor Delbert McClinton, who walked away with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance. McClinton told the story of seeing John F. Kennedy just an hour before he was assassinated, and how most all of the labeled he’d recorded for were now out of business. After the award, McClinton performed his signature song, “Two More Bottles of Wine.”
Rhiannon Giddens received the inaugural Legacy of Americana Award along with former slave and fellow musician, “Fiddler” Frank Johnson. Giddens was the one to both give and receive Frank Johnson’s award, not just for him, but for all of the “unnamed by musicians that are an inextricable part” of today’s music that never received their due in life. She then performed “Wayfaring Stranger” on banjo with Francesco Turrisi on accordion. She actually performed the song twice due to technical issues so the later broadcast would have a flawless version.
The Lifetime Presidents Award went to songwriters Felice & Boudleaux Bryant. Already Country Music Hall of Famers, they were honored for their incredible gifts to the American songbook, most notably through the Everly Brothers. Their children were in attendance to see the award. The Milk Carton Kids made for the perfect act to pay tribute to them with their ability to perform the close harmonies indicitive of the Everly Breothers.
The War and Treaty won Emerging Act of the Year, which they fittingly received on September 11th, 2019. Michael Trotter of the duo served two tours of duty in Iraq after 9/11, and still suffers from PTSD. His wife Tanya dedicated their win to every soldier, especially the ones who suffer from PTSD like her husband.
Presenters included Dan Auerbach introducing Yola, Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle, Bonnie Raitt who emerged from backstage to roaring applause to dole out the Lifetime Trailblazer Award to Maria Muldaur. Shawn Colvin and Ketch Secor, Brandi Carlile, Freedom Rider Ernest (Rip) Patton presenting the Lifetime Inspiration Award to Mavis Staples, and T Bone Burnett giving the Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting to Elvis Costello. “They discovered I was English and I’ll have to give it back,” Costello said in his acceptance speech.
The Americana Music Awards were streamed and broadcast live through multiple outlets. For those that missed it, the presentation will be rebroadcast in a more produced version on PBS at a future date.
Instrumentalist of the Year
- Chris Eldridge (Punch Brothers) – WINNER
- Eamon McLoughlin
- Chris Powell
- Michael Rinne
Emerging Act of the Year
- Jade Bird
- J.S. Ondara
- Erin Rae
- The War and Treaty – WINNER
- Yola
Song of the Year
- “By Degrees,” Mark Erelli, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Lori McKenna, Anais Mitchell and Josh Ritter, written by Mark Erelli
- “Mockingbird,” Ruston Kelly, written by Ruston Kelly
- “People Get Old,” Lori McKenna, written by Lori McKenna
- “Summer’s End,” John Prine, written by Pat McLaughlin and John Prine
Duo/Group of the Year
- I’m With Her – WINNER
- Our Native Daughters
- Tedeschi Trucks Band
- The War and Treaty
Album of the Year
- To the Sunset, Amanda Shires, produced by Dave Cobb
- The Tree, Lori McKenna, produced by Dave Cobb
- The Tree of Forgiveness, John Prine, produced by Dave Cobb – WINNER
- Walk Through Fire, Yola, produced by Dan Auerbach
September 11, 2019 @ 9:55 pm
I still after all these years cannot figure out what makes an artist Americana and what makes an artist not.
September 12, 2019 @ 2:00 am
Country music made by people who listen to a lot of Neil Young.
September 12, 2019 @ 5:48 am
I don’t know about that analogy. Neil Young is straight up rock in my opinion. He’s never been classified as Americana.
September 12, 2019 @ 6:46 am
He did, apparently, win artist of the year at the Americana music awards in 2006, though I wouldn’t call him Americana either. I do however think modern Americana, or at least the crop of artists most often celebrated therein, is drenched in his influence (Isbell: ‘all my songs are Neil Young covers’). I am being a little facetious, though.
September 12, 2019 @ 7:14 am
He did? I stand corrected then. As a huge Neil Young fan, that depresses me. For the longest time, I considered Americana the retirement home for country music.
September 13, 2019 @ 9:28 am
Why does that depress you, hoptowntiger94? Because you think you should have a say in who else listens to Neil Young?
How old are you? 15 going on 66?
September 13, 2019 @ 9:12 am
Check Live at Massey Hall. No rock there. Just a good ol’ Canadian boy playing and singing. Classic album .
September 23, 2019 @ 5:28 pm
https://youtu.be/mQfi5WfpJrM
September 12, 2019 @ 8:21 am
Americana is the fuzzy space between folk, country, and heartland rock, with a little soul mixed in for good measure.
Key markers include some amount of acoustic instrumentation, strong focus on lyricism and musicality, strong focus on live performance (a song that can’t be performed live is almost certainly not Americana), and a certain… hippie crunchiness. Also, there’s nostalgia heavily mixed in.
Country singers can be Americana as well, Americana artists aren’t necessarily country. It’s more a pose and a cultural reference than a single genre.
September 12, 2019 @ 9:32 am
maybe americana could be defined , in terms of setting it apart from contemporary mainstream genres , as music by ARTISTS ….? folks who may have something to say and , for the most-part, a vision about how to say it ..? …again …relatively speaking , of course .
September 12, 2019 @ 1:10 pm
Yeah – if reasonable people can disagree whether something’s at least two of folk, rock, roots, country, and blues, and the singer wrote it themselves, it’s Americana.
September 11, 2019 @ 10:37 pm
Just so I’m clear… is Tyler Childers no longer considered Americans?
September 12, 2019 @ 5:08 am
Given that the winning John Prine album was released 17 months ago, it is possible that Tyler Childers will be nominated for next year’s awards. Assuming of course that he is still classed as Americana.
September 12, 2019 @ 5:16 am
Country Squire is currently #1 on AMA’s Americans Album Chart. So there’s your answer.
September 12, 2019 @ 5:52 am
He’ll be back next year dressed as the woman in the Popeyes commercials.
September 12, 2019 @ 9:14 am
Well, seeing how last year at the awards show, Tyler Childers said that Americana “ain’t no part of nothin’,” I’m not surprised they didn’t award him so he could tee off on the term again from the podium.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/tyler-childers-disses-the-term-americana-after-winning-americana-award/
September 11, 2019 @ 11:33 pm
I’ve never heard of the vast majority of these artists. Based on what I know of the ones I’m familiar with I can’t be missing much. Prine is the exception of course. Seems like a really boring cookie-cutter group of people for some reason. If you’re too cool or too hip or too ‘progressive’ for country I guess you call yourself Americana? Am I missing some other qualifications? Also now I know why people use Cobb so much. It seems like having him produce your record is a sure way to get nominated for something for whatever reason .
September 11, 2019 @ 11:47 pm
”I’ve never heard of the vast majority of these artists.”
thank goodness for the americana awards then . maybe more people will learn about some of these talented folks who DON’T get mainstream support from radio .
September 12, 2019 @ 12:22 am
Sorry, sir. I like country music to be honest .
September 12, 2019 @ 12:51 am
Only country music? How sad.
September 12, 2019 @ 12:55 am
I like music that’s got some balls, grit or weight to it. ‘Americana’ lacks this dearly.
September 12, 2019 @ 1:15 am
But only country? Most popular country today has no balls, grit or weight to it. I love music, period. But I still have no idea what qualifies as Americana.
September 12, 2019 @ 4:49 am
To listen to War & Treaty, and conclude that there are no balls or grit or whatever the fuck else you mentioned is crazy. Same goes for a lot of the people mentioned. Mavis Staples for Gods sake. Americana might not mean much as a genre label, but there are many incredible artists recognized here.
September 12, 2019 @ 6:30 am
Hey now, since Mavis, Susan and Lori don’t have testicles, that clearly means their music has no grit or weight to it!!!!
Certainly not compared to that bastion of grit and weight, George Strait!
September 12, 2019 @ 8:54 am
Hell ya bud! George Strait is the man! Cheers!
September 12, 2019 @ 9:40 am
I quite like George Strait.
Anyone who thinks his music is “grittier” or “heavier” than Lori McKenna’s doesn’t know the meaning of either word.
September 12, 2019 @ 9:48 am
Tunes like ‘I Can Still Make Cheyenne’ and ‘Her Goodbye Hit me in the Heart’ bring a tear to this old boys eye everytime. If that ain’t heavy I don’t know what is. Lori is good to put you to sleep I guess. Tunes like ‘Unwound’ got some grit too. There’s tons of examples from his catalogue that fit the bill. Pretentious does not equal grit or weight.
September 12, 2019 @ 12:54 am
Kacey Musgraves? I thought that she was country? Oh wait…….I’m still confused.
September 12, 2019 @ 4:06 am
Great to see the recognition of “Fiddler” Frank Johnson. I wonder if they would/have give/given some recognition to Arnold Shultz?
September 12, 2019 @ 4:44 am
No doubt this debate about what it is or isn’t will continue. Personally, I threw in the towel even trying. What’s happening now is a reflection on the intense criticism the Americana organization was receiving for ” lack of diversity”. So, as a result, the winners are being chosen based on an attempt to satisfy that constituency. Yes, a long time ago Americana had a more direct connection to country music, I remember when it started, it was a home of sorts for alt-country as well as honoring some legends country radio had forgotton, but it has morphed into something completely different now. Don’t get me wrong, many of these artists are deserving of recognition , but if you are looking for straight up honky-tonk , for example, you won’t find it here. You’ll find a lot of acts that are folk, acoustic singer-songwriter, or early r&b sounding, as well as some primitive country bluegrass stringbands.
There are undoubtedly dozens of worthy artists who woulda, coulda, or shoulda won, but didnt. The way I’m seeing it, the Americana organization has a definite plan for who they wanna give awards to. What is the criteria exactly? I dunno, your guess is as good as mine. I criticize it, but at the end of the day, my opinion doesn’t mean anything. It’s gonna be what it’s gonna be, like it or not, it’s probably gonna be around for awhile. And , no doubt it will continue to evolve.
September 12, 2019 @ 6:32 am
Ah, so THAT’S why an elderly white man won Album of the Year!
I’d been wondering.
September 12, 2019 @ 8:35 am
Hah! Yeah Lester, the Prine win was not a surprise by any means. He’s at the top right now and can do no wrong. Tell you a cool story about him: I was privileged to meet Matt Ross Spang this year. He engineered Prine’s last record which won a Grammy. Prine was so genuinely grateful and appreciative of Matt’s contribution , that he gave him a Cadillac from his collection. A vintage convertible no less. How cool is that? That’s a humble and cool guy if ever there was one.
September 12, 2019 @ 9:49 am
Oh, John Prine is both a living legend and the absolute man.
Just wanted to point out that half of this year’s winners are (very talented, eminently deserving) white guys, which belies the narrative that they’re making their selections for the sake of “diversity.”
September 12, 2019 @ 5:50 am
I saw Bonnie Raitt at Outlaw Fest. What an amazing woman and super talent. She’s all I’ve been listening to since Friday.
September 13, 2019 @ 12:22 am
Absolute legend and badass woman. Been a fan since the 70s. Luckily she still comes down this way most years to play The Jazz Fest.
September 12, 2019 @ 6:08 am
I know that people complain about the label of Americana, but any organization that recognizes John Prine, The War and Treaty, Yola, Rhiannon Giddens, Mavis Staples, Lori McKenna, Delbert McClinton, Bonnie Raitt, and Elvis Costello is alright by me.
September 12, 2019 @ 6:40 am
At least they’re recognizing actual artists with actual talent.
September 12, 2019 @ 6:54 am
I REALLY wanted to like War and Treaty. But their songwriting is not good. Maybe it will get better.
September 13, 2019 @ 12:28 am
I agree. I saw them at a festival earlier this year and was not all that impressed. Style over substance. Nothing really new. They did get some rave reviews at this year’s Jazz Fest.
September 12, 2019 @ 7:03 am
It’s the same old song and dance… “Americana” is no different from other awards shows, it’s just a label some business people use to make money off of artists. Americana is a non-genre. The music is all over the place with no unifying qualities except other genres won’t play these artists. Listen to the awful WMOT radio station. It’s boring and the programing lacks any connecting music. Tyler Childers was right when he accepted his Americana award last year and said “Americana ain’t nothing about nothing.” It amazes me to see a guy like Jed Hiley make a great living acting like he’s really helping musicians. Oh, and what happened to that stupid First Amendment award they were giving out. They gave one to Grahm Nash who is English. Even he said he didn’t understand why they were giving it to him. I’ll tell you why they gave it to him, so Jed and Ken could get their picture with him. And the Milk Carton Kids suck. Jed Hiley and the AMA board put Jim Lauderdale out to pasture because of his age. That’s right. They specifically said they wanted to appeal to a younger demographic so they canned the guy the worked tirelessly for free to host the AMA awards for 14 years. Again, these assholes are no different from the CMA or ACMs it’s just a different uniform.
September 12, 2019 @ 1:11 pm
And that “different form” tends to result in their rewarding good artists, rather than mediocre or bad ones.
September 13, 2019 @ 4:43 am
Americana produces plenty of mediocre acts. The list above is the cream. Americana is a business just like the other awards and so-called genres.
September 13, 2019 @ 4:24 pm
So…should we compare the relative “creams” of Country and Americana, based on CMA v. AMA nominees, to determine which “genre” is more vital?
Pretty sure “Americana” would relish that comparison.
September 13, 2019 @ 12:30 am
Why are they “assholes”?
September 13, 2019 @ 4:48 am
Well, you see jjazznola, sometimes in the music business there are people that have nothing to do with the creation that makes more money off the art than the actual songwriters, musicians, singers, etc. These people love to be in the mix, get their pic taken while artists are hot but really have no investment in their careers. The music business is built on people getting their piece of the creators and that’s what the Americana awards are about too. It is really no different from the others. I consider those type of people to be assholes.
September 13, 2019 @ 9:53 am
There is plenty to criticize about the music business, and business in general.
Big ag companies probably make more profits than the farmers they buy from. That feels wrong, but without them, a lot of food would be rotting in at the farm gate and a lot of people would be going hungry.
The equivalent in the music business? On the one hand you may have someone schlepping around the country in a van for 6 months a year, playing to 5-250 people/night, selling 0 to 15 CDs a show and working the other six months waiting tables. On the other, you’ve got someone who makes a living at their music, has time, energy and money to develop new material, and maybe even a platform for supporting new or less-well-known artists.
I’m not defending avarice, and I’m opposed to the power imbalances that inevitably come into play, but the worker/parasite framing is simplistic and wrong.
On this topic, I was reading an interview with Corb Lund from sometime in the past few years. My read is that if he had someone he could trust to focus on the business side of leading a band, he’d have the time and attention he needs to write new material.
September 13, 2019 @ 10:05 am
That’s interesting because Corb used to have an excellent and succesful manager named Ron Kitchner. I would assume that the numbers ended up not being big enough to keep a real full time manager on.
September 12, 2019 @ 8:07 am
I can’t disagree with most of the winners, although I think “The Tree” is a better record than “Tree of Forgiveness.” I’m a little curious why Rhiannon Giddens received so much recognition? Not that it isn’t deserved, I just haven’t heard much about her in a while.
September 12, 2019 @ 9:12 am
Rhiannon Giddens released her most recent album There Is No Other in May. Also, she’s a member of Our Native Daughters, who were nominated for Duo/Group of the Year and released an album in February. She is the conceiver of the project and co-produced the album.
September 13, 2019 @ 12:33 am
I’m a huge fan of her Our Native Daughters bandmate Leyla McCalla who is a very talented lady.
September 13, 2019 @ 4:00 pm
This.
Also she’s all over the upcoming Ken Burn’s documentary and was a standout at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
September 12, 2019 @ 8:29 am
People complain about “Americana” as a label, and I get why. It’s not a single genre of music, but rather an umbrella term applied to people of a certain cultural attitude from a number of related genres.
But while the label is fairly recent (dating back to the 90s for common use, coined in the 80s), the music has existed for much longer. Think of the space formed between Jim Croce, Gordon Lightfoot, Johnny Cash, Bob Seger, and Otis Redding, and you have the roots of Americana as an amalgam label. If you look at it that way, the artists within the label mostly start to make sense.
September 12, 2019 @ 9:42 am
Gordie is a Canadian boy. He is a folk singer. That doesn’t shed much light on the Americana label I don’t think.
September 12, 2019 @ 10:56 am
I realize Gordon Lightfoot is Canadian. Elvis Costello is English, as is Yola, but they both were at the Americana awards.
Americana doesn’t necessitate being American.
More than that, though, is that I was describing the sounds that form the framework for Americana–I intentionally selected artists from before the Americana label became a thing. Folk is one of the primary influences, and guys like Lightfoot, James Taylor, and John Denver in particular inform the sound and feel of the style.
September 13, 2019 @ 9:17 am
Baby, it’s Alright
September 14, 2019 @ 8:21 am
Jade Bird is English, too.
September 12, 2019 @ 8:44 am
Lifetime this & lifetime that…what a bad joke of an award show (like the Billboard Americana charts…Ed Sheeran americana?)
But…why not?
Lifetime award for being alive
Lifetime award for being not so alive
Lifetime award for being drunk on stage
Lifetime award for being stoned on stage
Lifetime award for being drunk & stoned on stage
Lifetime award for winning a lifetime award before
Lifetime award for not winning a lifetime award so far
Lifetime award for releasing songs against Trump
Lifetime award for releasing song for Tru…wait…lol
September 12, 2019 @ 9:22 am
Six Lifetime Achievement Awards in one year is too much. Not saying any of the people awarded don’t deserve them, but the presentation dragggeed this year, and it was because of the Lifetime Achievements. Four is plenty, and keeps the recognition special. A four hour awards show is too much. There were some good moments, but overall it made it a bit boring.
September 13, 2019 @ 9:25 am
Pretentious, ya?
September 12, 2019 @ 9:37 am
I could see an argument for “+” being considered Americana…but that was nearly 10 years ago.
September 12, 2019 @ 10:15 am
Oh yeah I remember seeing Lukas Nelson congradulate him on Instagram. And you are probably right Jack that he will win next year.
September 12, 2019 @ 10:50 am
“I’m With Her” as a band name? Lol, was “Nevertheless, She Persisted” already taken?
That, right there folks, is what differentiates “Americana” from “country”. Politics. “Americana” is the “good” kind of politics, “country” is the “bad” kind of politics.
September 12, 2019 @ 12:19 pm
I mean, it’s Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O’Donovan.
Regardless of what you think of the band’s name, each member is a hell of a lot more talented individually than 90% of this year’s CMA nominees, and they’re great together, as well.
Which is a much more apt lens through which to look at the different “scenes.”
September 12, 2019 @ 12:46 pm
Sigh. The band name predates the Clinton campaign slogan. They started using the name in early 2015. You’re not the first around here to jump to that conclusion, though.
September 12, 2019 @ 2:27 pm
Well, that’s quite a coincidence, then. I mean, how do you read that band name post-2016 and not immediately think of the one time (two time, actually) failed presidential candidate? It’s like sticking with the band name “Morning in America” and trying to convince people not to think of Ronald Reagan.
I see there’s also a sitcom by the name “I’m With Her” from 2003, a song called “I’m With Her” by Rhett Miller from 2006, and I’m guessing it’s a pretty common thing to say when you’re trying to get into a dance club with your wife or whatever, so wtf do I know.
September 13, 2019 @ 9:02 am
Well first, they’re not a full time operation. They’re another one of those “supergroups.” All three members have established solo careers that are their main concern. And they’re not mainstream. I would guess that most people in the roots music community would either know they came up with the name first or wouldn’t assume they got it from the Clinton campaign because what artist worth their salt wants their name to be associated with a current politician, much less one that isn’t exactly beloved.
September 13, 2019 @ 11:05 am
I concede the group came up with the name before the Clinton campaign, but I personally think it’s an unfortunate coincidence and it does them a disservice.
I’ve seen the band name “I’m With Her” pop up on various music sites in the last couple years and I absolutely assumed they were some kind of feminist indie rock band. A lot of political-minded and “ironic” indie rock bands like to come up with topical names like this.
Anyway, I don’t want to beat a dead horse, and I certainly don’t mean to disparage this particular group (or their fans) who by all means seem to be very talented.
September 12, 2019 @ 1:06 pm
I drove 5 hours to see them play in Sydney. No politics at all. It was one of the best shows i have ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot.
I will admit that i was a bit worried by their name, but I bought the album out of respect for the musicians and was glad i did.
So no dissing them for politics. Or for anything else either.
September 13, 2019 @ 12:43 am
That’s kinda funny as I’m a political junkie and it never even crossed my mind. Maybe just too obvious?
“Americana” is the “good” kind of politics, “country” is the “bad” kind of politics? Not sure what that is supposed to mean. I do know that most of the country artists I like these days lean left.
September 13, 2019 @ 6:37 am
I live in DC, a 95% democrat voter town. People still have their “I’m With Her” campaign posters up in their apartment and row home windows, as bumper stickers on their cars, and on their t-shirts. Can’t walk two blocks without seeing the slogan, three years later.
Regarding “Americana” vs “country” as politics, in a broad and inelegant sense I was making the observation that the former is usually the “polite” version of the latter – washed of its problematic, conservative, white trash, red state affiliations.
September 12, 2019 @ 11:43 am
yeah well he thinks my flannel shirt
is just a throw-back to Nirvana
and he says he don’t like Country
but he likes Americana
Twang-Rock, Post-Punk
Atmospheric, Indie Rock and Roll
I tried to tell you girl that all those words don’t mean a thing
if your songs ain’t got no soul
– Sons of Bill
September 12, 2019 @ 4:08 pm
Love that band.
September 12, 2019 @ 1:07 pm
This award show was amazing. I am so glad I was able to snag a ticket last minute. To say Yola’s performance was arguably the performance of the night is an understatement. If this show would have been the Grammy Awards, this performance is what everyone would be talking about. “Faraway Look” needs to be heard, whether you are a die-hard fan or just a casual “jumped on the Brandi Carlile bandwagon after all of these years” type of fan.
Another amazing performance was by The War and Treaty. I saw this duo open for Old Crow Medicine Show last year. At first, I thought this isn’t going to be my bag of chips. But the gospel/soul/country/blues had me drawn in by the second song.
I also loved hearing Bonnie Raitt and John Prine, Delbert McClinton, Brandi Carlile, Elvis Costello and the amazing Mavis closing with “I’ll Fly Away.” I was drawn in by the amazing band Buddy Miller and Don Was assembled and the background vocals by the under-rated McCrary Sisters.
Before hearing anymore about Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson and Amanda Shires, let’s give Yola and The War and Treaty their due. I hope promoters realize what an amazing double bill it would be to see these two acts together.
September 13, 2019 @ 12:30 am
sorry i missed her performance . yola’s album is top of my list for album of the year . this thing sounds better with every listen ….its riddled with musical ideas ….and all of that only supports some terrific songs and yola’s performances and writing . sure hope we get to hear lots more of her …..seems as though the industry knows just how talented she is , at least .
September 13, 2019 @ 5:54 am
I would be all about a Yola/War and Treaty double bill. I’ve seen The War and Treaty headling twice, and I was blown away both times. Yola is on my list- hopefully she tours the US more extensively.
September 12, 2019 @ 5:49 pm
That was just an awesome, solid night of music. Excellent backup bands, good sound, very tight, very good all around.
September 12, 2019 @ 9:37 pm
Somehow I’d never heard of Yola until something you posted tonight on Instagram, Trig. Oh-my-god. “Americana” or not, Walk Through Fire is an incredible album. Thank you, yet again, for introducing this kind of artistry into my life.
September 13, 2019 @ 9:58 am
Excellent list of winners!
September 13, 2019 @ 10:16 am
Just for the sake of it–the Trailblazer winner here, Maria Muldaur, has been around since the early 1960s folk music explosion (or “scare”, whichever way you look at it); and her output has been a mixture of folk, blues, and jazz–not necessarily the kind of mix that is appreciated much anymore these days. However, she did have two very big hits back in the 70s: “Midnight At The Oasis” (which got up to #6 on the Hot 100 in June 1974, despite the suggestive nature of both the song’s lyrics and Maria’s voice which caused a little consternation at some AM radio stations); and “I’m A Woman”, the Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller song that Peggy Lee recorded in 1963, and which Maria took to #12 in February 1975. Both she and Bonnie Raitt remain close friends with Linda Ronstadt to this day (Maria having met Linda way back in 1966).
September 14, 2019 @ 3:59 am
No love for Caroline Spence “mint condition”? Stellar album…
September 23, 2019 @ 5:41 pm
Americana music is country music you can’t dance to.