John Nelson

Make sure to stock up on that particular chickpea dip, your favorite adult beverages, and the appropriate festival chairs for Train’s show at The Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre on July 31, 2023. But, you may not be spending much time in your Tommy Bahama, since the band will surely keep you on your feet, dancing to their iconic hits. 

Even if you can’t name the members of the band, you know their music (almost word-for-word.) 

The San Francisco-based, Grammy-winning pop-rockers scored 14 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 over the past few decades. In 1998, the band released their self-titled debut record that featured the indie-rock hit “Meet Virginia.” Then came their mega hit in 2001, “Drops of Jupiter” which earned them their first two Grammys. Has it been 22 years since that song’s release? Admit it–you still turn it up when it comes up on commercial radio. Their third record produced the hit “Calling All Angels.” In 2009, the band released the multi-platinum selling Save Me, San Francisco and the international #1 hit, “Hey, Soul Sister” and other top 40 hits with “If It’s Love” and “Marry Me.” Their 2012 album California 37 included the top 10 smash “Drive By.” 

“Hey, Soul Sister” with its opening ukulele riff is tailor-made for that souvenir ukulele you bought in Hawaii years ago and never played. If you missed the ukulele craze (or made sourdough instead) during Covid,  it’s time to dust it off and practice before the show. Here’s a quick tutorial video.

Fun fact: “Hey, Soul Sister” continues to reach new milestones with 1.2 billion streams on Spotify.

The band’s not resting on its past success. Last year they released AM Gold, a full-length album of original songs styled with a retro AM radio flair that proves Train is still on the tracks. 

Opening the show is Thunderstorm Artis, from Oahu, who may be familiar to those who were glued to the NBC show The Voice during the pandemic. Artis became the contest’s runner-up during the show’s 2020 season. Last year his song “Stronger” appeared on an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. A multi-instrumentalist with a powerhouse voice, Artis’ music crosses many genres including folk, rock, soul, and country. 

Fun fact #2: Artis is the son of Ron Artis, a Motown musician best known for playing keyboards on Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

Who: Train w/ Thunderstorm Artis

Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

When: Monday, July 31, 2023

Tickets and info: www.redbuttegarden.org

When the gates opened, the mad dash for the best real estate on the lawn began. Blankets spread, beverages poured, and picnics arranged, the fans were ready. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and Deer Tick didn’t disappoint the Red Butte Garden revelers. On Saturday, July 8, they shared tried and true favorites alongside fresh, new sounds with the packed audience. Both bands have recently released critically-acclaimed albums that will undoubtedly reshape their set lists.

Deer Tick opened the evening with a 10-song set, equal parts new and old. The Providence, Rhode Island roots rockers just released their first album of new material in six years. Emotional Contracts proved worth the wait. They opened their set with “If I Try To Leave,” a ripping new number with a ‘70s retro rock sound. Deer Tick fans who wanted to hear older stuff were pleased with “Ashamed” from 2007 and “Hope Is Big” from their past catalog. But, I think the new material owned the night. “Forgiving Ties,” “Running From Love,” and “Once In a Lifetime” map their artful musical progression. They ended their set with ”The Real Thing,” a tailor-made show-closer with its building drum beat, guitar distortion, culminating with emotionally strained vocals. Those wanting more will be happy to know that Deer Tick will be headlining at The Commonwealth Room in November.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit were on a mission: to highlight Weathervanes, their newly released record. Nearly half of their 19-song set was dedicated to that material. They started with “Save The World,” a new tune about an old problem–uncontrolled gun violence. The up-tempo “King of Oklahoma” explored the human cost of opioid addiction. Isbell is in top form as a lyricist and storyteller, weaving together a fresh batch of material about humans struggling against changing social headwinds. 

Photography by Moses Namkung, @mosesnphoto

The crowd at this sold-out show expected to hear lyrical ballads alongside some good old-school rock ‘n’ roll. Isbell and the 400 Unit delivered. “Last of My Kind” and “Cast Iron Skillet” were some of my favorites country tunes. “Miles” gave Isbell and lead guitarist Sadler Vaden the room to stretch-out and rock. Isbell turned over the keys temporarily to Vaden who brought thunder to the mountain with “Honeysuckle Blue,” a song by Vaden’s former band Drivin’ n’ Cryin’.

The show also commemorated the ten-year anniversary of Isbell’s breakout album, Southeastern. They played “Stockholm” and ended the show with the record’s major hit “Cover Me Up.” The crowd of three thousand stood in rapt attention while Isbell belted out “So, girl leave your boots by the bed we ain’t leaving this room ‘till someone needs medical help or the magnolias bloom.” Isbell’s voice carried across the amphitheatre while the crowds sang along.  

For their stirring encore the band reassembled for the Grammy-winning roots-rock hit, “24 Frames” and the acoustic tune, “If We Were Vampires.” For the grand finale they ended with the fresh new rocker “This Ain’t It.” Well, actually, it was it. Time to pack up our picnic gear and head home. It was another great summer night on the mountain. 

Who: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit w/ Deer Tick

Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

When: Saturday, July 8, 2023

Info: www.redbuttegarden.org

A thunderstorm threatened to wash out the sold-out Indigo Girls show at Red Butte Garden on Monday, July 3, 2023. But, the brief shower didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the Indigo Girls’ impassioned, and largely female fanbase who packed the Garden. Swifties of a certain age.

Clear skies greeted the opening performer, Garrison Starr, who began her solo, acoustic, nine-song set with “Dam That’s Breaking,” then appropriately “Just a Little Rain.” She played her timely latest single, “Fireworks,” a slow burning tune she recorded with the Milk Carton Kids. The starting line “It’s almost the 4th of July, scary how quickly time goes by” fit perfectly in her set. 

Starr recently released a series of soulful singles from a forthcoming record, Garrison Starr and The Gospel Truth. On Monday night she played a spirited version of Claude Ely’s traditional gospel, “Ain’t No Grave.” The crowd erupted when Indigo Girl Emily Salier joined Starr on stage for “Hallelujah, Come Together,” a yet-to-be- released song they co-wrote. Starr ended her show with her stirring 2019 release “Better Day Comin’.” Starr is an accomplished songwriter with a powerful voice. I’d like to see her again with an accompanying band in an intimate venue like The State Room. She has a growing catalog of great songs that’s worth a listen.

The Indigo Girls, a Grammy-winning duo, grew to a septet for this performance. The 7-piece ensemble started their mammoth 23-song set with “Howl At The Moon,” a new song that fits perfectly within their long catalog of folk-rock favorites. Next came “Power of Two,” a crowd pleaser that turned into an impromptu singalong. Throughout the night you could hear a legion of adoring fans, in their “Emily and Amy” t-shirts, shout affirmations. The audience rose to their feet for energetic singalongs and then listened intently to quieter ballads. Their loving attention to the performers filled the Garden with a warm and welcoming vibe.

I enjoyed their run of songs that featured their eclectic sound. With “Shed Your Skin” they showed their rock ‘n’ roll chops then moved seamlessly to “Country Radio” before blending the two genres with a new song, “Shit Kickin’.” 

An energetic version of “Shame on You” got the crowd on their feet and singing. In a truly magical moment, the band departed the stage and left Amy Ray alone with her guitar for a captivating rendition of Dire Straits, “Romeo and Juliet.” Soon after, they cut loose with “Tether.” “Kid Fears” received collective approval and they then ramped up toward “Galileo,” the set finale. They encored with “Share The Moon” and Garrison Starr returned to the stage for a collective singing of “Closer To Fine.”

In addition to the duo’s two guitars and beautifully blended vocals, the accompanying band provided greater depth with a fiddle, bass, keyboards, drums, and an additional guitar. The natural acoustics at The Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre also aided in a joyous evening of great music. There’s no better way to spend a Monday night than a picnic in the Garden with the Indigo Girls and their spirited fans. 

Who: Indigo Girls w/ Garrison Starr

What: Long Look Tour

Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

When: July 3, 2023

Info: www.redbuttegarden.org

Summer is in full swing and what better way to celebrate than a picnic in the Garden with Jason Isbell. The singer/songwriter (and former Drive-By Trucker) and his band, the 400 Unit, bring their country/folk/rock blend of Americana to the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre on Saturday, July 8, 2023. 

Isbell, a four-time Grammy winner, pens lyrical slice-of-life vignettes about the trials of everyday life. His often hardscrabble characters come alive in his music as they face complex struggles like addiction, depression, inner demons, and loss of innocence. Like Springsteen, who writes about his working-class roots in suburban New Jersey, Isbell draws from his rural North Alabama to tell his stories with a country flair. He mixes sappy, southern sentimentality with raw, unadorned, pragmatism. The result is hard-edged, yet congenial.  

Playing within the broad-category of Americana or roots music, Isbell doesn’t cross any particular rubicon, instead he straddles the fence with folksy ballads as he moves effortlessly between rock and country. On his Grammy-winning hit single “24 Frames” Isbell delivers a sound reminiscent of the Georgia indie-rock of the ‘90s with lyrics that tackle the fleeting nature of life and how it can change in an instant. He sings “You thought God was an architect, now you know, He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow.” On “Cover Me Up,” now a country standard, Isbell penned a beautifully romantic ballad without losing sight of the complicated nature of relationships.  

Isbell and the 400 Unit are touring in support of their just-released album Weathervane. Like the title suggests, the music on this well-crafted new record moves like a cool breeze between ballads and country rock. The weather vane feels like a barometer for life’s shifting winds. The thematic arc in the song “Cast Iron Skillet” suggests that past beliefs (like not washing a cast iron skillet), may be outdated thinking. The song weaves a story of a family torn apart by inherent bigotry. When a white girl finds love in a boy with smiling eyes and dark skin, she is disowned and banished. Isbell sings “she found love, and it was simple as a weather vane, but her own family tried to kill it. Don’t wash the cast iron skillet.”

The 400 Unit’s tight performance provides Isbell the musical canvas for his expressive lyricism. “Middle of the Morning” is a great, soulful track with a Van Morrison vibe. The uptempo country-funk tune, “This Ain’t It,” leaves room for Isbell and Sadler Vaden to trade guitar licks in an old-school southern jam. “Miles” closes out the remarkable record by taking us on a 7-minute musical journey. It begins with a Neil Young/Tom Petty/Mike Campbell-styled strut that leads us toward a trippy detour down Abbey Road. 

Fun fact: Isbell’s band the 400 Unit was named after a psychiatric ward in his hometown. 

Opening the show is Deer Tick. No, not the blood-sucking, Lyme Disease carrying parasite that infests the New England woods every spring and summer. It’s Deer Tick, the very cool alt-folk-indie-rock band from Providence, Rhode Island (my old stompin’ ground.) The band is touring in support of their latest album Emotional Contracts. The first track, “If I Try To Leave,” is a toe-tapping rocker with a retro-styled riff (circa ‘72) and a modern verve. “Forgiving Ties” is also reminiscent of a jukebox favorite from the ‘80s that you’ve just recently rediscovered. It’s a fine record start-to-finish and I’m looking forward to hearing a nice mix of old and new.

Fans wanting more than an opening set can catch Deer Tick again on Friday, November 3, 2023 at The Commonwealth Room where they’ll be headlining. 

Who: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit w/ Deer Tick

Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

When: Saturday, July 8, 2023

Tickets and info: www.redbuttegarden.org

Grammy-winning duo Indigo Girls are hitting the road as a 7-piece band this summer that includes a stop at The Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre on Monday, July 3, 2023.

Amy Ray and Emily Salier emerged out of the Atlanta music scene in the late 1980s as the folk-rock duo Indigo Girls. Their 1989 self-titled major label debut album featured the Dylan-esque, poetic hit “Closer to Fine.” That landmark tune has endured the test of time. Their break came, in part, due Tracy Chapman’s success who, a year earlier, released a mega-hit, the edgy folk single “Fast Cars.” Chapman made female-led folk cool for a new generation and opened a door for others to walk through. 

Georgia, especially Athens, became an incubator for hot new indie artists like REM in the latter part of the ‘80s. In fact several members of REM, including frontman Michael Stipe,  played on the Indigo Girls debut record. The album won a Grammy in 1990 for Best Contemporary Folk Recording and launched their career. They actually were nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy but lost out to Milli Vanilli (ouch!), who later vacated the award after they were exposed as frauds.    

The Indigo Girls would go on to release 10 hit singles and 16 studio albums over their 35-year career (seven gold, four platinum, and one double-platinum). In 2022, Ray and Salier were inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In true folk tradition, the duo marries folk music with political activism. The Indigo Girls have long been involved with LGBTQ advocacy, immigration reform, death penalty reform and Native American rights. They’re co-founders of Honor the Earth, a non-profit dedicated to the survival of sustainable Native communities, Indigenous environmental justice, and green energy solutions.

The duo are touring in support of their 2020 release Long Look. It’s been five years between album releases, but there are no cobwebs to dust off their music. Their sound is as crisp as ever and songs like “Howl At The Moon” remain ageless. They’ve stayed true to their sound and songcraft and their voices blend as beautifully as they did 35-years ago. This is a quintessential Indigo Girls record with everything that’s made them enduring folk icons. For this tour they’re playing as a seven-piece band. I can’t wait to hear their orchestral sound resonate across the beautiful amphitheatre. 

Opening the show is Garrison Starr, a Grammy-nominated gospel-infused singer with a powerful voice and an equally powerful message of redemption and survival in a world of misguided piety. She recently released four singles from a forthcoming album Garrison Starr and The Gospel Truth.  “Shame The Devil,” “Oh My Soul,” “It’s Alright” and a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ain’t No Grave” find her reclaiming her gospel/Americana roots and removing the evangelical Christian chain from around her ankle. 

Who: Indigo Girls w/ Garrison Starr

What: Long Look Tour

Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

When: July 3, 2023

Tickets and info: www.redbuttegarden.org

The third annual Fort Desolation Fest was a destination festival, as promised. The event kicked off on June 8, and provided a perfect blend of awe-inspiring landscapes and fantastic music. Festival goers like me, could spend three days exploring the Capitol Reef National Park area and three nights kicking up the red dirt to the sounds of an incredible lineup of musical artists at Cougar Ridge Resort in Torrey.

The music started in the late afternoon with two active stages, the Progressive Stage where artists warmed up the crowd between headliners, and the main stage where the marque acts played. The music carried late into the night on a third “after-hours” stage that welcomed surprise guest performers for an intimate jam in the campsite area.

The organizers put together a 20-act program with a spectacular cast of performers from across the musical spectrum. No matter your musical taste, the festival had something for everyone. Here’s a rundown of my magical moments.

Best of the 2023 Fort Desolation Fest

Jamestown Revival 

This folk duo’s majestic harmonies radiated off the red rocks for a visual and auditory experience that left me feeling a deep, hypnotic bliss. Backed by a full band, their beautifully synchronous voices blended into10 finespun songs that left me wanting more. They opened with “Crazy World (Judgement Day),” a chilling song, reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel, but with a modernized, western flair. The kismet between music and landscape continued with “Young Man,” the title track from their latest album. Then it was time to kick-up some dust with “Revival,” and move into full hoedown mode, especially when Dan Reckard temporarily abandoned his piano for a sax solo. Stoking the crowd’s energy, Zack Chance and Jonathan Clay led us in a singalong with “California (Cast Iron Soul)” before transitioning to a soulful “Midnight Hour.” They finished with “Prospector’s Blues” from their 2021 EP Fireside With Louis L’Amour-A Collection of Songs Inspired By Tales From The American West. 

Fun fact: Jamestown Revival’s first album, Utah, was recorded in a cabin in the Wasatch Mountains in 2014. 

Houndmouth

As I expected, this Indiana-based alternative rock and blues band delivered a high energy performance. They opened with “Las Vegas” and alternated nicely between fan favorites and deeper cuts. With a repertoire of catchy, easy to sing along tunes like “Honey Slider” and “Darlin,’” Houndmouth are the perfect festival band (of course they are pretty awesome indoors too). Fans of the show Succession may relate to the song, “Cousin Greg.” No, not that cousin Greg. Houndmouth wrote the song long before the series aired, but a fun coincidence (and good timing for the band), nonetheless. I also enjoyed “For No One” and “Comin’ Round Again.” They ended their awesome set with “Sedona” and the crowd joined in with the chorus  “I remember, I remember when the neon used to burn so bright and pink. A Saturday night kind of pink.” Indeed, and it was only Friday.

Morgan Wade

I wondered if Morgan Wade, one of country music’s fastest rising stars, with plenty of twang in her voice, and backed by a major record label would be “cookie-cutter country.” Nope! She’s a different kind of country–Gen Z raw and certainly devoid of vapid and formulaic, country-kitsch. Her body art and grit put that stereotype to rest. Her songs touch upon struggles with depression and unmet expectations. She embodies the edginess of Miley Cyrus, but in a more authentic way and without the buckets of Hannah Montana money to fall back on. In fact, she sang Cyrus’s “Bad Karma” and it felt at home in her setlist.

She radiated with rebelliousness and irony in her Kiss concert t-shirt, camouflage pants and strumming a pink acoustic guitar. Her country twang, at times, seemed paradoxical to her dark, introspective ballads. On “The Night (Part 2)” she sang with a hip-hop inflection. She rocked it out with “Mend” and the wonderfully melodic “Take Me Away.”  She electrified her performance both in guitar and tempo when she jumped in her time machine and started strumming a familiar tune with the opening line “Josie’s on a vacation far away.” She rocked out The Outfield’s 1986 hit “Your Love” and then blended it with Rick Springfield’s 1980 hit “Jesse’s Girl.” It was a beautiful, retro moment. Those songs somehow felt authentically hers despite the fact they hit the airwaves a decade and a half before she was born. She gave both tunes, with similar chord progressions, a new life. She should record and release them for a new generation. She finished up with her Billboard Hot Country Top 40 hit “Wilder Days.” I see nothing but blue sky and open roads ahead for this innovative new country artist.

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals

Harper added the exclamation point on the festival as the final headliner. The multi-Grammy winner and genre-blender guided listeners on a journey through rock, blues, and soul gospel–sometimes within a single song. Opening with an acapella “Below Sea Level,” he then rose to what some have called his James Taylor-meets-Bob Marley moment with “Burn One Down,” his pro-marijuana anthem. From the occasional whiff of skunky herb in the night air, the song seemed to resonate with the crowd. Next, Harper took us from reggae to rock with “Glory and Consequences,” a ‘90s REM-styled jam, carrying the audience on a magic carpet ride. “Steal My Kisses” featured Innocent Criminal percussionist, Leon Mobley who switched between the back-of-the-stage bongo to the upfront beatbox (cajon) solo. Harper delivered an innovative and psychedelic, blues soliloquy with his lap steel guitar like he was channeling Jimi Hendrix. I didn’t think the instrument could do that!

Harper blended rock and soul on an amazing rendition of  “Diamonds On The Inside.” Then he slowed the tempo for an unexpected cover of Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” that reminded me more of the Eddie Berman version, a slower, folkier cover of the Boss’s anthem. Either way, he nailed it. Our musical journey ended with some retro funk and soul on “Mama’s Trippin’.”

Shout Outs

Pixie and The Partygrass Boys closed out the Ogden Music Festival on the prior Sunday and opened this festival on the following Thursday. Pitching on three days’ rest (I can’t resist a baseball metaphor), they brought their A-game to Torrey.

Other main stage openers, Parker Millsap and The Brothers Comatose, brought great energy and set the pace for their prospective nights. Pixie and The Partygrass Boys and The Brothers Comatose also did double-duty and jammed on the after-hours stage.

Progressive Stage 

Between main stage set-ups, a troupe of performers played on the smaller, Progressive Skee Ball stage (Yes, Skee Ball). Set up on vendor’s row, the stage folded out of an airstream trailer, adorned with the familiar insurance company spokeswoman, Flo looking down on the action and a SkeeBall arcade where festival goers could win Progressive branded t-shirts and other swag. Despite the carnivalesque setup, the stage featured exceptional Utah artists. The standouts included Lee Rafugee, J Rad Cooley, The Medicine Company, and Paul Jacobsen (all Salt Lake City based). Ogden’s Cherry Thomas played a fine set too. The Medicine Company are hosting an album release show at The State Room on August 4th and Cherry Thomas will join them. I’m looking forward to hearing a longer set from these fine local artists.

I appreciated the amount of local talent the festival organizers featured this year. Maybe next year they could invite some area breweries, like Moab, Silver Reef Brewing, or Zion Brewery to join the party. I’d love to sample some of Southern Utah’s craft beers next time I’m red rockin’ it at Cougar Ridge.  

What: Fort Desolation Fest

Where: Cougar Ridge Resort in Torrey, UT

When: June 8-10, 2023

Info: https://fortdesolation.com/fest

Red Butte Garden, I missed you! My first concert of the outdoor concert series didn’t disappoint. Blue skies and mild temperatures greeted Gov’t Mule in a two-set evening of rockin’ blues at The Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. Tie-dye, concert t-shirts, and testosterone abounded. 

Allman Brothers Guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody formed Gov’t Mule in 1994 as a side project. They added drummer Matt Abts and in 1995 released their self-titled debut album. Since then, the “Mule,” as they’re affectionately known by their fans, has emerged as a quintessential southern rock and blues jam band, playing festivals across the globe. With a dozen studio records and nearly as many live albums to their credit, Gov’t Mule is best experienced live since their eclectic setlist changes with each performance. They mix homespun tunes with selected covers to create an evening of freewheeling, southern rock. 

Opening their first set with “Traveling Tune,” they filled the mountain air with thunderous southern rock. For a quartet, Gov’t Mule builds a wall of sound with just a guitar, bass, drum and keyboard. Haynes, a guitar master (as one would expect from an Allman Brothers guitarist), led us throughout the night with his commanding licks. They followed up their opener with “Mule,” before moving to their first cover, Van Morrison’s “I’ve Been Working.” 

The evening’s stand-out original songs included “Banks of the Deep End,” “Thorazine Shuffle,” “Blind Man in the Dark,” and “Revolution Come Revolution Go.” They also featured some great new material off their soon-to-released album Peace…Like A River.  Sounding like a long-lost song from a Yes album from the early ‘70s, “Same As It Ever Was” is a great new tune with a vintage vibe. Their latest single “Made My Peace” also has a decidedly retro ‘70s sound. Fans of classic rock looking for something familiar, yet fresh should check out the Mule’s latest offering.

A Gov’t Mule show wouldn’t be complete without an extended instrumental jam of a rock or blues classic. What better song to honor than Link Wray’s 1958 experimental distortion hit “Rumble.” The song, once banned in some markets due to claims it promoted juvenile delinquency, proved to be the perfect vehicle for a jammy jaunt down south–’70s style.

For their encore, the band returned to the stage for an amazing rendition of John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero.” They even managed to work in a signature jam at the end.  

What a perfect evening at the Garden to enjoy ‘70s-style southern guitar rock played by masterful performers. As always, the sound and sight lines were flawless. 

Who: Gov’t Mule

What: An Evening with Gov’t Mule

Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

When: June 13, 2023

Info: https://redbuttegarden.org/concerts/

Calling all Deadheads and jam band fans: Gov’t Mule is hosting a late spring southern rock and blues party at The Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.

Gov’t Mule formed in 1994 as a side project of the Allman Brothers Band by guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody. They added drummer Matt Abts and in 1995 released their self-titled debut album. “Mule,” as they’re affectionately known by their fans, has emerged as a quintessential southern rock and blues jam band, playing festivals across the globe.

With a dozen studio records and nearly as many live albums to their credit, Gov’t Mule is best experienced live since their eclectic setlist changes with each performance. They mix homespun tunes with selected covers to create an evening of freewheeling, southern rock. 

On their latest Grammy-nominated, full-length album Heavy Load Blues (Deluxe Edition) released in 2022, Warren Haynes and the Mule set out to make a more traditional blues record with equal parts original material and reworked standards. They filter Howlin’ Wolf’s 1956  “I Asked for Water (She Gave Me Gasoline)” through a Jimi Hendrix Experience for a stunning 9-minute musical foray. They also dug up blues-inspired treasures like Elton John/Bernie Taupin’s 1973 deep cut “Have Mercy on the Criminal” from Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player. Fans of early EJ, like me, can appreciate how the Mule gave this long-forgotten gem a new coat of vinyl. They applied a smoother, bluesy spin on Tom Waits experimental rock “Make it Rain.” I certainly hope their setlist at the Red Butte Garden show includes a heavy load from this remarkable blues record.

Gov’t Mule is set to release another record this summer. The full-length album, Peace…Like A River, is influenced by what Haynes calls the golden era of rock, soul, jazz and blues–the 1970s. As advertised, the first two recently released singles “Same As It Ever Was” and “Dreaming Out Loud,” have a distinctively ‘70s retro rock and soul sound.

Look for me on June 13th, picnic basket in hand and wearing my best tie dye.   

Who: Gov’t Mule
What: An Evening with Gov’t Mule
Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre
When: June 13, 2023
Tickets and info: https://redbuttegarden.org/concerts/

American roots music can sometimes be too narrowly confined to bluegrass, stringbands, and folk. Though those genres are important to the Americana stew, they are only a small part of the full recipe. The Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music (OFOAM) took the time to build a lineup that also included blues, gospel, soul, funk, rock, country and conjunto making the Ogden Music Festival one full-flavored weekend of American roots music. It was almost too rich for me to digest (ok, no more food metaphors).

This year’s Ogden Music Festival, June 2-4, 2023 served up an amazing lineup of American roots artists. Due to flooding at Fort Buenaventura, the organizers quickly scrambled to get a more suitable location for the event. Nicknamed Fort BDO (the Business District Ogden) the festival featured 13 main stage acts and 10 “tweener” acts, who kept the music flowing between sets. 

Reviewing 23 acts is beyond the scope of a reasonable review. Let me just say that every performer who made it on the festival stages passed through the OFOAM filter and is certified fabulous. I’ll try to highlight the performances that rolled my socks down.

John Craigie

Craigie’s two-set performance (Friday and Saturday) stands out as one of the many highlights from this outstanding weekend of music. Craigie is a Portland-based folk singer and storyteller (think John Prine with Tommy Smothers’ comedic timing) who sold out two nights at The State Room this winter. Craigie coupled well-crafted folk songs with colorful and sometimes irreverent introductions. His song “Laurie Rolled Me a J” is a funny yet poignant tale of life during the pandemic. He sings: “She won’t get the vaccine because of the tracking chip. Hell they can track me, I ain’t doing shit. Track me on my couch, track me in my bed, track me texting you, track me left on red. Track me in the yard puffing my life away. Gone like smoke, Laurie rolled me a J.” Another standout song “I Wrote Mr. Tambourine Man” had him wondering “When the apocalypse is over, I hope you like your job.” 

With “I Am California” he had us singing the chorus: “So drink all my wine, cut all my trees. Make love on my beaches, smoke all my weed. I am California, can’t you see? Wherever you roam, you’ll always want me.” Great lyrics and amusing anecdotes are Craigie’s winning formula. He even held a songwriting workshop, open to all festival goers.

Danielle Ponder

Danielle Ponder mesmerized the crowd with her hypnotic and soulful voice opening with “Some Of Us Are Brave.” Its retro tempo makes this tune feel like a theme song from an old James Bond film. But her lyrics about black female empowerment make it the antithesis to Bond’s misogyny. It’s a powerful and relevant tune. Ponder shared with us the local inspiration for her song “Roll the Credits.” A joyful and trippy meditation on our landscape, she wrote it while doing mushrooms on the shore of the Great Salt Lake.  Her voice reaches another dimension as she echoes repetitive guitar lick-reverb. She sings: “Good God Almighty, I done opened my mind. These holy waters left a chill down my spine.” From “Roll The Credits” she transitioned to an amazing, piano-driven-torch-singer version of Radiohead’s “Creep.” My spine is still tingling. I can’t wait to see her again as a headliner. Her hour-long set went by in an instant and left me wanting more. 

Thee Sacred Souls

Thee Sacred Souls, a retro soul band from San Diego, performed a delightful 15-song headliner set of well-harmonized, life affirming R&B. Familiar yet fresh, “Easier Said Than Done” stirred the crowd with its vintage-sounding ‘70s groove. Lead singer Josh Lane extended the performance space, and made his way through the crowd, serenading us with his rich falsetto voice. They ended the festival’s first evening with a Smokey Robinson-styled original “Can I Call You Rose.” What a perfect end to the festival’s opening night.

Miko Marks

Miko Marks and The Resurrectors delivered an amazing blend of country and gospel over two days (Saturday and Sunday). Marks bridges the 200 miles that separate the musical genres of Nashville and Memphis. Her opening song “One More Night” is something you could imagine hearing on the Grand Ole Opry stage or in a Beale Street nightclub. “Feel Like Going Home ” is another example of the beauty she created with her blues, rock, gospel and country cocktail. She explained that American music used to be divided between black music or “race records” and white music. Artists and audiences were separated, despite their overlapping roots in the musical traditions. Then she dissolved those lines and played Bill Monroe’s “Long Journey Home” from her 2021 EP Race Records and infused bluegrass harmony with gospel soul.

Just prior to Marks taking the stage on Saturday, lightning in the nearby mountains forced the organizers to pause the festivities until it passed. After a half-an-hour or so we were ready to resume despite a light sprinkle. By the time Marks played “Peace of Mind” the clouds parted and the sun shone. Now I don’t believe in divine intervention, but in that moment, with the sun beating on my face, I found my peace of mind.

On Sunday, Marks summoned the spirits with “Ancestors,” “Mercy,” and, “River.” Her excellent backing band–The Resurrectors–included the two members of the duo Effie Zilch (Evanne Barcenas and Steve Wyreman). From their 2022 release Trinity, Vol.2, they performed “Room for Us All,” a soulful duet that blends Marks and Barcenas voices perfectly. Then, Marks took me on an astral journey with a gospel rendition on CCR’s “Long as I Can See the Light.” The new queen of country gospel is on the road to her coronation. She’s released three albums since 2021 and offered us a taste of her soon-to-be-released song “9-Pound Hammer.” Long may she reign.

Della Mae

The all-female string band played a robust 17-song set that included original standout “Dry Town,” and paid homage to my home city with “Boston Town.” They tossed in the folk standard “16 Tons” and gave a fine rendition of the CSNY folk-rock classic “Ohio.” They played us “My Own Highway,” a yet-to-be-released new song. This in-demand band is off to Rotterdam to headline their bluegrass festival. 

Dan Tyminski

What can I say about the festival’s main headliner Dan Tyminski? He has more Grammys on his mantle than I have t-shirts in my drawer. A bluegrass legend and member of Alison Krauss and Union Station, Tyminski may be familiar to non-bluegrass enthusiasts with his work in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou where he lent his singing voice to George Clooney. Clooney lip-synced Tyminski’s vocals on The Soggy Mountain Boys song “I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow.”

Tweeners

Several between acts–tweeners stood out for me. Local favorite Talia Keys, offered us a sneak peek of an album of reworked classics she’s planning to release. She added her spin to Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, “I Put a Spell On You” and funkified Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams.”

Columbia Jones had the unfortunate time slot following Danielle Ponder’s magic. He’s a talented artist who played five solid songs. I particularly liked “Tourist Town,” a clever tune about Moab that doubles as a metaphor for relationships and abandonment issues.

Utah trio Lucky Find was a lucky find, indeed. Their short tweener set embodied an Eilen Jewell vibe and I wanted to hear more. I’ve already made plans to see them again at Level Crossing on July 9th.

Notables

I discovered a couple of acts I’d really like to see again. Chatham Rabbits, a North Carolina roots duo (expanding to a trio for this show,) impressed me with their nine-song set of original Appalachian music. 

Kate McLeod and her full-band welcomed Melissa Chilinski of Pompe n’ Honey (they played a fine opening set on Saturday.) Chilinski played banjo and provided backup vocals on the bluesy “I Believe I’ll Go Back Home” and “Jubilee.”

National Park Radio is an Arkansas-based husband and wife duo who reminds me of an Ozark Mountain version of the Avett Brothers. They created a big sound (for a duo) and I’d love to hear them again in an intimate listening room.

Despite the nightmarish task of finding an alternate location for the festival, OFOAM made a seamless transition. They are a well-oiled machine of an organization that knows how to put on a stellar three-day music festival. The Ogden Music Festival should be on your radar every year. The festival showcases amazing music with a great vibe. 

What: Ogden Music Festival

Where: Fort BDO–600 N Depot Drive, Ogden

When: June 2-4, 2023

More info: www.ofoam.org

See our review of the 2024 Ogden Music Festival.

The Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music (OFOAM) will usher in the summer we’ve been waiting for with its 15th annual Ogden Music Festival on June 2-4, 2023.  Due to flooding at Fort Buenaventura, the organizers quickly scrambled to get a more suitable location for this year’s event. The new location at 600 N Depot Drive – what they are calling “Fort BDO” –offers all the same festival activities including on-site camping.

OFOAM’s signature event starts the season on a high note, whether it’s high-lonesome bluegrass or a hot fiddle lick. Friends and fans of acoustic music will love this year’s lineup of nationally touring acts and local favorites featuring award-winning bluegrass, folk, soul, country, and conjunto tejano artists.

Lineup:

Dan Tyminski Band

Thee Sacred Souls

Danielle Ponder

John Craigie

Della Mae

Miko Marks & The Resurrectors

Los Texmaniacs feat. La Marisoul

Chatham Rabbits

National Park Radio

Kate MacLeod

The West Road

Pompe ‘N’ Honey

Pixie & The Partygrass Boys.

A cadre of artists, called the “tweeners,” will fill in between acts and keep the music flowing. Check out www.ofoam.org for a full list of performers. Spoiler alert: Talia Keys will play a short “tweener” set between John Craigie and Danielle Ponder on Friday.

OFOAM has really outdone itself with this year’s stellar line up of great artists. John Craigie and Miko Marks are my “must see” acts. Craigie just sold out back-to-back nights at The State Room earlier this year and I’m ready for a repeat performance. Cragie is a great folk singer, colorful story-teller, and stand up comic (Think John Prine meets Tommy Smothers). Miko Marks offers an exciting blend of Nashville and Memphis sounds to create dynamic country-soul. The two cities (and genres) may be 200 miles apart, but Marks narrows the gap.

With plenty of melodic flavor for everyone, the OFOAM team built a lineup of Grammy-winning nationally touring acts, up and coming new artists, and local performers. Kudos to them for quickly finding an alternate site when the main venue became unsuitable.

What: Ogden Music Festival

Where: Fort BDO–600 N Depot Drive, Ogden

When: June 2-4, 2023

Tickets and info: www.ofoam.org