Music

Buddy Guy is making his last trip to the Red Butte Garden as part of his Damn Right Farewell tour. Unlike artists who announce farewell tours, but end up on the road again (I’m looking at you, Kiss, and the Who), he’s not kidding. Salt Lake concerts aren’t over yet, so don’t put those low back chairs and picnic coolers away. Monday, September 11, 2023 will be the last chance to see the blues legend in Salt Lake City. 

Guy’s biography reads like the history of the blues. Born to sharecropper parents in rural Louisiana, he grew up in a home without electricity or indoor plumbing. A self-taught guitarist, he abandoned the cotton fields and bought a one-way ticket to Chicago to play an electrified version of the Delta Blues. In 1957, at age 21, he fell under the influence of Chicago blues icon Muddy Waters. He signed a contract with the infamous Chess Records where he worked mainly as a session guitarist backing Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Koko Taylor. 

Chess Records balked at recording Guy as a solo artist because they thought his unique, free-style, string-bending guitar licks were too erratic. In his live performances, he’d creatively pick the guitar with his teeth or play it over his head–two tricks that later influenced Jimi Hendrix. In 1967, Guy released his debut album Left My Blues in San Francisco, his only Chess Records release before moving on to other labels. 

In racially segregated America, the blues received little airplay outside African-American communities. But young British musicians were listening. When artists like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin took mainstream American music by storm, interviewers asked them about their musical influences, they’d name their American blues heroes like Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, or Buddy Guy. Reporters were often befuddled, unfamiliar with those home-grown artists.

By the 1980s, Blues music enjoyed a renaissance. Unfortunately, it once again took British rock legends, like Eric Clapton, to introduce white American audiences to these incredible musicians. In 1991, Guy signed with Silvertone Records and released his mainstream breakthrough album Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues. It was his 7th studio album. The record won a Grammy for best Contemporary Blues Album. He won the award again in 1994 for Feel Like Rain, and 1996 for Slippin’ In. Larger audiences finally began to recognize him as one of the amazing artists who shaped our musical heritage, despite the second-class status they endured under segregation and social conservatism. Guy would take home Nine Grammy Awards including a Lifetime Achievement award. BB King and Eric Clapton inducted Guy into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

The man who grew up with no running water or electricity eventually found his way to The White House where he was honored by President Obama in 2012. The same year he won a Kennedy Center Honors. Guy continues to record and in 2022, at age 86, he released a 16-song album, The Blues Don’t Lie, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album. Guy will stop touring soon, but he will continue to play the blues.

Opening the evening is Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. The Clarksdale, Mississippi child prodigy  got his start in blues at age five after seeing a PBS documentary on Muddy Waters. His father took him to the Delta Blues Museum to learn more. He began music lessons at the museum’s arts and education program and started playing drums at age six, then bass, before settling on the guitar at age 11. Ingram played gigs around his hometown as a 7th grader. He played for First Lady Michelle Obama at age 15 as a member of the Delta Blues Museum band. When his childhood friends teased him about playing blues when they were all listening to hip hop, he told them he played history, the music that birthed their music. He noted, Rap is nothing but the blues’ grandchild.

As Ingram approached adulthood he played blues festivals across the country and shared the stage with idols like Buddy Guy. I first saw him at the Utah Blues Festival in 2018 and marveled at his skills. He released his critically-acclaimed debut album Kingfish in 2019. The record reached #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart and received a Grammy nomination. No Depression magazine said the album was “a stunning debut from a young bluesman with an ancient soul and a large presence in the here and now.” His 2021 follow-up album, 662, won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

To see a blues master, for the final time, and watch him pass the musical torch to a protege is something I can’t miss. I just saw rising blues star Ally Venable at The State Room and she was amazing. She toured with Guy earlier this year and they recorded a duet together on her latest record. Guy is a national treasure and a generous mentor to the next generation of blues artists. I know he will fill his setlist with his original material and songs from those artists that guided him along the way. 

Tickets for this show may still be available.

Who: Buddy Guy w/Christone Kingfish Ingram

What: Damn Right Farewell tour

Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

When: Monday, September 11, 2023

Tickets and info: www.redbuttegarden.org

In the late 1970s, Pat Benatar burned her way through the American rock charts and her fiery embers supplied the kindling for those who followed.  An early pioneer, Benatar proved that female-fronted rock bands could fill stadiums and reach the top of the charts. She then made a seamless transition from the late ‘70s guitar-laden arena rock sound to the made-for-MTV video pop (while still retaining her rockin’ roots). Benatar and her musical partner/husband/guitarist Neil Giraldo brought their Funtastic Tour to The Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre on Monday, August 28, 2023. As advertised, we had a Funtastic time at this sold-out show!

It wasn’t long before the packed Garden crowd was “All Fired Up.” Benatar & Giraldo mixed in chart-toppers (drawing from their 19 top 40 hits) with some deeper cuts from their massive catalog. Giraldo took to the piano while Benatar crooned a soulful “We Belong.” At Age 70, her voice still packed a punch. The band’s sound, with only a guitar, bass, and drums to support Benatar’s beaming vocals, filled the night air. 

After an early warm-up of rockin’ power ballads, Benatar & Giraldo launched a non-stop flurry of hits. We were quickly reminded why Benatar owned the rock and pop music charts for several decades. Her stories, interspersed between songs, was one of my favorite parts of the evening. She remembered that her video “You Better Run” was the second video MTV played when they launched their cable television music channel in August of 1981 (the first was aptly titled “Video Killed The Radio Star” by the Buggles). To translate for the young’uns out there, that’s like the second TikTok to ever go viral. In August of 1981, MTV only aired in New Jersey, but it soon reshaped the music industry and launched all across America. I missed the MTV music craze since I spent much of the ‘80s (and most of the ‘90s) overseas with the military. Nevertheless, thanks to devoted fans who shipped VHS copies to Korea, I observed how music videos influenced popular music in the 1980s. Mostly, I listened to Benatar & Giraldo’s music the old-fashioned way.

Okay, history class is dismissed.  Let’s get back to the show. 

They thrilled us with familiar favorites, including “Invincible,” “Shadows of the Night,” and a haunting version of “Hell is for Children.” They ended with “Love is a Battlefield.” For the encore the crew returned for a pounding rendition of The Beatles “Helter Skelter” (Benatar recorded her version in 1981,) followed by 1993’s “Everybody Lay Down.” For the grand finale they reached back to 1979 for their first hit, “Heartbreaker.” They interpolated the song with Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” They closed the show with Giraldo, who Benatar referred to as Spyder, shredding his guitar, Chris Ralles lighting up his drum kit, and Mick Mahan laying down the bass tracks. 

Don’t let the odometer fool you, Benatar and Giraldo still log plenty of miles performing at sold-out shows in large arenas across the globe. We were quite fortunate to have them play in our intimate garden. Their flame of musical passion still burns. As predicted, they didn’t play their iconic “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” since they decided last year that the gun violence epidemic makes it hard for them to sing those words night after night. They weren’t stingy on their other hits, though, thrilling us with their 15-song set.  

Chris Trapper opened the evening with a six-song set of amusing tunes and self-effacing stories. He started us off with “Into The Bright Lights.” He told us his song “This Time” ended up on the soundtrack for the movie August Rush and earned a Grammy nomination. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, the actor who recorded the single, made it a hit, earning him a gold record. Trapper quipped, his own version was certified Tinfoil. When he played it for us, it still shined. 

Trapper ended his set with The Push Stars “Keg On My Coffin,” a catchy, albeit dark diddy by the alt-pop band that Trapper formed in Boston. The Push Stars enjoyed a modicum of commercial success in the ‘90s before going on hiatus while Trapper hit the road as a soloist. I’d like to catch him again in a small, intimate, listening room. His extensive catalog of alt-folk songs mixed with his wry sense of humor would make for an entertaining evening.

Listening to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Benatar & Giraldo under cloudless skies made for a glorious evening. As always, the Amphitheatre sound was perfect!

Who: Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo w/ Chris Trapper

What: Funtastic Tour

Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

When: Monday, August 28, 2023

Info: www.redbutegarden.org

Summer’s almost over, but that doesn’t mean Salt Lake concerts are gone. The Commonwealth Room is hosting a dance party with Los Amigos Invisibles on Thursday, September 7, 2023. The venue’s disco ball won’t be the only thing spinning, so slip into those dancing shoes and club duds and get ready to shake it.

Formed in Venezuela’s underground music scene during the 1990s, Los Amigos Invisible gained a following in the Caracas club scene. They sent a few of their CDs to a record store in New York City only to be discovered by Talking Heads frontman David Byrne who loved their eclectic concoction of Latin beats mixed with 1970s American disco and ‘80s British acid jazz, not to mention a little Afro-funk. That blend created a unique dance sound that gets everyone up and moving. 

Byrne signed the band to his record label, Luaka Bop, and the group moved to Brooklyn where they recorded and released their American debut album The New Sound of the Venezuelan Gozadera. They followed that record with their Grammy-nominated Arepa 3000: A Venezuelan Journey into Space. The band has recorded a dozen albums, received five Grammy nominations, and won two Latin Grammy Awards. Their latest release Cool Love, a three-year labor of love in the making, offers us a full load of fresh Latin-funk dance rhythms. 

You don’t have to speak Spanish to enjoy this dance band. The music will do all the talking. 

Fun fact: The band got its name from the long-running Venezuelan TV show Human Values where the host referred to his viewing audience as his invisible friends–los amigos invisibles.

Opening the evening’s dance vibes is Senxao, Utah’s best Latin band. The Salt Lake City crew appeals to diverse audiences including the Latin music scene and the multilingual party scene. Nayi Escalona, a talented singer/songwriter from Venezuela, leads the band as it transcends genre and moves effortlessly between Puerto Rican, Cuban, Venezuelan, Mexican and Afro-Caribbean and American-pop rhythms. Their repertoire spans from the lively beats of Cumbia and Reggaeton to the fiery rhythms of Salsa and Merengue.

I’m looking forward to expanding my Americana repertoire.  

Who: Los Amigos Invisibles w/ Senxao

What: Cool Love Tour

Where: The Commonwealth Room

When: Thursday, September 7, 2023

Tickets and info: www.thestateroompresents.com

You may not know Caitlyn Smith (yet), but you certainly know her work. Smith co-wrote Meghan Trainor’s Billboard #1 hit “Like I’m Gonna Lose You.” Her songs have also been recorded by country music royalty like Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, and Garth Brooks, to name a few. Her songwriting skills are well established in Nashville, but now her powerhouse voice is getting the attention it deserves. The Academy of Country Music (ACM) recently nominated her for New Female Artist of the Year.  

Smith is touring in support of her recently released record High & Low, which includes a stop at  The State Room on September 9, 2023. Salt Lake audiences get a rare opportunity to see this rising star in an intimate listening room before she pops for Jumbotron arenas.

Her latest 14-song country-informed adult pop album offers us a meditation through darkness and light. The first half, High, is an eight-song teaser released last year and features the title track she wrote with Miley Cyrus who recorded it as a single in 2020. Smith’s soaring vocals take the 2022 version to new heights. In 2023, she added six more songs, with a dash of melancholy to complete the album, High & Low. The end result is a solid record from start to finish. She takes us on an emotional journey with “Alaska” where the fires of passion run cold,  “Cause baby, your heart’s in another place.” In “Mississippi,” returning home, when she crosses the river to Minnesota, she feels a forlorn anticipation like seeing a lost lover. She asks “Mississippi, do you ever miss me? It’s been a while, but you’re always on my mind. Sometimes it hits me like a burning whiskey.” 

Even though the ACM recognized her as a “new” artist, Smith has been writing songs and recording albums in Nashville for a decade.  She has three full-length albums to her credit and she’s written a string of hits for other artists (both country and pop). Categorically, she fits loosely in the “country” box, but she can also sing like a contemporary torch singer with songs like “Cheap Date” or “Lately.” 

Smith has earned her stripes by writing for and touring with country music legends. She’s spent the last few years opening for George Strait and Reba McEntire and playing big arenas and festivals with Strait, Dierks Bentley, and Little Big Town between dates on her solo tour. 

Smith’s in the midst of her breakout moment and blazing her own trail. Her songcraft and powerful voice transcends any genre-restrictive label. I can’t wait to see her headline a stripped-down acoustic show during The Great Pretender Tour at The State Room on Sept. 9. 

Opening is Brandon Ratcliff. Born into the American roots music tradition, his mother, aunt, uncle and grandfather were members of the Grammy winning bluegrass band The Cox Family.  Raised in Cotton Valley, Louisiana, Radcliff made his way to Nashville to make his own mark on Music Row. Signed by Monument Records, Ratcliff debuted in 2019 with his single “Rules of Breaking Up.” He chronicles his move from small town Louisiana to the country music metropolis of Nashville in his 2023 full-length coming-of-age album Tale of Two Towns. 

It’s our chance to see the stars of tomorrow, today.

Who: Caitlyn Smith w/ Brandon Ratcliff

What: The Great Pretender Tour

Where: The State Room

When: Saturday, September 9, 2023

Tickets and info: thestateroompresents.com

The evening started like a scene from the Irish independent film Once, as me and my companion sat under gray skies and drizzling rain.  But we weren’t on a Dublin street corner; we were in line at the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre waiting for the gates to open and the mad dash for prime real estate to commence. Glen Hansard, former frontman of the Irish rock band The Frames, and Czech pianist Marketa Irglova were in the garden on Monday, August 21, 2023 for a belated 15th anniversary celebration of the film Once and its award-winning soundtrack. They also starred in the film and earned an Oscar for Best Song with “Falling Slowly” in 2008. The film and its score were adapted for the stage and became a multi-Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. 

Hansard and Irglova formed the indie-folk duo Swell Season after the launch of the film and charmed audiences on the road with their award-winning formula of heartfelt songs of struggle, love, and loss. Reunited, with a full band, they offered us a sampling of their musical chemistry.

The early drizzle ended before St. Louis singer-songwriter Lizzie Weber opened the show at the piano with “Falling Like Fools,” a thematically appropriate and impassioned song about two people falling in love and harboring uncertainty about the union. She grabbed her acoustic guitar for “The Big One,” an idiomatic tune about the fear of the unknown. She concluded her six-song set with “Space,” a song about missing her husband who deployed with the Navy.

Swell Season began their incredible 18-song set with “Lies” from the Once soundtrack and followed with a wonderful version of their new single “The Answer is Yes,” a song about their decision to reunite as a duo. They tackled “When Your Mind’s Made Up” with the same energetic passion depicted in the film. Irglova played a new song, “Everything I Leave to You,” and a dead silence fell upon the garden. No picnic chatter, just rapt attention as Irglova delivered a beautifully sculpted song.  

A stellar band, which included a cello, bass, violin, and drum, brought the indie-folk songs to life. They did a majestic version of “The Moon,” an electric folk-rock Irish ballad from their 2006 self-titled debut album. Hansard and Irglova’s voices seem to meld in sync with the violin and cello. Also from The Swell Season album they did “Leave,” but this version included an interpolation with the Who’s “Love, Reign o’er Me.” They also surprised us with a spirited rendition of Van Morrison’s  “Into The Mystic.” What a bonus! 

As we rolled into the homestretch the duo played a few new songs. They told the audience they’ve recently spent time together in Irglova’s Iceland home/studio where they wrote a significant amount of new material. They played “Factory Street Bells” and two others. I’m eagerly awaiting a new album. They invited Lizzie Weber back to the stage to play “River,” a pre-pandemic song she recorded with Irglova. The two voices harmonized beautifully. Irglova thrilled the crowd with “If You Want Me” from the soundtrack and Hansard sang “Fitzcarraldo,” a Frames song.

The night had a nice mix of Swell Season songs (new and old) and lovely solo project numbers, but for this anniversary celebration we wanted more from Once, and they delivered by ending the set with “Falling Slowly.” Instead of exiting the stage before the encore, Hansard made an impromptu leap off stage and into the garden inviting Irglova to join him for an un-mic’d “Say It To Me Now” singalong with the crowd. The band returned to the stage and ended the show with “Gold.”

The songs from the soundtrack, Once, portray the emotions of “Falling Slowly” in love. The post-soundtrack music of Swell Season represents the struggles of a relationship in crisis. If their new single, “The Answer is Yes,” is any indicator of what’s to come for this magnetic duo, I imagine that their next album will reflect their undeniable, creative chemistry.

What an amazing evening, probably my favorite Red Butte Garden night of the summer. The crowd came to listen and the gray skies helped transport us to Ireland. I even paired the evening’s performance with a trusty stout. Thankfully, the early drizzle (merely a prop) left as quickly as it came and we enjoyed a warm, dry night of stunning music in the garden. 

Who: Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova of Swell Season w/ Lizzie Weber

What: 15th Anniversary Tour of the Once Soundtrack

Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

When: Monday, August 21, 2023

Info: www.redbuttegarden.org

I’m ready to squeeze the most out of the dog days of summer. So, I’m planning to party in the garden with rock legend Pat Benatar and her musical partner/husband/guitarist Neil Giraldo.  They will be bringing their Funtastic Tour to The Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre on Monday, August 28, 2023. 

Benatar has amassed multiple Grammy Awards and 19 top 40 hits over a career that began in 1979 with her chart topping debut album In the Heat of the Night. Benatar ruled commercial radio and MTV in the ‘80s and ‘90s and proved female rock stars could compete in the male-dominated world of hard-driving rock ‘n’ roll. At age 70, Benatar still plays sold-out shows in large venues across the globe and her music still resonates with fans of all ages. 

I hate to be a “Heartbreaker,” but Benatar & Giraldo stopped playing “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” in concert due to the growing gun violence in our society. Benatar said she couldn’t smile and sing those words on stage in light of all the school and mass shootings. Of course that doesn’t mean they won’t “Treat Me Right” and fill their setlist with a good selection of their 18 other hit songs like “Shadows of the Night,” “We Belong,” “Hell is For Children,” or “Love is a Battlefield.” Benatar & Giraldo draw from a comprehensive catalog of great music and I’m certain they’ll get the crowd on their feet from the very first notes of whatever they play.

Last year Benatar & Giraldo were both inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On Monday, August 28, 2023 we get the rare opportunity to rock out with these two musical icons in an intimate garden setting–with no need for a jumbotron. What a great late summer treat!

Opening the evening is Chris Trapper, a soulful tenor and storyteller. Once the frontman for the early aughts Boston pop band the Push Stars, Trapper has since released nine full-length solo records and tours the country as an acoustic troubadour. Several of his songs have appeared in movie and TV soundtracks.  His song “This Time” appeared on the Grammy nominated soundtrack for August Rush and “Everything Shines” appears on There’s Something About Mary. 

Who: Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo w/ Chris Trapper

What: Funtastic Tour

Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

When: Monday, August 28, 2023

Tickets and info: www.redbutegarden.org

Ally Venable made her Salt Lake City debut by rockin’ the blues for an enthusiastic crowd at The State Room on Friday, August 18, 2023. With no visible setlist, she seamlessly launched a dozen piercing blues numbers. Veneble’s superior guitar skills and powerful blues vocals rolled our socks down.

The 24 year-old East Texas guitar slinger, accompanied by her band bassist EJ Bedford and drummer Isaac Pulido opened with “Real Gone,” the title track from her latest album. The hard-driving rock number set the pace for the evening. Early in her set she reworked the classic Bill Withers song “Use Me.” She kept the ‘72 funky soul beat, but took the song on a fresh, new rockin’ blues journey. 

She kicked our ass with her high-octane song, appropriately titled, “Kick Your Ass,” before melting our hearts with “Comfort in My Sorrow,” a slow-blues number she wrote at age 15. The song lyrically blended her teen angst with an old-soul blues melody. That performance was definitely a highlight of the night.  What an impressive achievement!  I mean, when I was 15-years old, I was still learning how to roll a joint or build a bird feeder in woodshop; nevermind writing a masterfully constructed blues song.

She then hit us with “Broken and Blue” and “Texas Louisiana,” two standout songs from her new record. She ended her set with a chillingly beautiful instrumental number titled “Tribute to SRV,” her homage to Stevie Ray Vaughn, whose music influenced her decision to play the blues. For her encore she continued her salute to Texas blues masters with her ripping version of Freddie King’s 1971 “Going Down.” Venable and her band owned the room all night with their well-orchestrated and finely executed show.

Salt Lake City bluesman Eric Heideman opened the evening with a solo performance. He started us off with “Slow Water,” an original, yet old-school styled slide guitar blues number he played on a sweet Gretsch Honey Dipper metal resonator that delivered a big sound. He also played “Howlin’ Wind” from his new album Third Degree Gravity. He grabbed his locally made guitar (from Mid-Valley Guitar Gallery) and rocked out “I Didn’t Do it,” a great new song he recorded with Grammy-nominated blues pianist Victor Wainwright. In all, Heideman launched half-a-dozen original compositions to whet our appetite. With three full-length albums to his credit he is developing a growing catalog of great modern blues songs. Don’t miss a chance to catch him when he plays around town. His next performance is at Haglund Ranch, a hidden gem out in Murray, on Saturday, August 26, 2023. 

Venable is one of a growing number of amazing women who are taking blues music to new heights in the 21st century. Many thanks to Utah Blues Society for helping to bring these wonderful players to Salt Lake City.  

Seeing such amazing talent up close in an intimate space is something to cherish. I often feel so privileged when I leave The State Room. I can’t wait to see Danielle Nicole, a multi-award winning bassist and blues singer, who will grace The State Room stage with her band on Wednesday, September 6, 2023. Here’s a little teaser video of Nicole and Venable on stage together In Kansas City playing “Going Down.” Life Elevated!

Who: Ally Venable Band w/ Eric Heideman

Where: The State Room

When: Friday, August 18, 2023

Info: www.thestateroompresents.com

Ally Venable is one of the many women rockin’ the blues, see who else The State Room is bringing to Salt Lake here!

In 2006, Glen Hansard, frontman of the Irish rock band The Frames, and Czech pianist Marketa Irglova agreed to record music for an independent Irish film. In addition to writing and recording the soundtrack, they also ended up playing the leading roles. Once, filmed in Dublin over 17 days with a budget of $150,000, premiered at Sundance in 2007 and won the World Cinema Audience Award before going on to win an Oscar for Best Original Song with “Falling Slowly.” Now we have a chance to welcome in the Oscar and eight-time Tony Award-winning duo Swell Season on Monday, August 21, 2023

Hansard and Irglova formed the indie-folk duo Swell Season after the launch of the film and charmed audiences on the road with their award-winning formula of heartfelt songs of struggle, love, and loss. In 2009, they released their second full-length album Strict Joy which reached #15 on the Billboard Top 200 charts. The following year the duo went on an extended hiatus to work on separate solo projects. But Once, the little independent Irish film that could, kept building momentum. In 2012, it was adapted into a Broadway musical that won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical.

Hansard and Irglova have reunited for a limited tour (a belated 15th Anniversary celebration of the success of Once) which includes a stop at the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre. They’ve also released the deeply personal duet “The Answer Is Yes,” their first song together in more than a decade. The song tells the story of their strong bond, despite their past struggles as a duo. We have a rare opportunity to see Swell Season perform favorites from the Once soundtrack, Swell Season hits, and maybe even a few songs from their solo catalogs. Before you go, rewatch the film. It’s definitely worth seeing again. The soundtrack is timeless.

Opening is singer-songwriter Lizzy Weber. The St. Louis native will reconnect with Irglova with whom she recorded two songs in 2018. Weber is touring in support of her recently released album Fidalgo. Inspired by the Cormac McCarthy novel, Blood Meridian, Weber penned a song by the same name that captures the novel’s eerie gloom. Though the record isn’t limited to dark literary themes, “Be Your Love” and “Yours and Mine” evoke a Mazzy Star-styled dream-pop sensuality. She’ll be a great pairing with Swell Season. Indeed, this season at the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre has certainly been swell.

Who: Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

What: Swell Season

Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

When: Monday, August 21, 2023

Tickets and info: www.redbuttegarden.org

The State Room Presents hit the trifecta when they booked three amazing women who rock the blues. Over the next few weeks we’ll have a chance to see some of the best the genre has to offer in intimate settings.  

When we hear the term “blues” we often think about the men who pioneered the genre–be it Robert Johnson, Son House, Howlin’ Wolf or Muddy Waters. Women, however, have been singing the blues since the emergence of the musical style. Ma Rainey, the Mother of The Blues and Bessie Smith, the Empress of The Blues, were the first superstar blues musicians in the 1920s. In the 1930s, Sister Rosetta Tharpe electrified gospel and blues. Two decades later, artists like Elvis Presely and Chuck Berry copied Tharpe’s influential style and turned it into rock‘n’roll. Women pioneered the blues, often without the acknowledgment they deserve. They are still carrying the torch.

Ally Venable

Twenty-four year-old, East Texas guitar slinger, Ally Venable, just released her 5th full-length studio album Real Gone (yes, 5th album–she started recording as a teenage prodigy). Blues legends are lining up to play with this rising star. On “Texas Louisiana” Venable teams up with Buddy Guy for a fresh, new duet that feels like an old classic. On “Broken and Blue,” a great slow-burning blues number, she trades guitar licks with Joe Bonamassa. Real Gone charts Venable’s progression as a songwriter (her guitar chops are already well-established) and builds off her excellent 2021 release Heart of Fire. Venable is a legitimate tour-de-force in modern blues and to see her in the intimate confines of The State Room on Friday, August 18, 2023 is a “don’t miss” opportunity for me. I might not get another chance to see her in a small listening room before she launches to larger venues.

Danielle Nicole

Danielle Nicole (born Danielle Nicole Schnebelen) emerged from the Kansas City blues music scene as lead vocalist and bassist in her family band, Trampled Under Foot. In 2014, the band’s album Badlands won the Blues Music Awards Contemporary Blues Album of the Year.  She also became the first woman to win the Blues Music Award in the category of Instrumentalist–Bass. Since, she’s won the award three more times. The following year Nicole released her debut solo album Wolf Den which reached #2 in the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart. The singles “Take It All” and “You Only Need Me When You’re Down” exemplify the soulful nature of Nicole’s powerhouse voice. Her bass-line tracks put the rhythm in her blues. 

Her critically-acclaimed 2018 release Cry No More hit #1 on Billboard’s Top Blues Album chart and earned her a Grammy nomination. The album highlights Nicole’s commanding blues, rock and soul vocals paralleling artists like Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt and Susan Tedeschi. Her single “Save Me” featured Kenny Wayne Shepherd on guitar. 

To hear Danielle Nicole and her band on Wednesday, September 6, 2023 in a space with the sound quality of The State Room is too good to pass up. 

Samantha Fish

With the style of Marilyn Monroe and the guitar prowess of Stevie Ray Vaughan comes Samantha Fish, the Kansas City guitar shredder who now calls New Orleans home. Fish is a mesmerizing presence on stage and a powerful force in blues music today. With a string of albums hitting #1 on the Billboard Blues charts, Fish has built an impressive catalog of great rockin’ blues numbers like “Faster” and “Kill or Be Kind.” Nobody can draw you in quite like Fish, especially when she tackles the blues classics like “I Put A Spell On You.” When she pulls out her cigar box guitar things really start smoking. Check out this video of “Bulletproof.”

Her latest album Death Wish Blues, recorded with Austin-based country rocker Jesse Dayton, pushes the limits of blues music. She lures you in with inflections of funk, punk, rockabilly, and country, before driving the blues dagger into your soul with songs like “Death Wish” and “Rippin’ and Runnin’.”

Fish is best experienced live. You won’t be able to look away even as her explosive guitar riffs melt your face. Her upcoming show at The Commonwealth Room on Thursday, September 28, 2023 is sure to sell out. Don’t wait too long to buy tickets. 

Who: Ally Venable, Danielle Nicole, Samantha Fish

What: Women Who Rock The Blues

Where: The State Room (Venable, Nicole), The Commonwealth Roon (Fish)

When: August 18, 2023 (Venable), September 6, 2023 (Nicole), September 28, 2023 (Fish)

Tickets and info: https://thestateroompresents.com

On August 4th, The Medicine Company hosted a record release party to celebrate Risk It For The Biscuit, their second full-length album. Cherry Thomas, Triggers and Slips, and a few surprise guests joined them onstage in a musical tribute.

Thomas opened the festivities with a solo set. Armed with only her electric guitar and soulful voice, she delivered half-a-dozen original R&B songs including “Blue Hour,” “Barbed Wire,” and “Black Panther,” all previously recorded and available to stream. I enjoyed hearing her in a listening room instead of an outdoor festival or crowded eatery where you can’t really groove on the depth of her voice or the heartfelt lyrics in her songs.

Triggers and Slips opened their nine-song set with “Family vs. Business,” a new song off their latest release What Do You Feed Your Darkness? Fans, especially those partial to country music, should know this under-the-radar record. Had it been produced by a major Nashville record label it would be on the charts. It’s that good. They performed “It Won’t Hurt” from the record, a Dwight Yoakam cover that rivals the original. 

From the band’s 2019 release The Stranger, they played the title track before welcoming local artist J-Rad Cooley to the stage to play harmonica on “Old Friends.” Soulful rocker Sarah DeGraw joined the band for the duet “You Did It To Me Again,” a fabulous new tune that features Lilly Winwood (daughter of Steve Winwood) on the record. DeGraw lent her wonderful vocals for Friday night’s version. The band ended a fabulous set with “Sideways.”

The party’s hosts,The Medicine Company, opened with “Biscuit,” a two-minute musical interlude that served as the perfect intro to hear Risk It for the Biscuit in its entirety. Most of us at the show hadn’t had a chance to fully digest the new material since it dropped for the world to hear earlier that day. The recorded version of the 10-songs plays with indica-like quality–trippy, cerebral, and mellow. The band’s live performance of the material however, took us on a more sativa-like energized journey. “Feed Yourself Lies” brought me back to 1972 with its Stones-like guitar riff and Lou Reed-styled psychedelic-poet lyricism. Lead singer Bryant Adair’s vocals remind me of Reed and Frank Zappa. Of course, the song probably took other listeners in an entirely different direction. Good songs take you wherever you want to go (or take you somewhere you’ve never been).  

The first single to drop (a few days ahead of the album’s full release) is “Mr. Chuckles.” Guitarist Chandler Seipert, lead vocals on this track, conjures up something out of the Minneapolis music scene in the mid-1980s. Of course, it’s an original piece of music by 21st century artists. When passing through my musical filter it feels fresh, but relatable. A live version of “Mojo” has been floating around the interweb for a little while now as a YouTube video. It finally found a permanent home on the new album. 

On fire all night, the band brought the songs to life in a fun and energetic way. You could see the joy on their faces as they performed the music they created. When you listen to a new record, some songs stick right away while others take a few passes to resonate. For me, “Casino,”with its hypnotic Link Wray-Rumble guitar strumming and slow-rising tempo, stayed with me. Their live performance really made the song pop. They ended the homage to the new record with the final track “Just Fine.” We certainly were feeling just that. 

Photography by Lily Rutherford; Colleen O’Neill

The band tackled a few of their older songs before gathering the whole ensemble on stage, including featured performers and guest artists, for a collective version of their tailor made show closer “Rusted in Misfortune.” What a fabulous night of music by a talented cadre of local artists. Fully energized from delivering a masterful performance of their labor of love, the band came back out for a couple of bonus numbers with “She Wore Blue” and Cannon’s Jug Stompers 1928 “Big Railroad Blues” (most know the Grateful Dead’s 1971 version.)

An album release offers a moment to reflect on the cumulative effort that artists put into their work. Consider the time it takes to learn a musical instrument and the thousands of hours of practice to master it. Even then it’s not a simple leap from player to composer. To construct original music and put lyrics to the notes takes a rare skill set. Once a song’s foundation is built, a community of musicians gather to further shape and mold it both on stage and in the studio. The finished product needs to captivate listeners and elicit a visceral response if you hope for any success. Packaging a collection of individual songs into an album’s worth of material is a remarkable achievement and worthy of great celebration.

The Medicine Company has a bright future and we’ll have ample opportunity to see them again. In fact, they’ll be playing Day Two of the 3-Day Psych Lake City music festival at The Urban Lounge on Friday, August 11th. They’ll be undergoing some personnel changes on bass and drums, but they’ve already created more material for another new record. Keep an eye out for this talented crew of psychedelic alt-rockers as they continue to create new music and perform at some of our favorite local music venues.

Who: The Medicine Company w/ Co-Headliners Triggers and Slips and Cherry Thomas opening

What: The Medicine Company’s Risk It For The Biscuit album release party

Where: The State Room

When: Friday, August 4, 2023

Info: https://thestateroompresents.com