Kilkenny Roots Festival

Seventh Heaven @ Kilkenny Roots Festival 2023

Celebrating its 25th Anniversary, The Kilkenny Roots Festival once more lived up to its standing as the premier roots festival in Ireland. With a hybrid-genre line up that catered for all tastes, it was little surprise that the venues were teeming at the majority of both the ticketed acts and the free trail. It wasn’t possible for Lonesome Highway to get around The Marble City to see all the artists but here are seven that particularly hit our sweet spot.

1. Freeman’s Country Carvery @ Cleere’s

The Honky Tonkers from The Rebel County transformed the backroom at Cleere’s into a Robert’s Western World Nashville experience, with over two hours of classic country music. Joined by the sweet-voiced Anna Mitchell for a number of songs, the six-piece band is on a noble journey to keep real country music alive and kicking in Ireland.

2. Florence Dore @ Billy Byrne’s

Classy, sassy, and full-on, Florence Dore and her razor-sharp band of Mark Spencer on guitar, Jeff Rigby on drums and Bonnie Whitmore on bass, lived up to all expectations with a set that overflowed with positive energy and was laced with catchy hooks.

3. Kassi Valazza @ Kyteler’s

A laid-back set of cosmic Americana from Californian Kassi Valazza mainly featured material from her upcoming album KASSI VALAZZA KNOWS NOTHING. Her crystal-clear vocals and deft playing from her two-piece band were enthralling, rich and hypnotic.

4. Carson McHone @ Cleere’s

Playing to a pin-drop silent room, Austin’s Carson McHone accompanied by Shannon McGrath, performed material from her most recent album, STILL LIFE.  Carson’s crystalline vocals and slick guitar work presented the songs in a stripped- back and impassioned format, emphasising her elegant lyrical style.

5. Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection @ Ryan’s

The London-born and Nashville-based pedal steel supremo’s mesmerising set genre hopped between prog, folk and freeform instrumentals. Aided by guitarist Sean Thompson and ambient spiritual jazz player Rich Ruth, they cast their musical spell far and wide.

6. Chuck Prophet @ Kyteler’s

A much-loved and charismatic guitar slinger, Chuck Prophet and The Mission Express’ much-anticipated return to Kilkenny brought the Festival’s curtain down in fine style. Pumped up and enjoying every moment as much as the packed house, Chuck and his band sent us home sweating, with ringing ears, and grinning broadly.

7.     Fantastic Cat @ The Set

On their first visit to Ireland, Fantastic Cat wowed the late-night Set Theatre audience on Saturday night with their blend of high energy pop/rock/folk songs, performed with verve. Their individual songwriting talents merged superbly, along with their harmonies and truly staggering instrument swopping.

Photography and review by Declan Culliton and Eilís Boland

Blue Fish Diamond @ The Workman’s Cellar - 10th February 2023

It’s always of interest when a local band play in Dublin city and tonight the healthy crowd is a sure sign of the increasing popularity that Blue Fish Diamond is achieving. It’s always been a great city for ‘word-of-mouth,’ and the reaction from the room tonight was one of unreserved enthusiasm for the music.

Jim Murphy formed Blue Fish Diamond and their 2018 debut, FROM DARK TO LIGHT, launched them on the local scene as a band with plenty of musical talent and a shared vision in making a statement. The current six-piece includes Jim Murphy (acoustic/electric guitar/vocals), Axel McDonald (electric guitar), Laura Ryder (keyboards/piano), Shay Sweeney (drums/percussion), Ronan Quinn (bass) and Matilda O'Mahony (vocals).

Their sound is Inde-Folk with plenty of subtle interplay and sweet melody laced through the song arrangements. Jim Murphy takes on the lead vocal duties and his tone is clear and impressive. He reminds me at times of the superb Dave Cousins who fronted the Folk Rock band, The Strawbs, back in days of yore. Laura Ryder is a very gifted keyboard player and in addition to her fine display tonight, she also played as the support act, with her band called Laura Ryder Ampersand. They played as a four-piece with drums, bass and cello supporting the somewhat idiosyncratic songs and interesting lyrics of Laura.

The rhythm section is very strong and provides the basis for the other band members to play around the groove and tempo. Axel McDonald is a very talented lead guitarist with a lyrical playing style and a fine tone.

There are a number of new songs included in the set tonight and they will no doubt form part of the new album that is due to be recorded later this year. Highlighted are songs titled, Tonight, The 1980s, Universe, Radio Silence and Gracepark.  Other songs that featured were Stranger Things Have Happened, Servants To A Hand and Pretty Country Boy.

The band released a second album in 2021 called FROZEN STARS ON THE NIGHT and they feature a few of the songs in Sunshine In My Brain, and Morning Star. The debut album is also visited and Hey, Hey is a firm favourite along with the show opener Salvation Call and the encore of Time To Go which contains the immortal lines ‘ Everybody knows when it’s time to go, But we all want one for the road.’ Well, tonight we joined in the collective celebration of live music played with both energy and style.

Review and photograph by Paul McGee

Emily Scott Robinson / Violet Bell / Alisa Amador @ The Grand Social - 29th January 2023

Perhaps a Sunday night at the end of January is not the most sought after date in the calendar of live music events. However, if you were one of the lucky ones to have ventured out on this cold night, you certainly found a rewarding cure for those January blues.

Dublin provided the finishing post for a European tour that included dates at both the AmericanaFest UK in London, and an appearance at the legendary Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow. Touring with Emily Scott Robinson were the multi-talented Violet Bell, a duo based in North Carolina, and Alisa Amador a Boston artist who sang in both English and Spanish.

The concert was split into two separate halves, with both Violet Bell and Alisa Amador performing separate sets before an interval break, followed by Emily Scott Robinson who captivated the room with her considerable talent. Throughout the concert the performers called upon each other, in different combinations, to join in the performance of certain songs. This made for a very fluid and engaging dynamic as the pairings brought rich layers and subtle colour to the superb songs and their performance.

Alisa Amador took the first set and her easy stage presence had the audience on her side immediately. She has a winning personality and a natural charm. Her opening song, a cover version of the 1934 classic, PS I Love You (Jenkins/Mercer), highlighted a sweet jazz influence in the delivery. She also played a superbly seductive Bossa Nova song titled Slow Down, and sang in beautiful Spanish on other songs, Nada que ver, Milonga Accidental and Extrano – all highlighting her lovely pure vocal and deep connection with the music. Another song, Timing was played to great reaction and this is included on her 2021 EP, Narratives.

Violet Bell are from Chapel Hill in North Carolina and they are Lizzy Ross (vocals, guitar, banjo) and Omar Ruiz-Lopez (violin, guitar, banjo, mandolin). They first played together in 2016 on a live recording and subsequently released a number of excellent albums as well as becoming husband and wife. Their performance is beautifully timeless as they dovetail around the sweet song melodies and harmony vocals. The songs are focus on their latest release, Shapeshifter and include Meet Me In the Garden,  All the Stars, Fisherman’s Daughter and Junkie.  The album is based around the tale of the Selkie, mythological beings capable of changing from seal to human form by shedding their skin. It is bound up in Celtic folklore and forms the basis for many old tales from the sea.  

Another song, I Can’t Say Nothing is powerfully affecting; a protest against the racial inequality that is all too prevalent in society. Their set is concluded by a rousing performance of House, a song that captures their spontaneous Folk Roots vibe to perfection. Lizzy has a very impressive vocal range with a lovely tone in her delivery. Omar is richly talented and comfortable on a range of instruments and sings so subtly in support of Lizzy throughout. A very impressive performance and one that was warmly received.

Emily Scott Robinson finds herself at a point in her career when her hard years of selfless touring are beginning to return a deserved dividend. A recording contract with Oh Boy Records was a big stepping stone and her wonderful song-writing gifts and keenly observational lyrical style has placed her in a position of deep respect among her peers. Her vocal tone is quite beautiful with a clear soprano voice that can send shivers down the spine at key moments in her delivery. Her set includes some of her fan favourites in Westward Bound, Things You Learn the Hard Way, Cheap Seats and the song that brought her to the attention of the Prine family and Oh Boy Records, The Time For Flowers. Emily’s latest project is a six-song EP titled Built On Bones. It is a modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and it focuses on the magic and power of women in the guise of the three witches. The cycle of life, death and rebirth is visited and the witches are central in their roles as healers, seers and earth mothers. Tonight the four songs performed are Old Gods, Double Double, Sleep No More and the haunting Men and Moons. The harmony vocals of Emily, Alisa and Lizzy (as the witches), are completely captivating and complimented by the eloquent violin melodies of Omar.

Emily finishes her set with the superb Lost Woman’s Prayer, a celebration to the enduring power of female friendship and kindred spirit. The finale sees Emily joined by Omar on violin to perform Hymn For the Unholy a new song that is both moving and poignant. Another classic from the blossoming talent that continues to engage and inspire all who come together in admiration of her creative muse.

Tonight was all about community and the extended musical family. Even if the musicians have been surviving on a diet of “pure love, excitement and caffeine” while on tour, it proves to be a recipe that can be repeated the next time we are graced by such wonderful, uplifting evenings.

Review and photograph by Paul McGee

Lisa O'Neill @ NCH, Dublin - 26th November 2022.

The NCH has been a friend to Lisa over the years and she is fulsome in her praise of the venue and the support it provides for Irish artists. Tonight sees a performance that has Lisa inviting eight musicians to join her, in various combinations, over the course of two different sets. She starts off with her tribute to dockland workers, Rock the Machine, a song that is much loved by her fans and greeted with great enthusiasm as it sets the tone for the evening.

The stage area is decked with no less than nineteen separate lights, six of which are lit in old-school lampshades and the balance, a mix of LED bulbs. There are also a few chairs and a couch strategically placed to give the stage that feeling of being at home in your living room. It certainly adds real atmosphere to the homely feel and warmth of proceedings.

Lisa introduces performing artist  Kú (Kilian), at this early juncture and he performs a few songs on acoustic guitar, accompanied by Adam Holohan of Ispíni na hEireann, on banjo. Kú has a very traditional vocal style and delivers strong renditions of both Finnegan’s Wake and Murphy Can Never Go Home, in his set. He also plays a Christmas single that has just been released, titled Kú’s Khristmas and his set is very well received.

Next up to the microphone is the excellent Seamus Fogarty, home from his London base to lend his talents to the evening. He sings and plays with an easy confidence and includes well known favourites Carlow Town and Ghosts from his repertoire. A new song, Never Stopped Loving You (?), is also delivered before the audience is invited to break for an interval, have a drink and a visit to the merchandise stand in the foyer.

The second half of the show continues with Lisa introducing the superb Colm Mac Con Iomaire and he gives a virtuoso display of violin dynamics across a few tunes. Colm introduces his foot pedals and loops as ‘The Recession Quartet’ and they certainly serve him well in creating an impressive sound from which he can create additional melody and harmony parts on his violin. One musical piece is dedicated to the topic of the Israel/Palestinian crisis and the story of two fathers from opposite sides of the conflict who each lost a child to suicide bombers. Their joint efforts to broker peace from the tragic losses has also been the subject of a recent book written by Colum McCann, called Apeirogon. 

Lisa finally takes her place front and centre as the concert enters the final part of the evening. She highlights the new album that is due to be released early next year, All Of This Is Chance, and she previews a number of songs from the recording with Old Note, Birdie From Another Realm, Goodnight World and Silver Seed. Her banjo and guitar accompany her unique vocal style, and whether one finds her phrasing and delivery either full of authenticity or simply too earthy, there can be no doubting the depth of feeling that comes through in the performance. Lisa is very close to nature and sings of the magical qualities of rural Ireland, the silence and the joy of being close to the land and the deeply held conviction that there is a healing balm that surrounds us if we only take the time to let it in.

She visits previous albums with the songs Blackbird (2018) and Pot Hole In the Sky (2016), while her version of the Ivor Cutler song, Squeeze Bees, is  an interesting addition. Lisa also performs a very different version of the classic Come Back Paddy Reilly(Percy French), with the slow arrangement bringing out the poignant message in the lyrics.  If there is one observation to make, then the pacing of the show would have been more balanced with Lisa taking the central role sooner on the evening. While very generously giving time to her invited guests, she takes from her own performance dynamic and the sacrifice made by the inclusion of such diverse artists moves some of the focus away from her own talents.

Lisa has the backing of the very talented Joe Doyle on upright bass, a very lyrical player, and a number of other musicians also sit in on different tunes, with some of the names escaping me in the introductions. There is accordion added during Seamus Fogarty’s set and keyboards play along with Lisa – both talented individuals, with percussion on one song provided by one of her brothers. We are also treated to the wonderful whistling technique of Larry Beau on a few songs and he was a joy to behold as he dovetails and soars on the melody.

Lisa brings the night to a close with her wonderful interpretation of the Bob Dylan song, All the Tired Horses. She was asked to record this song for the final episode of the classic Peaky Blinders tv show which ended earlier this year and her dramatic performance is filled with rueful regret and passionate conviction. Such an entertaining night, from many aspects, and one where the very warm and engaging personality of Lisa shines brightly for all to enjoy.    

Review and photograph by Paul McGee

Cowboy Junkies @ National Concert Hall - Dublin, 17th November 2022

Over a career that has spanned thirty-six years, you may be excused in thinking that the assembled musicians are treading water to a certain extent at this stage.

Happily, such assumptions are completely groundless and the finely honed talents of these five players are clearly at the peak of their collective powers if tonight’s concert is typical of their performance dynamic. The beautiful surroundings of the National Concert Hall provide the perfect location for a band who themselves are both elegant and ageless. Siblings Margo, Michael and Peter Timmons are joined (as always) by founder member Alan Anton and  multi-instrumentalist Jeff Bird, who has performed on almost every album the band has released.

It's a huge testament to their enduring popularity and talent that the band has continued over all this time to forge a singular path through the shark infested waters of the music business and has been releasing albums on their own label, Latent Records, for many years now. Their discography of both studio and live recordings is one that sets the highest standards and there are many compilations also released that bear witness to their legacy.

Tonight, Margo is very enthusiastic about performing in a live setting, post-Covid, and mentions all the challenges that everyone has faced during the two ‘lost years’ of the pandemic. It has been a time for reflection and for also acknowledging the role that we all play in each other’s lives. Margo has always ensured that both the band and the extended family maintained a strong work–life balance and this fiercely held independence that Cowboy Junkies protect, stands as a beacon to every other band who look to follow in their footsteps.

The night is broken into two sets, the first of which is shorter, containing seven songs, and the band perform for close to three hours, including the interval. Margo talks about the fact that they are here to sell albums, and there is a focus on the new release, SONGS OF THE RECOLLECTION,  a collection of nine cover songs that have meant something to the band over the years. Cowboy Junkies has always performed cover songs, right back to their breakout album from 1988, THE TRINITY SESSION. However, the band just doesn’t faithfully follow the original song versions instead they interpret them in a fashion that instantly places the unique sound and stamp of the Cowboy Junkies arrangements on them.

The latest release includes artists as diverse as Bob Dylan and The Cure, balancing them with others like David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, and Neil Young. The first set tonight included three of these cover songs, interspersed with three originals. They opened with the Bowie classic, Five Years, which they put their own magical slant upon while also sticking closely to the original. The early inclusion of their interpretation of Sweet Jane (Lou Reed) followed, an iconic song that is much loved and one that identified the band as a new act to watch when they first played it back in 1988.  Another early inclusion was Sun Comes Up, It’s Tuesday Morning and while the band played as proficiently as ever, dovetailing around each other as each song melody unfurled, there was a sense of being in the lower gears of their power, not helped by the venue sound that saw the vocals of Margo somewhat drowned out when the arrangements lifted and became louder in delivery.

After the interval, we were treated to four songs that very much raised the tempo of the evening, with All That Reckoning (Part One), Missing Children, Escape Is So Simple, and Lay It Down providing the wonderful soundscapes of layered guitars and hushed intimacy mixed with Margo beginning to hit her stride in front of the microphone. The band really doesn’t engage with the audience on any level; no eye contact or spontaneous smiles – leaving it all to Margo as the key focal point regarding communicating; witty asides, comments, observations, and stories to regale the enthralled audience.

The pivotal moment in the second set arrived with the wonderful intro to Lay It Down, the band locking into an extended passage of building the performance – Peter Timmons on drums and Alan Anton on bass perfectly in the pocket of subtle support while Michael Timmons and Jeff Bird created a tour de force of reverb and delay on their guitars, delivering great atmospheric wall-of-sound moments in their resonance and tonality.  There followed an acoustic set of three songs with Black Eyed Man, Rake and Powderfinger, the latter two songs written by Townes Van Zandt and Neil Young respectively. It proved a special moment in the show, with Margo delivering beautifully nuanced vocals and both brother Michael and Jeff Bird accompanying on a selection of guitars, mandolin and harmonica. It was almost like being in a quiet back room of your favourite pub with a fire blazing on a cold winter’s night.

Margo spoke of her reputation as the queen of sad songs and her natural storytelling ability highlighted a tale of being at a private party with Aslan as the entertainment. When the singing became spontaneous in the early hours, and amidst the celebrations, Margo was pressured into taking a turn; her rendition of I’m So Lonesome, I Could Cry had everyone exchanging somber glances as the mood dipped, instead of continuing the revelry. 

The concert wound down with 'Cause Cheap Is How I Feel, followed by an invigorating rendition of Hunted and the gentler, Good Friday.  The final song Blue Moon, as always,  remains a highlight and Margo took her bow before returning for a superb encore that twinned Misguided Angel with Walking After Midnight, the perfect ending to what proved to be a triumphant return to Ireland for this inspiring band of enduring quality and refinement. Whether it was country soul or psychedelic blues workouts, Cowboy Junkies remain at the top of their craft as they continue to define new territories for their unique sound to explore.

Review by Paul McGee Photography by Declan Culliton

The Delines @The Pepper Canister Church, Dublin - 8th November 2022

The soothing soul country sounds of The Delines arrived in Dublin as the final date of a short Irish tour (part of a visit to Europe to promote the recent album The Sea Drift). It highlighted again the tightness and musicality of the band, the obvious highlight being the keyboards and trumpet of Cory Gray. And that doesn’t take away from the rhythm sections of Sean Oldham and (touring) bassist Dave Little adeptness, or that of songwriter Willie Vlautin’s guitar and backing vocals. But front and centre is the captivating voice of Amy Boone. Since Vlautin and Sean Oldham morphed from Richmond Fontaine into The Delines, they have brought together a unit of well-oiled players to bring Vlautin’s blue collar characters to life.

Given the onstage conversation, the well-oiled may also have an additional context. Boone revealed that a band meeting had been held to decide should they get to bed at a reasonable hour or simply stay up and chase that last pint in Ireland! Other topics were the current mid-term American elections, and wanting to slightly misbehave in the setting of the church they were playing, about which Vlautin noted the irony of helping to raise funds to save such old church buildings when “we are the people who they beat the shit out of.” He revealed that when trying to convince Boone to join the band he had spent eight months solidly writing songs that he hoped would convince her. They did and then they played what Vlautin felt was the best of those, The Oil Rigs At Night from the debut album Colfax.

The played songs from all the albums, such as a stunning version of The Imperial which again shows Gray’s prowess on the piano, through to more recent material like Little Earl, to new songs which they plan to record on return to the US. They opened with Don’t Miss The Bus, Lorraine and finished the set with a new song about drinking on the sidewalk in excessive heat - though cautioning that alcohol may not be the best means of rehydrating in such conditions.

They left the stage and moved behind the stage before coming back, returning for a three song encore, as Vlautin noted as he stepped on his Gibson SG again that there was “no place to hide back there.” They started with a song about which he noted was one they don’t play often to which it was noted (by his fellow band member) that “we played it last night.” That caused Boone to laugh and remark that she missed the old days before the internet when you could get away with some bullshit. Boone had wanted Vlautin to write her a love song and he noted it was to be one were someone was not left in a ditch or decapitated - Let’s Be Us Again fit that bill.

A highlight for this writer was a song from their recent 7” single The Lost Duets, released to tie in with the tour and it was a pleasure to hear the two voices duet in the song, something they both love to do but couldn’t find a place on the previous albums where it fitted in. My Blood Bleeds The Darkest Blue was, in some ways, a nod to earlier recordings but was performed live to perfection, as indeed were all the songs featured tonight.

The opening set was delivered by Mark McCambridge of Arbourist who performed with voice and electric guitar and who did well in holding the audience’s attention. He played songs from previous albums and a couple from his next album. A difficult task often, but in this venue, it meant that the audience were forcibly attentive and not out in the bar for his set as there wasn’t one! An unusual enough experience for an Irish gig but one that seemed to work.

Review by Stephen Rapid Photograph by Kaethe Burt-O’Dea

Charley Crockett @ The Workman’s Club, Dublin - 28th October 2022

When Lonesome Highway interviewed Texan Charley Crockett in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, his parting words were ‘They better watch out in country music, because I’m only getting started.’ More than delivering on that pledge, the intervening two years have found Crockett in dynamic form, recording five albums and selling out shows across America, Europe and the U.K.

The show at The Workman’s Club in Dublin was his first appearance in Ireland (‘my first time in Ireland y’all, but believe me, we’re coming back’) and next time around the promoters will need a much larger space to host Crockett and his well-oiled band, The Blue Drifters. Christening his core sound as Gulf and Western, Crockett draws inspiration from country, gospel, blues, rockabilly and R&B, and his performance, with an absolutely cracking band, was a masterclass for those fortunate enough to have been among the attendance in the heaving and sweltering hot venue.

Donning a leather jacket and a white Stetson that remained on his head throughout the twenty-five-song set, Crockett crooned, played acoustic guitar, switched to banjo for a few songs, and also put his instruments to one side for a hip-swinging delivery of Jerry Reed’s I Feel For You. Backed by lead guitar, upright bass, pedal steel, drums, and keyboards (keys player Kullen Fox also played trumpet and accordion), Crockett raced through a set that featured six selections from his most recent release THE MAN FROM WACO, as well as dipping into his extensive back catalogue. Despite his exhaustive war chest of songs, the animated audience was singing along to most, if not all, of his selections, with Music City USA, The Man From Waco, Odessa and Welcome To Hard Times being particularly well received.

Crockett paid tribute to his close friend and mentor James Hand, who passed away in 2020, by including three of Hand’s compositions, Baby Don’t Tell Me That, Midnight Run and Lesson In Depression. He also recalled the late Tom T. Hall with a reworking of Lonely In Person and executed a full-on honky tonk version of Tanya Tucker’s Jamestown Ferry.  Announcing the closing song as his favourite, he finished off the set with the blistering rockabilly Goin’ Back To Texas. He returned to encore with the funky In The Night, capping off what was a dazzling performance by an artist at the top of his game, surrounded by a road hardened collection of players that didn’t put a foot wrong.  

The hardest working artist in country music, Crockett has taken complete control of his own destiny since his debut album in 2015, recording and touring on his own terms and steadily increasing his exposure far beyond the cult following of his early career.  From busking, hopping freight trains, playing on street corners, and recovering from open heart surgery in 2019, he has single-handily succeeded in establishing himself as one of, if not the most vital artist of his time in keeping authentic country music alive and kicking. By way of continuity, he can also take credit for introducing the genre, and many of the artists that inspired him, to a younger generation of listeners.

A mention is also merited for the support act, Theo Lawrence. The ideal opening act for what was to follow, the French country singer songwriter more than held the crowd’s attention with a slick set of songs that brought to mind a young Marty Robins. 

As a side note and from our perspective at Lonesome Highway, it has been heartening in recent months to witness younger audiences coming out to roots and country gigs in Ireland. Both Charley Crockett and Sierra Ferrell have sold out recently, an indication that quality acts like these two and many more are getting through to a wider and younger audience. I’ve no doubt both of them will be returning to our shores given the reception they received and from word of mouth, many like-minded acts will follow.

Review and photographs by Declan Culliton

Tenille Townes @ The Workman’s Club, Dublin – Friday 14th October 2022.

My introduction to the music of Tenille Townes came as part of the C2C Festival, back in March last, at the 3Arena. She was given the opening slot on the Friday night and didn’t get enough stage time to make a strong impression on the small crowd, many of whom were only arriving at the venue during her set. This second visit could not have been in greater contrast. Kicking off her European tour in Dublin proves to be a wise decision as the reaction from a packed Workman’s Club audience could not have been more positive.

Tenille returns with just her guitars for accompaniment and her stripped down acoustic performance gives everybody gathered a rare opportunity to hear her songs in a completely new way. Often the original magic in creating a song on acoustic guitar can get lost in the studio and the nuance can fall victim to overproduction techniques that change the dynamic. Well, there can be no hiding place when you face a room full of  people who want to study your every move and to observe your playing style up close and personal. Happily, Tenille not only writes superbly crafted songs full of honest emotion and empathy but she also exudes that star quality in her performance that marks her out from a lot of the new generation of female country artists. Her high-octane stage craft is very infectious and the pacing of the show is beautifully judged with the audience on her side from the start.

Tenille is genuinely surprised by the enthusiastic crowd singing her song lyrics back to her and clearly warms to the task of displaying her special qualities. A winning personality and broad smile are ever present as she chats easily between songs, explaining the stories behind the lyrics and the feelings that she channels through her words in being able to reach out to people and make connections.

The set includes seventeen songs, all performed with an energy and style that confirms the huge passion Tenille has for being in the moment and sharing the electricity generated by a full venue, post Covid. There are seven songs played from her recent album, THE LEMONADE STAND (2020), including opening songs, Where You Are and White Horse.

During Covid lockdown, Tenille wrote a new batch of tunes, many from a more personal perspective, and her recent EP release, MASQUERADES (2022) includes seven of these. Tonight, we are treated to three of the tracks and Same Road Home, When’s It Gonna Happen and Sound Of Being Alone are featured. Her powerful vocal is delivered with such confidence, adding great character to the performance. The more up-tempo numbers like Come As You Are getting balanced by a look into the reflective side of her song writing and her insight into issues such as homelessness, social injustice, and the cruelty of fate and circumstance. Tenille delivers a very moving performance of Jersey On the Wall – I’m Just Asking in which she questions the presence of a deity who would allow random acts that bring pain and suffering to people. In this case a true story of a car crash that took away a young life and all the potential not fulfilled - the meaninglessness of it really hitting hard on the chorus. Not one to ever hold back, Tenille visits the issue of homelessness on Somebody’s Daughter, through her experience of meeting a young girl begging on the street, a situation that Tenille has acted upon by holding an annual benefit for child shelters – a cause that has seen her raise in excess of $1.5 million in financial support.

Another powerful performance is When I Meet My Maker a song that echoes some of those big questions that we all have when growing up and Girl That Didn’t Care reflects back on childhood and the lost sense of innocence. A new song, As You Are is well received and her questions concerning having a meaningful relationship while building her music career informs the words of When’s It Gonna Happen, a new single taken from the MASQUERADES release.  Another song, The Last Time is a highlight, with everyone relating the core message of living in the moment and the need to make lasting memories.

Tenille is never afraid to tackle an iconic song and tonight she offers up renditions of I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (U2), Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen), Landslide (Fleetwood Mac) and a killer final encore of the classic standard, At Last (Gordon/Warren).

This was a night where this Canadian artist could do no wrong. One of those shows where you knew that it was special to be in the room. The trajectory of her career will continue to reach greater heights and her return to Ireland will certainly see much bigger venues beckon. An impressive songwriter and musician, Tenille displayed both a vulnerability and honesty that  brought a special edge and joy to her stage performance.  She delivered her music with both aplomb and élan – and on this night, the enthusiastic crowd felt the presence of real star quality.

Coda: The opening act tonight was Saibh Skelly, our local talent that has been gaining a lot of traction on social media of late. She has all the confidence of a fearless 17-year-old and her performance wins many new admirers. Playing songs from her debut EP, she sings in a quietly powerful vocal tone and highlights her new single Grow Up in a set that is impressive and indicative of greater success to follow.

Review and photo by Paul McGee

Annie Keating @ The Whale Theatre, Greystones - Thurs 6th October 2022.

Playing in Ireland for the first time while on a second trip this side of the Atlantic Annie Keating was booked into the beautiful Whale Theatre, an intimate venue in the seaside town of Greystones, has all the hallmarks of the perfect setting for her talents. This tour of England and Ireland saw Annie accompanied by a really great trio of musicians in order to augment her superbly crafted songs and to provide a live performance dynamic beyond what a solo show could offer. The level of stage craft and the interplay between the musicians was a real highlight on this night of absorbing music.

Annie played two separate sets, allowing the attentive audience to refill their drinks and to visit her well stocked merch table, containing all her album releases, a tour programme and t-shirts. She has always been a gifted songwriter and seeing Annie play live confirms what a superb performer she is too. Always leading from the front with her energy and enthusiasm, she is also a natural storyteller, something that will endear her to an Irish audience, and she regaled us with tales of the songs, their inspiration and the manner in which they were created. We get plenty of insight into the writing process during Covid that led to the fifteen songs that became her latest release, Bristol County Tides, where an intended three week stay with her family during lockdown turned into a six-month period of reflection and taking stock.

Delighted to be back out on the road, this Massachusetts-born, Brooklyn resident exudes a self confidence and swagger that was infectious and had the audience engaged with her songs from the very start. Her songs can be from a deeply personal space or populated by characters she has encountered along the way. Her onstage presence has something of the swagger of Bonnie Raitt and her vocal tone has similar qualities to that of Mary Gauthier – leading the band with both inner confidence and outer bravado.  Annie thanked the crowd for their generous response, noting that her body of work may be largely unknown in this part of the world, but the listening room impressed her as she confirmed this is not something she expects when playing back home in America, where the crowds tend to be noisier and not as attentive.

Drawing on material from her latest album, with five tracks, Annie also delved into her past and featured a further five songs from her 2008 release, Belmont. A further eight songs are included in her generous set and they included tracks from three additional albums, together with two new songs from her new project, Twenty 22 Tour EP, an eight-track production of unreleased songs, available only at her live shows. A further song, co-written with the superb Lynne Hanson, is also given a test run and the rocking Lies and Dynamite was certainly well received by the enthusiastic crowd.

Indeed, the presence of a drummer on this tour gives Annie licence to really rock it up and there were plenty of highlights throughout the set where the band really take everything into overdrive. Joe Coombs on guitars is a very gifted musician and his lyrical playing complimented the song arrangements beautifully as he weaved around the melodies with economy and precision. The impressively tight rhythm section of Scott Warman (electric and double bass) and Jamie Dawson (drums) provided the power that fuels the performance and their subtle playing was the bedrock of the show. All three musicians played with a finely honed understanding of the song structures, and the dynamic in their delivery was all the more rewarding when they decided to stretch out and raise the temperature on occasions, such as the up-tempo workouts of  On the Road By Ten, Hank’s Saloon, Storm Warning, Marigold and On the Loose.

Annie showed her more reflective side and thoughtful insights on songs like It Already Hurts When You Leave, For the Taking, Belmont and Kindred Spirit. Joe Coombs exceled with bottleneck guitar on both Third Street and Valentine and the tribute to John Prine on the encore song, Angel From Montgomery, was a perfect way to bring this excellent show to a satisfactory conclusion.

The Whale Theatre, which opened in 2017, is a beautiful venue with superb acoustics and Annie Keating certainly grasped her opportunity to leave an indelible mark on the audience with this very accomplished, assured and impressive debut performance. Until the next time, Annie…!

Review by Paul McGee Photography by Declan Culliton

The Brother Brothers @ The Workman’s Cellar, Dublin - 24th September 2022

“Hello everyone” was Adam Moss’ greeting to the audience in this local venue, one that, given the talent of the brothers, should have been much larger. Moss then suggested that we all move forward so it wouldn’t look empty in any pictures from the night. They then proceeded to play a set of songs from all their releases plus one new song that, unusually, didn’t focus heavily on the current album COVER TO COVER. The only selections from that release were their arrangements for James Taylor’s You Can Close Your Eyes and The Beatles’ I Will. The latter, which was very well received, showed their dexterity as players and interpreters of the non-original material they play.

Adam, with twin brother David, then showed, not only their immaculate sibling harmonies but also an equal affinity as musicians working in tandem. Adam played violin (or fiddle if you prefer - depending on the song) and occasionally guitar while David switched between guitar and cello. The previous night they had gone to Gweedore and ended up playing a couple of songs in the famed Leo’s Tavern, as their Belfast gig had been cancelled. However, Adam noted, “we couldn’t understand a goddamn word” that was said to them. 

They opened with On The Road Again and during the hour long set included songs such as Ocean’s Daughter - which they preceded by the thought that we had the technology to fix the carbon problem, if not the well. It also featured some fine jazzy overtones in the violin playing. Adam switched to guitar and David to cello for Banjo Song - one that didn’t have a banjo in sight! Tugboats was taken from their debut EP of the same title, as was Cairo, IL, a tale about a town from their home state that had once been a hub of water traffic, but had lost out to rail transport and was now full of fine out-of-time boarded up mansion houses. Worth a visit if you happen to have time to spare in the State, they reckoned.

For an introduction to the song Sorrow, Adam said it was interesting that when they first came here they never heard anybody say “Happy Days”,  but they heard it a lot now. It’s something he might have exclaimed as two Guinness were brought onto the stage, instead ”sláinte” more than sufficed.  The song Frankie was about their current homebase in Brooklyn which is being eroded by gentrification and development. This kind of inter-song banter was more notable than during their last gig in Dublin some four years ago, as was the overall appreciation and size of the audience. They are the kind of act that should be playing a venue like the National Concert Hall, and possibly would be, with some greater exposure.

They finished the evening with a song that they have played at practically every gig since they started performing together, after separately pursuing different musical directions. That song,  Angel Island, written by Peter Rowan, was one that showed that while we should learn from the past, we never seem to. It, like all of the previous material, was rendered with an empathy and understated passion that is the trademark of the Brother Brothers’ musical journey and talent. May they return soon.

The evening was opened by local act, Mark Austin,  playing some acid-folk which, while he held the audience’s attention, was so drenched in reverb and phasing that it tended to render one song indistinguishable from the next. A little thought on how the songs would best be received would give him a better chance in the long run. 

Review by Stephen Rapid and photographs by Kaethe Burt O’Dea

Americana Music Festival, Nashville - September 2022

15 OF THE BEST FROM AMERICANAFEST 2022

With AmericanaFest cancelled in 2020 and out of bounds for overseas travellers for the scaled-down event last year, Lonesome Highway arrived in Nashville hugely enthusiastic about meeting friends old and new and, most importantly, seeing as many acts as possible over the festival. The inevitable clashes resulted in missing numerous artists and bands on our radar but we did manage to see over 70 acts during the festival.

Delayed flights and missing luggage failed to dampen the festival and once more it delivered a host of memorable moments from acts ranging from traditional country, alt-folk, indie, gospel, bluegrass, soul and Americana.

The temporary closure of Cannery Row deprived the organisers of three venues that traditionally offered the punters fifteen acts from which to choose, each evening. Newer venues such as the The Wash at Eastside Bowl and Riverside Revival compensated although, given their locations, logistically made it difficult to hop from venue to venue each day.  Favourites like The Station Inn, The Basement, 5 Spot and Exit Inn, represented the old guard of established rooms that have fortunately managed to keep their doors open despite the pressures from vulture developers. Dee’s Cocktail Lounge really came into its own this year, presenting a genuine country honky tonk, hosting excellent shows and being managed by the most welcoming staff. The legendary Tuesday night at The American Legion continues to grow, attracting vast numbers of listeners and dancers.

With over 70 shows attended, it’s a thankless choice highlighting the ones that really hit our sweet spot, but here are the 15 that stood out for us.

Shannon McNally @ Dee’s Cocktail Lounge

Not an official festival showcase but who would miss the opportunity to see this luminary host one of her September residencies at the best bar in Nashville? Outlaw country and soulful blues from an artist and band that appeared to be having as good a time as their captive audience.

Kelsey Waldon @ Riverside Revival

A reminder, if we needed it, of just how good Waldon’s new album NO REGULAR DOG is. A smile-inducing set from the word go, alongside killer playing and that classic country voice.

Jesse Daniel @ 6th & Peabody

Filling the dance floor with his opening number and with a crack six-piece band, it’s little wonder that Daniel is consistently selling out shows as his reputation continues to rise.

 S.G. Goodman @ Riverside Revival

An incredible performance from Goodman included the festival highlight for us, with a stunning intro to her opening track Work Until I Die. Pure class.

Kristina Murray @ Dee’s Cocktail Lounge

J.P. Harris described Kristina as the finest country voice in Nashville when he introduced her on stage a number of years back at AmericanaFest. Her show was a reminder of those sage words and a performance that brought to mind Emmylou and her Hot Band in the mid-70s

Jim Lauderdale @ Exit Inn

An artist that has captured the shifting colours of Americana over the years, Lauderdale’s latest offering GAME CHANGER is as ‘country’ as it gets. It featured strongly in the set and his infectious smile never left his face from start to finish.

 Sunny Sweeney @ The Wash at Eastside Bowl

Sassy, funny, and in splendid voice throughout, Sweeney and her band demonstrated exactly why MARRIED ALONE is one of our favourite albums of 2022.

Shawn Williams @ Dee’s Cocktail Lounge

Very few artists can perform a solo set for eighty minutes and hold the listener’s attention from start to finish. Williams achieved that and more with her raw vocals, slick guitar playing, and most of all, killer songs

Whitehorse @ The Wash at Eastside Bowl

Husband and wife team Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland have been quite experimental with their releases in recent years. Their latest album, I’M NOT CRYING, YOU’RE CRYING, is full of twang and swing and their showcase included lots of both, capped off with a measured cover of Gram and Emmylou’s We’ll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning.

Lyle Lovett @ The Wash at Eastside Bowl

A masterclass of cool and an extremely moving set from Lovett, with exceptional playing from Jeff White on guitar, Luke Bulla on fiddle and Viktor Krauss on bass.

Margo Cilker @ The Basement

It was a family affair from Margo Cilker, with her husband and sister on stage with her. On first hearing of her new material, we can expect her next recording to match the lofty heights of 2021’s POHPRYLLE.

Amy Ray @ The Wash at Eastside Bowl

Few artists have been as fiercely devoted and outspoken in defense of equal rights, gender equality, environmental issues and the survival of Native American communities as Indigo Girl, Amy Ray. Those passions and generosity of spirit were evident in a breath-taking set that included selections from her recently released album IF IT ALL GOES SOUTH.

Jaime Wyatt @ Exit In

Deprived of the opportunity to tour her 2020 album NEON CROSS due to the pandemic, Wyatt was in fine fettle.  Sounding glorious and looking elegant in a dazzling outfit, her set was delivered with maximum verve and gusto.

Florence Dore @ Dee’s Cocktail Lounge

The surprise package of the week for us. When you have members of Son Volt    (Mark Spencer) and The DB’s (Will Rigby, Gene Holder)  in your band, you can   expect a blistering set. That’s precisely what we got, an all-killer and zero-filler performance that had me first in the queue at the merch desk for Florence’s new album HIGHWAYS & ROCKETSHIPS.

Brennen Leigh / Kelly Willis / Melissa Carper @ Robert’s Western World

Three high-spirited friends inviting you into their world of country, roots and bluegrass in the only genuine downtown honky tonk in downtown Nashville, the legendary Robert’s Western World.

Reviews and photography by Declan Culliton

The Handsome Family @ Liberty Hall, Dublin - 17th September 2022.

Two acts at the opposite ends of everything played in Dublin last night. The Handsome Family was my choice, no contest. The fact that they were both performing on the same night was certainly a topic not to be wasted as the trio came on stage, and Rennie Sparks introduced herself as ‘Garth Brooks’, her husband Brett as ‘Garth Brooks’ and their percussionist, Jason Toth, by that name also. There then followed something of a rant from Brett which was not exactly appreciative of the big G. He told us that the day Garth Brooks started flying around the stage on a wire was pretty much the end of country music. Would Hank Williams Senior or Junior have done that, he mused, while adding “ he’s (Brooks) symptomatic of everything we’re trying to destroy.” Rennie commented that they had come here to get away from American flags and cowboy hats and here they were amongst a veritable sea of such cheaply sourced items.

The trio then proceeded to playing songs from their rich back catalogue that included such titles as Don’t Be Scared, So Much Wine (a Christmas song, they noted), Back In My Day, 24 Hour Store, Octopus, The Bottomless Hole, Weightless Again and of course the well received Far From Any Road, the song used so effectively as the theme for season one of True Detective. The song had also been used, briefly, in the film Lost City which starred Sandra Bullock. Brett said that he liked Bullock, as they had both been in Odessa, Texas, facilitating another comment about a fan letter received by a knowledgeable person who had discovered their music through Real Detective!

Rennie played her Hofner bass and banjo, while Brett was seated and played acoustically, with percussionist Jason Toth on drums, percussion, xylophone and Omnichord, adding much to the overall sound. Pedal steel and electric guitar player Alex McMahon, who had accompanied them on their UK and Irish tour to date, was absent due to his upcoming nuptials, but undoubtedly his playing would have added another layer of excellence to the delivery of the songs (as reported by LH writer Eilís Boland, who attended the Belfast gig a few days earlier). Although, as they say, you don’t miss what you don’t know. What we do know is that the sonorous voice of Brett contrasted with Rennie’s harmonies and effective musical contributions, and although Brett has previously dissed his guitar playing ability, it held together well.

The lyrical aspects of Rennie’s writing should not be overlooked either as it has a magical (or perhaps more correctly mystical and mythical) quality that is close to unique and that husband and wife collaboration produces something that is very special. Not, perhaps, for the boot scootin’ brigade but much appreciated by the attentive audience. Those in the know know that it is also the stage comments and exchanges that are very much a part of a Handsome Family show.

In one particularly long rant about the viability of music, Brett reasoned that once you buy an expensively imported vinyl album its scratched, ice ring recordings were the answer for Rennie! She then told Brett she would give him 50 bucks right there if he’d just play the song! And so it went on, with asides about other such topics as a song being a blatant rip off if anyone could spot it. There was a tale of a car alarm going off at night when they lived in Chicago. It gave out the message “I’m being tampered with” - which he said was true in the end, tampered with by the disgruntled neighbours. As regards items for sale, Rennie said she would be selling her hat, a spectacular black feathered affair, which she described as perhaps a mammoth’s eyebrow, and would be for sale, but it would need to be fed.

They promised some new music next year and played two new songs, one written based on the things Rennie said in her sleep during lockdown, which she tried to cope with by resorting to sleep aided by sleeping pills. One repeated phase that she spoke, but had no memory of, was the phase “Come into the circle, Joseph”, which may or may not be the actual title of the song. The other song was written as a performance closer and it was played as the final song in a two song encore. Goodnight was a good place to end what was an enjoyable family night out.

The opening act was chosen by the band and was an engaging set by another former Chicago resident, singer/songwriter Daniel Knox. A bearded and long-haired piano player, he was fittingly unique in his delivery which at times reminded me of the string of Randy Newman and the music of Scott Joplin - but then that’s just me! He arrived onstage with a sheaf of printed lyrics, and after each song he dramatically took a page, scrunched it up, and threw it on the ground. The between song exchanges were also amusing. Star Trek, Mr Rogers and the local burger chain Supermacs all came in for comment. He had a voice that went from baritone to, on occasion, falsetto and had a percussive and melodic playing style that was perfect for his lyrical themes and Mr Knox, judging from the numbers at the merch table, made a lot of friends here too.

Goodbye Mr. Brooks, I’ll be sticking with this particular family in the future. Handsome is as handsome does.

Review by Stephen Rapid. Photograph by Kaethe Burt O’Dea

HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF @ WHELAN’s DUBLIN - 31st August 2022

‘Thanks for not forgetting about me and coming out tonight,’ remarks Alynda Segarra, three songs into Hurray For The Riff Raff’s thirteen-song set at a crammed Whelan’s.  It’s over nine years since Alynda and her band charmed punters at the Kilkenny Roots Festival with an acoustic set of gypsy folk songs. Eight albums and as many line-up changes later, Segarra and her chosen players continue on a musical path that has found the New Orleans-based singer, songwriter, musician, and poet continuing to experiment to great effect across multiple genres of folk-influenced music.

An ultra-passionate writer and performer, Segarra’s writing has often dealt with personal issues of the past. Her latest project LIFE ON EARTH took something of a U-turn, visiting more present day and political issues of American colonialism and injustice, alongside the challenges of survival while surrounded by a world in disarray.

As expected, much of tonight’s setlist draws heavily from the current album. Introducing patched drums and retro analog keyboards, the sound on the album is a slight departure from the band’s previous work and alongside their salsa-influenced rhythms the songs work magnificently in the live setting.

She instantly connects with the audience, opening the set at pace with Wolves, swiftly followed by the dance inducing Pierced Arrows.  The guitar driven Pointed At The Sun captures the frustration, possibly semi-autobiographical, of an artist struggling to remain creative.  ‘You can take my life, but don't take my home,’ she sings proudly on her gentrification anthem Rican Beach, taken from her last record, THE NAVIGATOR. Speaking passionately from the heart, she introduces Precious Cargo as an indictment of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, closing the song with the chant, ‘No, me no never see no handcuffs, ‘til I get to the U.S.A.’

The Body Electric is dedicated to all the survivors of violence against women and minorities, and she adds that a similar motivation inspired Saga, based on Christine Blasey Ford’s Senate testimony about her sexual abuse. Segarra and her three sidekicks returned to material from THE NAVIGATOR for two encores, Hungry Ghost and a powerful delivery of Pa’lante, closing what was a spectacular return to Dublin.

Segarra’s career has progressed from the stage shy performer of a decade ago to being the Patti Smith of her generation. An avid commentator on social injustice and inequality, her performance this evening was further evidence of an artist that can capture the intensity of post-punk, rap, folk, and New Orleans’s Street music and mould them into something quite beautiful.

Also worthy of a mention is support act Sister Ray. Her delicate songs dealing with interpersonal suffering and emotional survival were played to an attentive and appreciative audience who hung on to her every word.

Review and photograph by Declan Culliton

Marty Stuart & his Fabulous Superlatives @ Indigo-O2, London 26/8/22

It was Lonesome Highway’s first visit to this impressive, more intimate venue (seated capacity 2800), part of the huge O2 Arena complex. First up was Sam Williams, performing songs from his debut album, Glasshouse Children, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar player. The album’s title song and Can’t Fool Your Own Blood showed that he has some potential as a songwriter, though many of his songs are co-writes and he leans towards a country pop sound, with vocals reminiscent of Dylan LeBlanc. He had a relaxed stage presence, cutting quite a dash in his cerise velvet suit and glittery boots, and wearing his grandfather’s white Stetson. He referred a couple of times to the pressure accompanying his legacy - he is the son of Hank Jnr, and grandson of Hank - which he struggles with and wants to be identified as a person and artist in his own right. Time will tell.

Marty Stuart then hit the stage with his Fabulous Superlatives and we were treated to a whirlwind 90 minute set of outstanding songs and instrumentals, covering the gamut of country music from bluegrass to Western Swing to gospel to Americana. Marty has a huge set list from which to choose, and wastes no time between songs, so anxious is he to put on a good show. Old favourites like Tear The Woodpile Down, This One’s Gonna Hurt You, Time Don’t Wait and Tempted were interspersed with many cover songs, where Marty generously pays tribute to other stalwarts of the genre. His blistering solo mandolin version of Orange Blossom Special is preceded by an extended affectionate anecdote of his meeting with the writer, Ervin T. Rouse. Travis Tritt’s The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’, Waylon’s I’ve Always been Crazy and Marty Robbins’ El Paso are superb. Marty’s generosity also extends to allowing his band to shine individually, so we were treated to guitar maestro Cousin Kenny Vaughan’s version of his own song Country Music’s Got a Hold On Me; Handsome Harry Stinson emerged from behind the drum kit to play guitar and sing, mostly notably Woody Guthrie’s Pretty Boy Floyd; and Prof Chris Scruggs switched to upright bass for a phenomenal performance of Surfari’s surf rock anthem, Wipeout. We were also treated to some new songs - Friend Of Mine already sounds like a classic, while Sitting Alone was surprisingly Byrds-like, right down to Kenny Vaughan’s Rickenbacker guitar. Suffice it to say that the (below capacity) audience went home with a smile on their face and a satisfied mind.

Review and photo by Eilís Boland

The Felice Brothers @ Whelan’s, Dublin - 9th July 2022

‘From Francis of Assisi to the fans of AC/DC, we all shall live again,’ sings Ian Felice on the closing song of an electric show by The Felice Brothers at Whelan’s. The lines from We Shall Live Again are a fitting statement to a memorable return by Dublin’s favourite sons, and daughter, to the same stage as their previous pre-pandemic gig in late January 2020.

The Felice Brothers have evolved musically and in personnel from their swashbuckling appearance at The Sugar Club in Dublin in 2008.  That initial line-up included third brother Simone Felice and their raucous Pogues like stage show was the order of the day back then.

Understandably, with seventeen studio albums in their back catalogue, they have experimented - not always with absolute success - but they have hit a purple patch in recent years with both UNDRESS (2019) and FROM DREAMS TO DUST (2021), showcasing Ian Felice’s continuing maturity as a classic American songwriter. Their current line up is also arguably their strongest and longest lasting. Brother James joins Ian, playing keyboard, accordion and occasional lead vocals, Jesske Hume plays bass and Will Lawrence on drums.

Drawing in the main from their most recent album, they wow a packed house with a nineteen-song setlist that includes two encores. It’s the second last date in their tour of the U.K. and Ireland and they’re in sparkling fettle, with the ever-smiling James in particularly buoyant form and the often-withdrawn Ian in equally cheerful and engaging relaxingly with the audience. When a pint of Guinness is placed on the front of the stage by a punter, tongue in cheek, he reminds the doner that the band is a four-piece, resulting in another three beers finding their way to the stage.

It’s difficult to select the highlights of a show that sparkled from start to finish, but the selections from the new album are particularly impressive. Kicking off with Jazz on the Autobahn, six of the opening seven tracks are from that album. Silverfish, Valium, Let Me Come Home, Inferno and All The Way Down follow that opener and other showstoppers include Days Of The Years, Cherry Liquorice and their anthem, Whiskey In My Whiskey.   Ian’s raspy vocals, poetic lyrics and distorted guitar sound is ably supported throughout by a well-oiled rhythm section, upbeat accordion and keyboards, and four-piece harmonies.

The Felice Brothers have perfected the art of blending rowdy rock ‘n’ roll with showstopping skeletal folk ballads. Both are presented to perfection this evening confirming their growing status as one of the most complete and impressive live acts on the roots circuit. All in all, a triumphant return and exhilarating evening’s entertainment.

Review and photograph by Declan Culliton

Black Deer Festival

When it first opened in 2018 Black Deer Festival was an ambitious, if not outright audacious event with an astonishingly modest attendance of around 4000 guests on its busiest day. It was a surreal privilege to witness artists like Iron & Wine, Jason Isbell and Passenger headlining such an intimate open-air occasion. Surreal, but unsustainable. Yet when the festival returned the following year, word had spread and ticket sales nearly tripled! The site and the atmosphere were transformed and Black Deer became a fully-fledged fixture on the UK festival calendar, almost overnight. What happened next; 2020, 2021, we know. The festival "took a break" with the promise of its third year being bigger and better than ever, and ... it was pretty great!

The setting in Eridge Park is beautiful: From the main entrance and general campsite you can glimpse the extent of the site nestled among lush stands of enormous oak trees, with golden hills rolling out in every direction. At only 15 minutes drive from Tunbridge Wells, an hour's train ride out of London, it feels like the middle of nowhere. With limited mobile reception too, it feels like the middle of nowhere! The perfect place to immerse yourself in three days of non-stop live music, dancing, eating, drinking and socialising.

On the point of mobile coverage, the festival operates a cashless payment system for all bars, food vendors and retailers, so loading credit onto your account before arriving ensures you don't need to rely on signal for managing your finances. You can of course top-up at the kiosks onsite, if you don't mind a bit of patient queuing. Communication is obviously a whole other concern, though the site is reasonably compact without being crowded so you're never too far from finding friends.

The stages are managed precisely to schedule - something that shouldn't be taken for granted - so arranging meeting times and locations based on the timetable is simple. The site offers a range of excellent quality catering within the arena and campsites (shout out to the fabulous folks at Canny Coffee who were a delight to do business with first thing each morning) and the pricing is standard, around £10-12 per dish. For meat-lovers and BBQ fans in particular there's a good selection; fries loaded with spicy pulled meats, succulent ribs and gourmet burgers, as well as all the Live Fire cooking demonstrations. The hotdog and chilli eating competitions were less appetising to witness but the commentary was at least entertaining.

A sense of community and culture has been integral to the growing reputation of Black Deer as a festival of Americana and this is evident in each distinct area of the arena. Outside The Roadhouse an array of vintage cars and custom motorbikes lends the place an air of gritty rebelliousness which, somewhat ironically, drew crowds all day and night. Meanwhile, inside the venue saw some of the loudest rock, roots and blues acts of the weekend, including His Lordship and Franky Perez who were names on everyone's lips following their energetic performances here.

While counter-culture and culinary niches were being entertained at one end of the arena, the opposite side hosted a wealth of activities to keep underage attendees occupied, ranging from the very popular slacklining and skateboarding workshops, a rock-climbing tower and zip wire, lawn games, instrument workshops and an interactive wooden construction site. The Young Folks area is also well sheltered among trees and tents which made a nice retreat for those with very young children wanting to escape the elements (a very relevant consideration, more on this in a moment).

Whether it was in response to feedback from previous years or perhaps a sign of the times, there seemed to be fewer traders occupying the previous "Black Deer Mercantile" area. Nevertheless, bohemian festival fashion and typical country attire was popular and these stalls added to the community atmosphere of The Outpost area adjacent Haley's Bar which also encompassed a silent disco, axe-throwing and the Arkansas Porch Sessions. As one of the major supporting partners of the festival, Arkansas Tourism hosted daily unplugged performances by three charismatic and talented storytellers native to the state: Dylan Earl, Willi Carlisle and Jude Brothers. While each artist delivered a full set over at The Roadhouse Acoustic Stage to rapt audiences these more intimate showcases were a real demonstration of the power of country and folk songs to draw people in without fancy embellishment or even amplification.

Praise should go to festival organisers for the abundance of drinking water taps and well-serviced loos within the main arena (another success that can't be taken for granted), although the campsites experienced water shortages every day which was less-than desirable, tending towards downright unpleasant. Friday was absolutely scorching sunshine with temps in the mid-30s while Saturday followed this up with sickly humid conditions, ultimately building to a lighting storm that forced the premature closure of the festival during that night's headline performances. Credit for the calm but rapid evacuation of the arena should go to patrons and security staff, who ensured the ground condition was near pristine when the arena reopened on Sunday morning. Unfortunately, some patrons were left waiting out the storm, dangerously unprotected at the shuttle bus departure point. Hopefully organisers will learn from this incident and seek to implement some kind of shelter for future events, to ensure the safety and comfort of attendees in all weathers.

And so, on to the music:

If each day of the festival could be summed up by a single emoji it would read "flames", "lightning bolt", "prayer hands". Weather aside, Friday's line-up was a hot one. Returning favourite Irish Mythen was the first voice to resonate out of The Ridge Stage. Her powerful delivery elevated the emotion of songs like Tullamore Blues while her humour and sincerity engaged seemingly everyone within earshot. Alongside her sat Aussie transplant Emily Barker and Virginia native Caroline Spence, the trio exchanging songs and stories "in the round", warming up for each of their own main sets later. Barker included songs from her most recent album A Dark Murmuration of Words, a collection of songs inspired by climate change, sometimes devastating, sometimes optimistic, and every bit stunning in her clear, sweet voice. They were eventually joined by the delayed Imelda May who made up missed rounds with turns of song and poetry, appropriating the intimate setting to showcase her more tender side before unleashing a blistering Main Stage set of full on blues rock, soul and gothic pop.

Franky Perez opened the Main Stage with a set that incorporated buoyant, crunchy guitar riffs and a horn section; music you could dance to, or rather, music you couldn't help but dance to. On The Ridge Stage Caroline Spence gave a more subdued and intimate performance that was every bit as soul-stirring. Her songcraft is the gold standard in Americana and her latest album, True North, is a tonic for modern life. On songs like Scale These Walls and the Lori McKenna co-write The Next Good Time she displays a vulnerability that feels almost too raw for public display, while underscoring the power and strength that real honesty and insight affords us. Special mention has to go to the delicate guitar and pedal steel accompaniment of CJ Hillman who embellishes Spence's songs with such intuitive grace every time they perform together.

While songwriting is always at the core of the genre it was a thrill to see so many full bands elevating great songs and performances across the weekend. Friday saw the likes of William The Conqueror, Jinda Biant and Israel Nash tearing up stages with passionate, guitar-driven, bluesy rock. It was a relentless afternoon and evening building to Shovels & Rope's magnetic roots rock show. The duo are as enthralling to watch as they are to listen to and The Ridge Stage overflowed with fans eager to get a glimpse of the dynamic pair as they worked through songs from their latest record Manticore and a rapid-fire selection of hits from their catalogue. Faced with a headline choice between James, Foy Vance and the Ozark Holler Hootenanny (featuring Dylan Earl, Willi Carlisle, Jude Brothers and guests), the "sensible" decision was made to wind down, after a long and loud first day ,with alt-folk trio Wildwood Kin at Clash Magazine's Roadhouse Takeover. It was a very good decision as their audience was immediately enveloped in a sonic chrysalis, emerging nourished by the beauty of the Devon trio's divine harmonies. The set opener Headed for the Water was enough to make you forget all about your sunburn and muscle fatigue for a few hours.

There was a density and closeness in the air on Saturday, for sure, but there was also magic. The Ridge Stage once again opened with a Songwriter Session and for anyone asking "What was the best set you saw at the festival?", dear reader, it was this. Cam, Kezia Gill, Lade Nade and Robert Vincent. There's an unexpected and rare joy in seeing a lifelong memory unfold before your eyes, though this is surely at least half the premise of live music, and what these four artists delivered in just 75 minutes was worth waiting almost three years to witness. Cam opened the show, unleashing her other-woman's-apology-anthem, Diane, with only acoustic guitar and her powerhouse vocal setting an impossibly high standard to follow. And yet Kezia Gill matched that energy with her own romantic take on a good time in Nashville, Country Song, but not before inviting Cam to join her in a brief duet of Diane, admitting it was one of her favourite songs ever. The goosebumps have still not subsided from this moment. Embracing her own unique charm and charisma, Lady Nade drew the audience into an exquisite rendition of her song Wildfire, consciously opening up deeper emotional realms with every subsequent round of songs. Robert Vincent built on Nade's foundation of candid honesty with a healthy balance of self-deprecation and the cutting social commentary of Conundrum. Songs about love, grief, self-acceptance, guilt and wonder, and the stories behind them, offered with unhurried sincerity; each one forming a layer of healing and reconciliation around fans whose hearts have been starved of this kind of intimate human connection for the last two years. Having the night's headliners all cut short was disappointing but if you saw this set you got your money's worth out of the weekend.

Simeon Hammond Dallas is a star in the making, at least if the music industry could contain her effervescent and raunchy country-blues into something as sleekly definable as "star in the making" music. Her performance on the Ridge Stage displayed the confident independence of spirit that imbues her songs with authenticity and the authority that comes with lived experience. One to watch, if you weren't already.

Another breathtaking performance on the day came from the offensively talented, instrument swapping four-piece Darlingside, blending songs from their most recent LP Fish Pond Fish with new arrangements of older favourites like Go Back and The Ancestor. It is a delight to see this band blindside unsuspecting festival audiences everywhere they go; even among the musically savvy crowd of Black Deer they gathered new devotees to their unique brand of quirky folk.

Courtney Marie Andrews shone iridescent in both her attire and performance on the Main Stage. Her set showcased new songs from her upcoming album Loose Future while somewhat laying to rest the Old Flowers era of heartache and disillusionment that listeners have embraced since that albums release in the summer of 2020. Her all-star band featured Norwegian Spellemannprisen award-winning country artist Ole Kirkeng, percussionist Dominic Billett and multi-instrumentalist Jerry Bernhardt, each contributing effortless grace and gravitas to her songs as required. Andrews was typically bewitching, whether alone at the piano or with her band, particularly on the explosive set closer Near You.

It seems rude to ignore the biggest names on the Main Stage; Wilco and The Waterboys both impressed with very different performances that represented their respective audiences and musical styles. The pairing also demonstrated a genius bit of scheduling, especially given the meteorological event to come, in having a UK-exclusive performance followed up with a multi-generational, crowd-pleasing but relatively ubiquitous, live act. Were we disappointed not to dance arm-in-arm with strangers to The Whole of the Moon? Absolutely! Will there be another opportunity, perhaps this year? Taking nothing for granted these days, it's still quite possible.

Sunday's proceedings began slightly earlier than previous days with the jubilant Powerhouse Gospel Choir blessing the day after the storm with the festival's annual Gospel Brunch - including free waffles! Those seeking an alternative spiritual experience could turn to the mellow, instrumental glory of Yasmin Williams on the Main Stage. Her transcendent playing pairs perfectly with the gentlest midsummer sunshine over verdant countryside, and fresh-brewed coffee.

The final, spellbinding Songwriter Session brought together honey-voiced Canadian William Prince, English folk-singer and guitarist John Smith and Pennsylvania-via-Brighton duo Native Harrow. Each of these acts can silence a room in their own right - and did, later in the day - so as stage companions they were exquisitely understated. The pleasure of the exchange and a mutual respect, from songwriter to songwriter and between artists and audience, was very nearly tangible.

Sunday was steeped in reverence: Blue Rose Code's (I Wish You) Peace in Your Heart and jazz-infused rendition of Amazing Grace; the mere existence of Van Morrison and his Caledonian soul; and the deep philosophy and theology that informs the music of Hiss Golden Messenger all contributed a welcome serenity to the final day of the festival. That was perhaps disrupted a little by the raucous closing performance of Talisk in Haley's Bar but no-one would complain in the presence of such musical genius.

Review by Kendall Wilson

Courtney Marie Andrews @ Liberty Hall, Dublin - Thursday 23rd June 2022

This was a night of many conflicting emotions as Dublin welcomed back a favourite daughter to the city. Courtney Marie Andrews has been coming to play in Ireland for quite some time now and her vulnerability has never appeared more apparent before. She takes to the stage in a beautiful summer dress, a new hairstyle and a look of determination to get right into the heart of matters. Without her band dynamic, this is a rare opportunity to see Courtney Marie in all her quiet resonance and her open sensitivity.

This is a rescheduled show which dated back to October 2021 when her European tour supporting the OLD FLOWERS album saw her pulling out of the Dublin date at very short notice. There was plenty of negative feedback at the time, especially as Courtney Marie had played Belfast the previous night and rumours of Covid were not seen as being genuine, amid rumours of poor ticket sales and other matters.

Well, she started the night by saying that ‘I finally made it.’ She also references the missed date later in the show and praises the audience for their quiet attention in listening to her songs. Reference is also made to her joy at being back in the ‘land of storytellers,’ where every taxi driver she meets either has a tale to tell or a song to sing. If this seems a little staged, then it certainly did not come across that way and Courtney Marie spoke both honestly and without affectation.

One thing that has never been in doubt is the incredible talent that she possesses. Both as a songwriter and a musician, her light shines brightly and in this intimate setting, her beautiful songs carry a haunting quality. She has led a nomadic existence since her teenage years and the ending of a decade long relationship, back in 2019, was the back-drop to the cathartic nature of that OLD FLOWERS album. The old ghosts of the past still linger of course, for all of us, and without the full band sound, Courtney Marie is seen at the centre of her power tonight. A number of the songs are changed for solo guitar performance and the poignancy of the lyrics really hit home as a result. Another great benefit of this honest and bare performance, is the absolute pleasure of witnessing her prowess on the guitar. She is such a lyrical player, with a seemingly effortless fluidity across the strings. Her timing and dynamic is also so well honed now, that we are aware of being in the presence of an artist at the very top of her craft. It’s the little embellishments in the playing that set the hairs on the neck tingling and of course, having one of the most powerful and pure vocal tones on the circuit is no hindrance either. Courtney Marie soars and swoops around the song structures and colours everything in a sweet sense of perceptive insight and rueful yearning.

Across a set list that includes seventeen songs, we are treated to many old favourites and a few new songs from her upcoming album, LOOSE FUTURE (due October next). Her most recent album, is given pride of place with wonderful versions of Break the Spell, It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault, If I Told and Burlap String. A change of instrument, mid-set, sees Courtney Marie move to electric piano for superb renditions of Ships In the Night,  and the title song, Old Flowers.

HONEST LIFE (2017) is represented with Rookie Dreaming, How Quickly Your Heart Mends, Table For One and a really interesting new arrangement of the ever-popular favourite, Irene. A highlight is the intensity and nuance of Near You, a real tour de force. The new album title track, Loose Future is played and another (Me and Jerry?); both sounding like worthy additions to her increasing body of work.

Courtney Marie speaks of her upbringing in Arizona, her Grandpa and his liking for a drink or two, and her time spent in Portugal where she felt unknown and free. I get the sense that she sees herself at something of a crossroads right now. Perhaps the self reflection of Covid lockdown, coupled with the restless urge to keep finding new outlets for her self-expression and her creative muse. She finished the show with the wonderful May Your Kindness Remain, a message that there is more that binds us together than keeps us separate.

The opening act was Lola Kirke, promoting her latest album, LADY FOR SALE. She is both an actress and a songwriter, now living in Nashville and originally born in London, before moving to New York. Her easy presence and pleasant songs were enjoyable and well-received by the attentive audience while the anticipation grew for the lady of the moment. It is always a pleasure to see Courtney Marie Andrews in a live setting and if some of the crowd found her set a little short on dynamics and variation, then the solo nature of the performance gave good reason to take that view. However, I found the performance engaging, gentle, honest and understated. Welcome back anytime!!

Review and image by Paul McGee

Kelsey Waldon/Arlo McKinley/Emily Scott Robinson @ Workman's Club, Dublin -22nd June 2022Bottom

When the great John Prine passed away in April 2020, he left not only an enduring legacy in his timeless music but he also left the ongoing opportunity for young artists to develop their music careers, via his independent record label, Oh Boy, founded back in 1981. The label has gone from strength to strength ever since, even turning down an offer from Sony to buy it. Before he died, John signed Kelsey Waldon to the label in 2019 and added Arlo McKinley in 2020.  These days, the management of the label is carried on by his wife, Fiona and her son, Jody Whelan, as label chiefs. During Covid lockdown in 2021, Jody contacted emerging star, Emily Scott Robinson, and asked her to join the label, making her the most recent addition to a richly talented, and extended musical family.

The label represents all that is good in people management, always putting the best interests of their artists front and centre, a strategy that has produced a very healthy relationship among all involved and which ensures that the influence of John Prine continues across the generations.

The Cellar Bar is the perfect venue for intimate, acoustic evenings and, with Fiona Prine in attendance, we were treated to the last night in the Oh Boy European tour, which showcased the many gifts that these three most recent acquisitions bring to the label. It has been a quick tour, across seven dates, and visiting Germany, Holland, England, Scotland and Ireland. Perhaps it was fitting that the final night was hosted by Dublin as Fiona Prine was welcomed by the enthusiastic crowd who shared in her obvious joy at the event.

The range of talent was very impressive with the superbly gifted singer-songwriter Emily Scott Robinson taking the opening set, armed with just her acoustic guitar and a warm, welcoming smile. It was Emily’s Irish debut and she certainly impressed, drawing lengthy applause from the crowd who quickly realised that they were witnessing the unveiling of a special talent. Emily has a beautiful voice, comfortable at all ranges and filled with rich nuance and inflection in her delivery. She has a very natural stage presence and her easy conversation between songs had everybody enthralled. There is no doubt that we are catching Emily at the start of what will be a very big career as she continues to develop her art. Included in her short set tonight were songs taken from her most recent album, American Siren (2021), and she performed Lost Woman’s Prayer, Let ‘Em Burn, Things You Learn the Hard Way, Cheap Seats and Old Gods with both subtle charm and some impressive guitar playing. She also included the single, Time For Flowers, a song that was instrumental in getting her that initial Oh Boy interest which led to her joining the artist roster. Her insights into the human condition are a real treat across her three albums to date, and her way with words is a gift that elevates her music to increasingly impressive levels. Quite superb…

Arlo McKinley has also released a few albums and his understated onstage persona is laced with an impressive laconic drawl. His vocal delivery is powerful and reminiscent in part of Steve Earle. Starting out with the excellent We Were Alright from his 2020 album, McKinley impresses with his committed performance and his genuine raw talent. Bag Of Pills from the same album is another highlight as the superb lead guitar parts of Chuck Light colour the performance and lift the arrangements. The dynamic between the two musicians is very strong and despite not introducing his partner, you can see the obvious energy between McKinley and Light. Stealing Dark From the Night Sky (from an upcoming release), and a cover of the John Prine classic How Lucky (from Pink Cadillac), and dedicated to Fiona Prine, are other stand out moments. A new song, I’m Falling Again, gets an airing and an older song, This Damn Town, is also performed with a great dynamic. A cover version of John Deere Tractor (L. John Hammond) is dedicated to the memory of his Mother and it sums up this gentle soul, despite his somewhat gruff image, as one of the newly lauded talents on the current Country scene.  

Kelsey Waldon last visited Dublin in February 2020 as part of her album tour. She makes reference to the fact that it’s better to be back under happier circumstances, with the then-looming threat of Covid now a reality that we deal with on a daily basis of taking care. She plays both Kentucky 1988 and Very Old Barton from that album, White Noise/White Lines. There is a new album due shortly, No Regular Dog, and Kelsey gives the attentive audience a sneak preview with tracks, Sweet As Love and Backwater Blues, dedicated to her Dad, as she recounts growing up in North Kentucky in a house that was built on stilts to avoid the regular flooding that occurred in the area. It sounded like something right out of the novel, Where the Crawdads Sing… Another track from the forthcoming album, Simple As Love, is dedicated to the fact that she is now in a long-term relationship, has quit drinking and that life is good.  Kelsey is an assured performer and a fine guitar player, highlighted by the powerful delivery and her voice blending sweetly into the rhythm and melody of her reflective songs.

The night draws to a close with all the musicians taking the stage for a rousing version of the John Prine classic, Paradise. It celebrates the joyful feeling of just being in the moment and allowing the music to sweep everyone away to a place beyond our daily push and pull. A pleasure to have been there.

Review and photographs by Paul McGee

Sierra Ferrell @ The Button Factory, Dublin - 22nd June 2022

Nashville, Tennessee may be well known as a ‘ten-year town’ for artists to make an industry breakthrough but West Virginian Sierra Ferrell tore up the rule book when she arrived in Music City just over four years ago. A residency at the legendary American Legion weekly honky tonk nights as a member of the band The Cowpokes brought her to the attention of the big wigs at Rounder Records, who took little time in signing her to their label. The release of her debut album LONG TIME COMING on that label in 2021 drew universal critical acclaim and was a Lonesome Highway Album of The Year last year.

Due to Covid restrictions, her gig previously scheduled for The Workman’s Club was postponed and eventually rearranged for the larger venue, The Button Factory. The show was the opener of her European and U.K. tour, where she will play sell-out shows and festivals over the coming weeks before heading back Stateside to continue touring there for the rest of the year.

To say that her performance at The Button Factory was a triumph is possibly an understatement. From her opening song In Dreams to the set closer Jeremiah, she enthralled the large attendance with her knockout vocal range, polished stage presence, and deft guitar and fiddle work. Accompanying her on stage were two of Nashville’s finest players. Grammy Award winner and much sought-after session player Geoff Saunders played upright bass, with fiddle and mandolin parts performed by founding member of The Stray Birds, Oliver Bates Craven, with both also providing harmony vocals.

Ferrell’s eclectic musical style has been branded as everything from gypsy jazz to swinging bluegrass. Whatever the pigeon-hole she’s placed in, her talent and styling have drawn her to punters of all ages. The normal audience for roots and Americana audiences in Dublin have age profiles north of fifty, so it was particularly refreshing to witness that the majority in attendance fell well below that age category and seemed to know every musical twist, turn and lyric offered to them.

Understandably the set included the best part of her LONG TIME COMING album, particular standouts being Silver Dollar, Bells of Every Chapel, and West Virginia Waltz. The latter, a co-write with upright bass player Geoff Saunders, was given a somewhat slower treatment than the studio version and included stunning harmony vocals from Ferrell and her side men. Also included was a remodelled version of  Charlie Poole & The North Carolina Ramblers’ Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down and two new songs destined for her next album titled I’d Do It and Foxhunt. She also visited her early recordings on Bandcamp with Rosemary and Lighthouse. Another of the many highlights of the show was the crowd favourite At the End of the Rainbow, which included an additional ‘vocal only’ chorus where she invited the audience to take part.

Having finished the evening to rapturous applause with the most requested song of the evening Jeremiah, she returned to the stage with the band to encore with a rollicking version of the classic Osborne Brothers bluegrass song Lonesome Feeling, bookending what was a spectacularly successful opening tour night.  Given the quality and professionalism on show, Ferrell is far from at the end of her musical rainbow and is only on the maiden voyage of a career that is very much and rapidly in the ascendancy.

Review and photography by Declan Culliton

Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival 2022

There’s always a temptation to keep it to oneself when one is aware of a little gem of a festival like  Westport Folk & Bluegrass, but spread the word one must! As proud ‘friends of the Festival’ this year, Lonesome Highway enjoyed a three day feast of top class old time, bluegrass and folk music from Europe and the US, all located within a few minutes walk within the centre of the ‘boutique destination’, the small town of Westport in Co Mayo. Somehow, this festival manages to  programme a mainly free series of performances and sessions in various venues around the town, and only the three main evening performances had a paid ticket.

SLO County Stumblers (named after San Luis Obispo County in California, where they now call home) brought their progressive hard driving old time music to the main stage in the Town Hall theatre on the first night. Based on the string band tradition of the 20s and 30s, perfect for barn dancing, they also hosted a fun Square Dance in the Clew Bay Hotel, where locals got their first taste of that Southern US tradition. The fiddle-banjo transatlantic duo of Gabrielle Macrae and Barry Southern (The Horsenecks) also wowed the main stage with their traditional American roots music, some original songs and some standards, all performed with faultless musicianship and soulful harmonies.

Ireland was represented by several acts. Brendan Butler is a well know bluegrass mandolin player and singer from Cork. He was joined by his son Louis on guitar (one to watch), and the father-son harmonies were exquisite, along with their well chosen selection of old time, bluegrass and country standards and a few originals, enhanced by their high lonesome vocals. At one performance, they were joined by Tim Rogers (a Vermonter who has made his home in Ireland for many years and is also a member of the organising committee) on fiddle, and Freda Hatton (another local member of the committee, and an accomplished Irish traditional musician) on Irish harp! Also from Cork came the Long Way Home duo, comprising Kylie Kay Anderson (from the US) and Owen Schinkel (from the Netherlands). Their blend of mandolin and fiddle old time music was a good fit for the festival, and they played a full part in the many sessions, and were spotted attending the mandolin workshop conducted by Dan Beimborn (US) who flew in from London especially for the event.

The CornMaiz String Band brought their Appalachian tunes, dance and lore from Eastern Kentucky. Band leader Carla Gover is also a superb educator in Appalachian culture, and her flat footing demonstrations were especially popular. She also took part in Footworks and Fiddles, a workshop in both Irish and Appalachian dance styles, with Bernadette Nic Gabhann. Germany’s Johnny & The Yuahoos were a revelation, with their serious bluegrass chops and progressive approach to the music. Most of all, they were great fun, and I look forward to see their return again soon.

The StillHouse Junkies from Colorado were as dynamic live performers as I had anticipated from their recordings, and it was obvious why they were named IBMA Momentum Band of the Year in 2021. Despite being jet lagged, they too threw themselves headlong into the sessions, as well as battling a poor sound system in one of their pub gigs. But the Saturday night theatre concert allowed them to shine as they deserved. The highlight among highlights was the Chicago band, The Henhouse Prowlers, who are also Bluegrass Ambassadors with the US State Dept and have played all over the world. Led by banjo player and charismatic founder, Ben Wright, the besuited four piece cut a dash both musically and visually, all weekend, culminating in their Main Stage performance on Saturday night.

The Folk component of the festival was rounded off by the superb pairing of old friends, Tony Reidy and Seamie O’Dowd, who treated their rapt audience to two hours of song swapping and storytelling on the Sunday night.

In addition to the aforementioned, Lonesome Highway unfortunately missed several band performances, including local stalwarts The Clew Bay Critters, The Jumper Cables (CZ), Yonder Boys (Germany), as well as the always popular Gospel Hour in the beautiful Holy Trinity church.

Many thanks to Uri, Sarah, Tim and Freda for their hard work in yet again producing a welcoming and musically excellent event. Roll on 2023!

Report by Eilís Boland