Calexico @ The Helix, Dublin - 5th November 2023

Twenty-three years after their first appearance in Ireland at Kilkenny Roots Festival and eight years since their last Dublin show, Calexico made a triumphant return to Ireland, the final date on their forty-plus tour celebrating the 20th Anniversary of their ground-breaking album Feast Of Wire. That the venue boasted excellent sound and a near capacity audience added to the overall sense of celebration. Originally the rhythm section in Howe Gelb's bohemian band Giant Sand, Joey Burns and John Convertino formed Calexico in 1996, and their core distinctive and cinematic border sound has remained unchanged since then. 

The support act tonight is Brian Lopez, who plays a selection of tracks from his latest album, Tidal. Lopez is also a guitarist in Calexico's touring band, and together with some solo acoustic songs, the other Calexico band members join him for some impressive Tex-Mex-shaped songs. 

Feast of Wire's subject matter was migration across the USA's southern borders, and Burns' prediction that - 'The future looks bleak with no sign of change' - on the album's central song, Across The Wire, remains very much to the fore today.

It's evident that most of this evening's audience has been on Calexico's musical journey from the original release of the album and possibly beforehand, and the level of expectation in the hall is apparent when the six-piece band come on stage. What follows is a masterclass in Tex-Mex, Latin rhythms and jazz-tinged Americana as the six-piece band performs the deluxe edition of the celebrated album in chronological order. Calexico's live shows consistently surpass the quality of their studio work, and tonight is no exception. The dynamism, passion and sheer musical brilliance on display this evening are equalled by the slickness of the performance. 

That album, as with most of their original material, is rich in instrumentals, and the delivery of the jazz-tinged Crumble, the rhythmic Dub Latina and Guero Canelo are sublime, surpassed only by the crowd favourite Close Behind, which is bolstered by the spectacular twin horns assault, courtesy of Martin Wenk and Jacob Valenzuela. A cover of Love's Alone Again Or and Joy Divisions' Love Will Tear Us Apart which was tailed on to the end of Not Even Stevie Nicks also featured, together with the electronic and experimental Attack! El Robot! Attack! 

What follows the sixty-five minutes devoted to Feast Of Wire is equally spectacular. Burns takes the opportunity to credit the musicians, the sound and lighting crew, and the tour and merchandising manager for their input throughout the tour before they launch into a six-song celebratory encore with an up-tempo selection from their back catalogue. Jacob Valenzuela takes the lead vocals on Inspiration and Flores y Tamales, and also included are Cumbia de Donde and Harness the Wind. 

It's pointless attempting to highlight any one backing musician who accompanied Joey Burns and John Convertino on stage tonight, given their excellence. Four players, Jacob Valenzuela, Martin Wenk, Scott Colberg, and Brian Lopez, shared over a dozen instruments, and all added vocals. However, overall plaudits have to be directed at Burns and Convertino, whose crystal-clear vocals and phenomenal drumming, respectively, championed what was an outstanding and joyous return to Dublin by Calexico. 

Review by Declan Culliton. Phone photograph by Kaethe Burt O’Dea

IBMA World Of Bluegrass 2023

The IBMA’s annual World of Bluegrass (WOB) event has long been the Mecca for bluegrass and old time fans and artists, and we visited this year’s event in Raleigh NC and are happy to confirm that it continues to uphold that reputation. It was impossible for a solo reporter to experience everything the festival had to offer over the five jam packed days and nights, but below is a selection of our favourites.

Regular visitors to Ireland, Special Consensus headlined the first night in the retro-styled Lincoln Theatre. Playing as part of the Kickoff Party, Greg Cahill and band featured songs from their newest album, Great Blue North, and welcomed on stage a host of alumni and friends including Rick Faris, Nick Dumas, Ned Luberecki, and Frank Solivan. Later in the week, lead vocalist & guitarist Greg Blake went on to win the IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year, and the band’s cover of Gordon Lighfoot’s Alberta Bound won the IBMA Collaborative Recording of the Year.

Next up that night, and also performing several more times during the week, were another band who have become familiar to Irish audiences, Seth Mulder & Midnight Run. Look out for their return to Europe in 2024, touring their newest recording, In Dreams I Go Back.

AJ Lee & Blue Summit emerged from the active Californian bluegrass scene a few short years ago and have gone on to become one of the most exciting string bands in the US. Pushing way beyond the boundaries of traditional bluegrass, their musicianship is scarily good but their songwriting takes them to a higher level. As well as playing on the main stage at the Red Hat Amphitheatre (open air), there were many opportunities to catch them in showcases over several days, including the official late night jams both in the smaller ballrooms of the Sheraton Hotel and  in the intimate showcase rooms hosted by several record companies on the upper floors of the hotel. Blue Summit were brought to Ireland’s Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival in 2019, and that festival’s director, Uri Cohen, was to be seen huddling in dark corners, no doubt plotting what stellar bands he’ll be bringing to our shores in the next couple of years! Also spotted enjoying the musical delights were Pat McGill, who runs the Ardara Bluegrass Festival as well as bluegrass gigs throughout the year in his lovely corner of Donegal. The Irish contingent was completed by the My Grass is Blue team, so lots of bookings to tour Ireland should be expected.

The talented Rick Faris, already mentioned above, was kept very busy throughout the festival, showcasing his new album, Uncommon Sky, with his own band (which included his two brothers) as well as taking part in songwriting and guitar workshops. Also a talented luthier, we wish him all the best in his move to Kentucky to continue his career and Faris Guitar Co. there. His record label Dark Shadow Recording were particularly hospitable during the festival, hosting a suite on the top floor which showcased some of the top acts including AJ Lee, HenHouse Prowlers and StillHouse Junkies (all of whom played Westport recently). Chris Luquette, the guitar whizz from Seattle and formerly with Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, was playing in the Rick Faris Band and we are eagerly awaiting for him to form the Chris Luquette Band - watch this space! Michael Cleveland played the main stage on the Friday night, but the mean fiddler was also to be seen jamming in the corridors of the Marriott after midnight the previous night. Swamptooth are a progressive stringband outfit from Savannah, Georgia who impressed greatly at their showcase.

The Street Stages is a regular feature of the World of Bluegrass, where five blocks of the city are closed off to traffic and five stages showcase both established and newer acts throughout the Fri and Sat, all free to the public. This is accompanied by a huge number of food trucks and craft stalls, promoting local cuisine and art. Some of the bands that we managed to catch included Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Mile Twelve, Jake Blount, The Gospel Jubilators, Kaia Kater, Hubby Jenkins, Tray Wellington, Nu-Blu, Missy Raines & Allegheny and Sister Sadie. Difficult to pick out a highlight but for this reviewer it was Jason Carter & Band. Known for many years as the fiddle player with Del McCoury Band and latterly The Travelling McCourys, he recently released his first solo album, Lowdown Hoedown. His band was a who’s who of current top players, and his set was phenomenal. In addition to an extensive range of commercial exhibitors, the Conference Hall was host to a series of sponsored stages, where acts like Danny Paisley and Irene Kelley were enjoyed at The Bluegrass Standard’s stage. New this year but proving very popular was the International Pavilion which showcased acts like Red Wine (Italy - who had just won the IBMA Distinguished Achievement award) and the haplessly named Country Gongbang (from S Korea), who sang in their native tongue.

Back to the open air Main Stage in the balmy southern nights and the line up was simply divine. Traditional bluegrass purveyors The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys were joined by special guests including the ubiquitous Jim Lauderdale, who of course has just recorded an album with them, fourteen  year old mandolin prodigy Wyatt Ellis, and Bobby Osborne Jnr who joined them for their tribute to his late father. Supergroup Mighty Poplar made a rare appearance (following their Americana Festival appearance in Nashville the previous week), with the wonderful Shad Cobb on fiddle. The Kruger Brothers led a tribute to their late friend Doc Watson, with special guest Jerry Douglas. Jerry was also the special guest for the Friday headliner (whose last album he produced), Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway. Molly had just won the IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year, so it was a triumphant performance in front of a very appreciative audience. Absolute highlight of the festival had to be (as in our last visit in 2019) the Del McCoury Band. Eighty-four year old Del showed why his is the most awarded band in bluegrass, and with the third generation of McCourys honing their chops on the stage alongside him, it is heartening to know that the show will go on.

As you can probably tell, a visit to the IBMA WOB is highly recommended, whether that be in Raleigh in 2024, or to the next host city from 2025, which has yet to be announced.

Report and photos by Eilís Boland

Joe Henry @ Whelan’s Upstairs -27th Sept 2023

It was always going to be a night of celebration and sweet reverie.  Joe Henry had not played in Dublin for quite a few years and there was a palpable expectation among the die-hard admirers of his craft as they gathered in anticipation of the venue doors opening into the intimate surroundings of Whelan’s upstairs room. The absence of chairs was a disappointment to the assembled crowd, most of whom bordered on the ‘mature’ side and would have preferred seated options. However, with a sold out show the promoters clearly wanted to populate the small space with as many upright bodies as possible.

Joe Henry took to the stage with his trusted Gibson guitar and was later joined by his talented son Levon Henry who accompanied him on saxophones and melodica for most of the show.  Their interplay throughout was always very creative and there was a synergy present that lifted all the songs chosen. Joe talked about many things between songs, including his recent recovery from prostate cancer, his song writing process, the influence of Cole Porter and the joy of poetry in both Haiku and the Sonnets. Having released album number sixteen in 2022, it was an unexpected bonus to have Joe visit five of his previous releases over the night and not just concentrate on the new material. His song writing is esoteric and evocative, open to interpretation and always deeply moving and powerful in the delivery. Joe has a very strong vocal presence and his guitar playing as always was superbly nuanced and colourful.

He references the sense of magic that exists in various guises and forms, the sense of the absolute in the flow of creativity that visits us all. Letting the songs present themselves is very important to Joe’s process and he uses his unique approach to act upon the muse that stirs within. In his writing and performance he channels what the rest of us acknowledge in occasional moments of heightened awareness. The difference is that Joe acts upon the messages that come dropping slowly into his days of seeking the spark. The emotion of the moment was truly captured tonight in the pin-drop silence which witnessed his songs and the joyous collaboration between father and son as they dovetailed across their delivery.  Visiting the new release, ALL THE EYE CAN SEE, he performed Song That I Know, Yearling, Kitchen Door, Karen Dalton and it was the title track that resonated with the lines ‘Here comes the night unfurling, its torn holy flag still burning, at borders that bleed until blurring, all the eye can see.’

Although it may appear that life becomes more complicated as we grow older, and Joe spoke of his “divided country,” it is the essence of his song writing craft to strip everything back to its core in discovery of the true humanity that he seeks. He mused that the only thing that binds us all together as humans is the experience of mortality and grief. Nobody can escape it and it is the recognition of this that is mirrored in what we identify in the music of Joe Henry and in what resonates most. Songs from previous albums include Odetta, Eyes Out For You, After the War, Fact Of Love, Orson Welles/Listen To the Lion, Kindness Of the World, Climb, This Is My Favourite Cage and are played with great mastery and a knowing resonance. It struck me that Joe absorbs life experience like a sponge, his journey soaking up insight and influences into the pure emotion that touches musical peaks to connect with his audience of listeners. There is a deep reservoir to these songs and in his vision to capture special moments of self awareness, a type of magic dust that sprinkles us all. We rarely get to experience the real sense of wonder in the world. Perhaps Joe is plugged into it more often than not. His reputation as a producer is as legendary as the numerous artists that he has worked with and it is his vision to let the artist speak their truth that attracts so many to his door. Here’s hoping that he returns soon to our shores and regales us once again with his talent and his wisdom.

Review and photograph by Paul McGee

Keeping It Country @ AMERICANAFEST 2023

With Americana covering so many musical genres it’s a relief to see that ‘real’ country music, whether traditional or more contemporary continues to be well represented at the annual AMERICANAFEST, now celebrating its 23rd anniversary. This year was no exception with so much on offer for those looking for twangy guitars, weeping pedal steel and country fiddles. Here are a number of the acts that hit the Lonesome Highway sweet spot at the festival.

Skinny Dennis @ Sound Sharp hosted by Zephaniah OHora

A dream line-up that included sets by the hardest working artist at the festival, Brennen Leigh together with Kristina Murray - showcasing new songs from her next album, Joshua Hedley and Zephaniah OHora. Despite the constant chatter by over half the audience - why attend these if you’re going to spend the time chatting loudly with your friends? - this was a fun-filled event hosted by Zephaniah, whose recent relocation to Nashville promises many memorable shows like this one.

Pat Reedy & The Long – at Bobby’s Idle Hour

A highlight of the week with Pat Reedy and his cracking band at Music Row’s legendary neighbourhood honky tonk. Pat’s guests included Dylan Earl, West of Texas, Rosy Nolan and Bob Wayne. Great music, dancing, company and fun at one of Music Row’s finest music rooms.

Brennen Leigh at Dee’s Cocktail Lounge

Given the amount of ground she covered, Brennen’s white travel van could be seen parked at various locations around Nashville, both legally and illegally. We managed to catch two of her shows, the latter and an outdoor event at Dee’s Cocktail Lounge. A stalwart of country music for the past two decades, Brennen has hit a purple patch in recent years, reflected by this show which featured a selection of songs from her last three albums.

Victoria Bailey at Acme & Seed

Appearing at the California Country Show alongside twelve other acts, Victoria’s twenty-minute slot was quality and a reminder, if we needed it, of an artist on the brink of a breakthrough to a career that’s going to find her gracing much larger stages in the future.

Summer Dean

A relatively late starter as a professional, Summer Dean has made up for lost time with two fine albums in the past few years. Popping up on so many stages during the festival, we caught her dynamic show at Dee’s Cocktail Lounge where her slot mirrored the quality of those albums.

Jim Lauderdale

An artist that never fails to deliver, his appointment with The Game Changers as his backing band is a match made in country heaven. Jim played a storming set at East Nash Bowl and also featured at The Basement East for A Tribute of the Songs of 1973.

Emmy Nenni

Our first opportunity to see Emily perform live and no better venue to do so than the American Legion on Tuesday Honky Tonk Night. Performing a setlist drawn from her album ON THE RANCH, she reminded us why that album is one of our favourites of this year.

West Of Texas

HEARTACHE, HANGOVERS & HONKY TONKS, from 2021, was our introduction to West of Texas and they delivered a set packed with Bakersfield and Texan-influenced country tunes at Love & Exile and Bobby’s Idle Hour.

The Pink Stones

Recreating the late 60s cosmic country sound of The Burrito Brothers and New Riders of The Purple Sage, The Pink Stones nailed their forty-five-minute slot at the 5 Spot.

Joshua Hedley

Whether performing solo or with a band ‘Mr. Jukebox’ lived up to his reputation as one of the hardest-working and talented country artists in Nashville. Alongside festival showcases Joshua also played his Monday and Friday four-hour residency shows at Robert’s Western World on Broadway.

Kimmi Bitter

A throwback to the classic country of the 60s and Western swing of earlier decades, Kimmi’s crystal-clear vocals and relaxed style reiterated why she’s been recognised in many circles as an artist confidently climbing the country music ladder.

Dylan Earl

Whether playing solo and with guests at the 5 Spot or fronting a band at Bobby’s Idle Hour, Dylan Earl’s classic country vocals and clever material were a joy to behold. Blending country weepies alongside some fun filled ballads he made a lot of new friends and admirers along the way.

Overview and photographs by Declan Culliton

The John Martyn Project @ Whelan’s, Dublin - Sept 17th 2023

Tonight was the conclusion to a brief tour of Ireland for this band of richly talented musicians. They were at the end of a 5-day run that included gigs in Kilkenny, Limerick, Belfast, Virginia and Dublin. It was appropriate that Whelan’s should be the final venue of the tour as it retains much of the spirit of John Martyn’s music in the walls. He last played in the venue back on July 2nd 2008 as a taster for the Dysart Music Festival which was due to take place in the grounds of Dysart Castle, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the festival was forced into a change of venue and eventually lost a lot of the original acts that were due to play. John Martyn died just six months later at a hospital in Thomastown, having lived in the area for some time previous. His long-term abuse of drugs and alcohol has been documented by the media over many years and despite all of his many musical gifts he was also seen as both difficult and unpredictable, prone to bouts of anger and a tendency in latter days towards reclusiveness.

Tonight this six-piece band, which included Blythe Pepino, Kit Hawes, Pete Josef, Sam Brookes, John Blakeley and John Short speak about John Martyn between songs, with a few of the band sharing their individual memories of being introduced to his music. Blythe spoke from the heart when she mused over the gentle nature of his song writing and his troubadour soul but also referenced the toxic masculinity for which he was often perceived. Perhaps it was this dichotomy that separated him out from other Folk-based artists that had developed in the 60s and went on to greater success in their musical careers. John Martyn was a chameleon on many different levels. He straddled many genres, recklessly brave in his passion to tear down the walls that separate so many purists of various traditions. He fused traditional folk with progressive leanings, jazz-based experimentation with rock elements and during his band phase and was close to both reggae and the blues in his often soulful, always deeply moving music. He was a renegade with a gypsy heart who challenged the status quo often and never settled for the safe place. A pioneer and a seeker of new frontiers as he wrestled with his demons until they finally took him to that final gig in the sky.

Tonight, the generous set list covered 19 songs, mostly taken from the period 1970 to 1977, and showcased material from just six original albums. The core set featured seven tracks from Solid Air (1973) with Bless the Weather (1971) featured an additional five songs. The absence of any music from the many additional releases up to 2004 bears testament to the volume of work that John Martyn produced and also the potential for this tribute band to further interpret the singular talents of this unique musician into future shows. The quality of playing on the stage tonight was very impressive and each member contributed to a seamless performance that had the audience on their feet with a standing ovation on more than one occasion. The interplay, the dexterity, the harmony vocals, the subtle rhythm section, understated keyboards, and the lovely vibe in the room and onstage all contributed to a night that was very special indeed. The band promised to return and it will be something to mark on the calendar when they do find their way back to our shores.

Highlights were the incredible guitar dynamics of Kit Hawes on Man At The Station. His ability on six strings was just off-the-charts and his solo version of Small Hours delivered another standout performance. Sam Brookes has a superbly percussive guitar style that captured so much of what separated out John Martyn in his playing.  He also has a very expressive vocal that at times channels Jeff Buckley in its colour and power. On keyboards and guitar we had the fine inventiveness of Pete Josef and his version of Spencer the Rover was another special moment on a night of many enduring memories. The rhythm section of John Short and John Blakeley proved pivotal to much of the subtle groove on stage. Always playing in the pocket and never pushing the easy tempo of their combined delivery. The lovely vocals of Blythe Pepino feature throughout and her wonderful delivery of Don’t Wanna Know saw the other musicians rise to the challenge and deliver a real tour de force as the gig built to a wonderful climax.

The encore featured the sublime Couldn’t Love You More with Sam on vocal and then the band took to the front of the stage to deliver an acoustic Over the Hill improvisation, complete with audience sing-along and a guest appearance of Blythe’s dog, who wandered around the stage and bonded with the front row for some petting and tail wagging. It was a very special evening and this impressive group of musicians brought their combined gifts to mark another landmark gig at the famous Whelan’s venue.

Review and photos by Paul McGee

Charley Crockett @ The Button Factory, Dublin 5th September 2023

The expectation around the return visit of Charley Crockett is palpable tonight at The Button Factory, evidenced by the size of the crowd in the venue long before the start time. The support act for Crockett’s Europe and UK tour is Oxfordshire-born Ags Connolly, an artist very much championed by us all at Lonesome Highway for a number of years. Connolly, as is the case with Charley Crockett, was hugely inspired by the music of the late James ‘Slim’ Hand and it is little surprise that he includes I Saw James Hand in his thirty-minute set. He draws mainly on material from his most recent album, SIEMPRE, which he explains is more ‘Texas Border’ than his earlier career ‘Honky Tonk’ sound. His booming baritone vocal reaches every corner of the room on Heading South and Overwhelmed from that album and he also includes what he describes, tongue in cheek, as his ‘feelgood number’ I Hope You’re Unhappy.

Texan Charley Crockett’s parting words as he left the stage to rapturous applause at The Workman’s Club in Dublin last October were ‘My first time in Ireland y’all, but believe me, we’re coming back.’

True to his words, Crockett and his five-piece band, The Blue Drifters, are back in town and this time for another sell-out show, but at a much larger venue. The age demographic at the show is also a pointer toward an artist whose sound - christened by him as Gulf and Western - has an equal appeal to all ages. That sound seamlessly blends traditional country, blues, gospel, and rockabilly, and his setlist draws mainly from his more recent albums, THE MAN FROM WACO, MUSIC CITY USA, WELCOME TO HARD TIMES, and 10 FOR SLIM - CHARLEY CROCKETT SINGS JAMES HAND.

The Blue Drifters, decked out in matching black western shirts tonight, have been Crockett’s backing band for a number of years and it’s no surprise that they are on fire tonight. The stage is brimming with instruments including acoustic and electric guitars, banjo, pedal steel, upright and electric bass guitars, drums, trumpet, keys and accordion, with Kullen Fox taking on the role of bandleader, playing keyboards, trumpet and accordion.

The set is packed with crowd pleasers, from the opener, Run Horse Run, to the pre-encore closer, I’m Just a Clown. Music City USA, The Man From Waco, Odessa, and Trinity River are highlights and in the heat of the moment Crockett, mid-song, manages to forget the lyrics of the encore, a sweet version of Crystal Gayle’s Crystal Chandeliers.

‘They call me ‘country’ now, but I was ‘folk’ when I was a hobo playing street corners, and I’m going to be ‘blues’ right now,’ he announces, before launching into a ripping take of T-Bone Walker’s Travelin’ Blues. Other covers that get aired are a trio of James Hand songs, Midnight Run, Lesson in Depression and Don’t Tell Me That and he takes a trip down memory lane and back to the 60s with an up-tempo rendition of Buck Owens’ Act Naturally, and Jerry Reed’s I Feel For You.

Switching from acoustic guitar to banjo, and banjo to electric guitar, and with dance moves that include hip-swinging, pelvis shaking, and sliding across the stage, Crockett is the quintessential showman. But it’s the quality of his vocals, the stellar players around him and the pure energy and soulfulness that they collectively generate, that capture and hold the attention of everyone lucky enough to have attended a memorable performance.

Review by Declan Culliton Photography by Kaethe Burt O’Dea

The Caleb & Reeb Country Band @ The Red Room, Co Tyrone - Sep 5, 2023

The hospitable Sharon & Arnie Loughrin began to open their home, in rural Co. Tyrone in Northern Ireland, for bluegrass house concerts several years ago. Since then, the venture has grown to become a well known and popular venue for roots music, particularly featuring bands from the USA, and is a ‘home from home’ for many of them. Arnie’s versatility and hard work has resulted in the building of a spectacular venue in the form of a rustic red brick barn which seats 80, complete with an open turf fire, decorated with quirky farm implements and found objects, and completed with Sharon’s famed quilts. And so, it was a pleasure for Lonesome Highway to return to the Red Room for the much anticipated first Irish tour of the Caleb & Reeb Country Band with their full line up. It’s expensive to put a big band like this on the road, especially when they have to travel from the US, so hats off to promoter Uri Kohen for pulling it all together. Principal songwriter and co-band leader Caleb Klauder is, of course, very familiar to Irish audiences, having first visited here over twenty years ago with his then fledgling Foghorn String Band. It feels like he has returned every year since then, either with various iterations of the Foghorns, or with his partner Reeb Willms. Americana and bluegrass bassist and producer, Nashville based Mike Bub was on his first visit to the lovely Red Room. They were also joined by Louisiana music royalty in the form of fiddler Joel Savoy, from the famous Savoy Family Band. On snare drum was Michael Carroll from California, and the line up was completed by Portland, Oregon’s Rusty Blake on his Sho-Bud pedal steel and Telecaster.

The very tight band (all real pros but also all very familiar with each other) put on a dream of a show with a selection of old fashioned country songs, many penned by Caleb, but all sounding like they could have originated from any part of the last century. As well as being an all round great human being, Caleb is proficient on mandolin and acoustic guitar and is a very prolific songwriter. In the first half of the show we were treated to new songs like Too Far Gone and Gold In Your Pocket, whetting our appetite for the imminent new record. Reeb Willms took lead vocals and guitar for her own compositions, the lovely cowgirl song High Desert Plain and another Western themed one, The Montana Cowboy. They launched into duets on two Buck Owens numbers, the deliciously slow It Don’t Show On Me and then There Goes My Love. Caleb gave us the moving background to the recent passing of his ‘second father’, Duff, and sang the affectionate tribute to him that he has recorded for the next album. He’s Gone Where He’s Never Been Before refers to Duff as ‘a legend that needed no folklore’. Reeb and Caleb’s voices meld together beautifully for a cover of the George Jones & Melba Montgomery hit Please Be My Love, and after another of Caleb’s timeless love songs, Can I Go Home With You, we all take a break for the obligatory tea and buns and chat in the kitchen.

Herded back to the barn by the clang of Arnie’s bell, we were treated to another equally fun set for the second half. Highlights included Reeb’s rendition of the gentle, slow, romantic, cowboy ballad The Faraway Skies, which they dedicated to the much missed Brian Crawford, a friend to all in bluegrass and a fixture at The Red Room. Mike Bub stepped up to the mic with his bass and went down a bomb with his rendition of Jimmy Martin’s I Got My Future On Ice. Rusty Knox treated us to his pedal steel instrumental Freckles, which allowed room for a fiddle break from Joel Savoy. There were more new songs from Caleb, including the fiddle-led Chained By Desire, Shame Shame Shame and the duet Sad Songs. The encore started with Caleb’s solo cover of Norman Blake’s Billy Gray, then eager audience participation in the a capella Surrounded By Love, and finally another new Louisiana-influenced dance song, New Shoes.

It was just a pity there wasn’t room to dance … that’s Arnie’s next project?

Review and photogrphy by Eilís Boland

Eddi Reader & The Alan Kelly Gang @ Ratoath, Co Meath - Sat 2nd Sept 2023

This concert marked a welcome return for Eddi Reader and the Alan Kelly Gang to a very popular venue that had hosted the musicians on previous occasions over the years. It was prior to Covid when the band last came through town and tonight they were intent on making up for lost time with a rousing and uplifting performance that had the capacity crowd delighted with the music and the craic.

Eddi was in fine voice as always, and you can never tire of hearing her sing. Her vocal range was as powerful as ever and the joy of being in the moment shone forth from her gypsy soul. Her wickedly playful sense of humour is never far away and the between-songs banter was always a tonic. Whether she was berating the Irish people for stealing the Book of Kells from the Scottish , with the help of the Vikings, or acting out the part of her Mother back in childhood memories, Eddi commited to the performance with everything that she had in her vagabond heart.

Alan Kelly has been a household name in Irish traditional music circles for over 20 years now and his piano accordion expertise is right up there with the finest musicians that Ireland has produced. His band comprises Sligo guitarist Shane McGowan, singer and flautist Steph Geremia, and Jim Higgins on percussion. Eddi is joined by her husband John Douglas on guitar and vocals and they have been a couple since their marriage back in 2013. He has written songs for Eddi’s solo albums, including  the SONGS OF ROBERT BURNS project that earned her an MBE back in 2006. Tonight, John opened the show with a short solo set that included songs from his new album and cover versions of songs by Prefab Sprout (We Let the Stars Go) and Van Morrison (Across the Bridge Where Angels Dwell), with Eddi on harmony vocals for the latter number.

Highlights of the main performance included songs from across Eddi’s back catalogue with Find My Love, Vagabonds, Ay Fond Kiss and Dragonflies (dedicated to Sinead O’Connor) particular highlights. Edie also sang a wonderful version of Mona Lisa in honour of her Mother and the parties that used to take place in their council house back in old Glasgow. Eddi used her Scots brogue throughout and was never short of a skip and a sway in tune with the superb music that the band delivered.

Alan played a series of jigs and reels at certain stages of the song set and the virtuoso musicianship of the band members was both exciting and impressive. Steph played beautifully on flute and whistle in addition to singing with a sweetly toned vocal on songs Navigator (a Pogues song), Get Up Jack, John Sit Down and on the encore, The Garden. An accomplished performer and a fine harmony foil for Eddi in her songs. The guitars of both Shane McGowan and John Douglas were always inventive and the way in which they dove tail around the various rhythms was always engaging. On percussion Jim Higgins provided the engine room and never dropped a beat as he drove the tempo of the songs forward.

Two songs from Alan’s repertoire included the Shetland Sky and the Oblique Jig, while Eddi dipped into the CAVALIER album to pick out stirring versions of Maiden’s Lament and Meg O’ The Glen which finished with some intricate jamming among the players.  Pangur Bán and the Primrose Lass was laced with fun performances and an addictive melody, while Your Welcome Willie Stewart  was another encore tune that had the audience clapping and shouting along to the celebratory chorus.

It was a night to remember and a real triumph for the superb Venue Theatre, nestled in the heart of Ratoath village and providing a consistently high level of variety and entertainment to the local community.  

Review and photograph by Paul McGee

Sylvie @ Whelan’s, Dublin - Saturday 26th August 2023

Ben Schwab says that the band has been playing on the road for so long this year, that with only two dates remaining on the current tour he is really looking forward to drinking a few beers and meeting people at the merch desk tonight. Not that you could detect any signs of weariness or burn out in the performance of this very talented trio.

The band name is the creation of founder member Ben Schwab and it is in tribute to his father, John, who once stood on the verge of a record contract back in the 70s before it was all taken away from him. His father was part of the psych-folk band Mad Anthony, and a few years back, Ben discovered some old recordings in a box while cleaning out an old room. Ben decided to put the songs into a modern context and in addition he picked one of the cover versions, a song by Matthews Southern Comfort titled Sylvie, to include on his 2022 album of the same name. That album was a real treat in a year of great music releases and at just seven songs and twenty-eight minutes it remains one of my enduring memories of last year.

Tonight, performing with the talented Laura Jean Anderson on vocals and Keven Louis Lareau on guitar and vocals, Schwab delivers an hour of drop-dead gorgeous tunes, beautifully played and sung with the most sublime harmony vocals.  The short set is entirely satisfying and in no way something that disappoints the rapt audience that hang on every moment. Sometimes that old cliché ‘less is more’ actually makes sense and this was one of those nights. The guitar interplay is incredibly impressive as both Schwab and Lareau dove-tail around the melody and deliver harmony vocals that are very reminiscent of CSN and that old Laurel Canyon vibe that created such timeless music. Anderson is such a beautiful singer and some of her moments are truly special as she elevates the songs to new heights with her vocal warmth and quiet power. At times if one closes their eyes, echoes of Linda Ronstadt spring to mind in the phrasing and tone of her voice.

Most of the songs from last year’s album are played with, Further Down the Road Rosaline, Stealing Time and Falls On Me all building a beautiful atmosphere in the room. The song Sylvie is itself a standout with the understated playing just perfectly judged as Schwab takes lead and Lareau threads rhythm through the wrap-around vocals. The band try out a new song, as yet untitled, and an older song Rina is included as a cover of an original Mad Anthony track. Two other cover songs are performed and the Beatles song Blackbird and the Buffalo Springfield song Flying On The Ground Is Wrong are interpreted with great originally, making them instantly recognisable and yet very much in the fashion of the unique Sylvie sound.

Schwab promises a return visit with a bigger band and I can only put you on notice as the prospect of adding pedal steel and keyboards to this sublime music is simply mouthwatering. The song Are You Coming? opened the show as an invite for the audience to join Sylvie on the journey that was about to unfold – I am so glad that I was along for the ride. Watch this space…

Review and photography by Paul McGee

The Indigo Girls @ NCH, Dublin - 17th August 2023

The last time that Indigo Girls Amy Ray and Emily Saliers touched down in Dublin was back in October 2019, six months prior to Ireland declaring a full lock-down due to the Covid virus. Now, four years on from the World pressing the pause-button on life as we knew it, the Indigo Girls are back in town as part of a short European tour in support of their 2020 release, LOOK LONG.

Traveling as a trio and playing a further six dates in England before a return to America, the addition of Lyris Hung on violin is an inspired choice in adding texture and warmth to the performance. Tonight the set list visits eleven albums in the back catalogue of this much loved and revered duo. Apart from live albums, solo projects, compilations, and political activism, Amy and Emily have released a total of fifteen studio recordings. It is a very rich legacy to their talents as performers and songwriters, and their willingness to put in the hard miles in touring over their thirty-six years on the road has resulted in a compelling live act of both finely-honed craft and a vibrancy in the playing. Their sound is joyous when the guitars are in full flow and those air-tight harmonies kick in. Adding the superbly lyrical contributions of Hung on violin provides a palette of extra colours to the already heady mix of their celebratory sound.

Tonight, as the wonderful songs come and go, it strikes me that one of the most challenging jobs in live touring is that of the guitar technician. The Girls change instruments on every song and the guitar roadie treads a regular path from stage left to deliver freshly tuned instruments in a flawless display of timely delivery. Playing without a rhythm section could be a challenge for many bands but not in the case of the Indigo Girls, who are their own engine room. The intensity in their playing is so impressive as the trio of musicians dove tail seamlessly in-and-out of their parts in the song arrangements.

The Indigo Girls have always addressed the issues of the day, never shirking the injustices that are apparent in their daily experience. Whether it’s gender-related, socially-motivated, or politically-driven, the duo has delivered songs of great empathy and insight when it comes to holding up a mirror to the feelings of their generation and beyond. Highlights tonight include old favourites Least Complicated, Power Of Two, The Wood Song, Galileo and the perennial encore, Closer To Fine, for which the girls are joined by Hothouse Flowers members Fiachna Ó Braonáin and Peter O’Toole. The new album features and included are the songs Howl At the Moon, Look Long, When We Were Writers and Shit Kickin.’ There are other songs that resonate, such as Fishtails, Dairy Queen, Yield, and Share the Moon and when Amy dedicates Go in honour of Sinéad O’Connor, the heart-felt tribute is greeted with lengthy applause. Lyris Hung also features with a superb violin solo that displays her incredible musicianship as she loops foot-pedal parts and phrases into a building sound that delivers a real tour-de-force.

One thing that takes away from the evening is the somewhat ‘formal’ surrounding of the NCH, leading to a restrained atmosphere between songs and the usually upbeat exchange of banter between audience and the band. Apart from the regular ‘thanks, y’all’ there is a lack of momentum building from one song to the next and this could have been due to the passage of time since the Girls were last in Dublin. Some requests were made for old songs that have not been rehearsed or reshaped by the Girls for this acoustic-based tour, but none of this seems to matter as everything draws to a conclusion and the crowd, eventually on their feet, sings along to the chorus of Closer To Fine. My particular favourite, Kid Fears, is not included tonight but one thing is for sure; there is no fear of  the Indigo Girls ever ceasing to be a much loved part of the musical tapestry of Irish people who recognise enduring talent when it presents itself. Hopefully this will not be their last visit.  

Review and phone photography by Paul McGee

Kieran Goss and Annie Kinsella @ Chandler’s House, Rathfriland -16th July 2023

Having been born and raised in Mayobridge, Co Down, a short distance of less than five miles away, it’s something of a surprise to learn that Kieran Goss has never played a concert in Rathfriland before now.  Local promoter Andy Peters has been a great asset to the town for many years past in bringing live music to the area and his more recent activities as a member of Rathfriland and District Regeneration Group, has seen an old bank building turned into a cultural centre which can host musical events, drama groups and a community cinema facility. The venue, Chandler’s House, has turned out to be a really superb space, both intimate and perfectly suited for the type of performance that Kieran Goss and his wife Annie Kinsella are renowned for delivering.

Tonight, to a capacity crowd, the two musicians provide a cosy atmosphere filled with endearing music and story telling that has the audience both laughing and singing along at various stages of the evening.  Kieran reveals that the most recent album, OH THE STARLINGS has been available since just before the pandemic but the opportunity to tour the songs was not possible until this year as a result of the lockdowns. Concentrating a good portion of the concert on this release and the batch of excellent songs, both Kieran and Annie blend seamlessly together on harmony vocals and engage the room with their obvious charm and witty communications. The show opens with We’ve Got Us and the atmosphere is instantly set among the hushed audience who instantly feel part of the performance. The title song of the new album follows and Oh the Starlings is a lovely reflection on nature and the birds that migrate to the West of Ireland every year.

Come Back Liza is a cover of a song written by Harry Belafonte who died in April last. The calypso swing of the song is joyful and the audience are invited to sing along to the chorus. Michael’s Orchard is written around a true story of a Dublin man who took to farming in Co Clare and defied all local expectations by succeeding in growing apple trees on barren lands. It’s a song written by renowned local songwriter Colum Sands. Kieran also looks to his back catalogue of songs that date back to his 1989 debut album and he performs Brand New Star in addition to other popular songs Out Of My Head and Reasons To Love (Heaven On Earth).

After a short interval, an instrumental called The Marble and the Glass highlights the excellent guitar skills of Kieran as he moves fluently and fluidly along the fretboard in a virtuoso display of fingerstyle excellence. There are cover versions of Crying In the Rain (Carole King/Howard Greenfield), dedicated to the memory of Don Everly who died in 2021, Feeling Groovy (Simon and Garfunkel) and the Four Tops classic Reach Out (I’ll Be There). New songs are also given an airing and the reaction is very positive to The Sunny Side Of Me, Silver Lining, and Stop Awhile, Stay Awhile. Another new song, dedicated to the family dog is preceded by a tale about touring schedules and having to leave their canine friend with a neighbour as The Beautiful Bluebell, You And Me recounts long walks by the sea and coming home to a warm and loving home. 

Another cover song Jewel Of The South (Rodney Crowell) is a highlight and delivered with due reverence; the sweet vocal delivery from Annie  both delicate and very captivating.  Other songs performed from the new album include the beautiful Hymn To Love, an adaptation of the WB Yeats poem, The Song Of Wandering Aengus, and the lullaby Time To Go Sleeping, which ends the show tonight.

The short Irish tour that is currently taking place is titled Home For the Summer and with Covid having cancelled 156 shows across 6 different countries for this couple in recent years, it’s really great to see Kieran and Annie returning again to live performance and bringing their obvious talents into the public domain again.

Review and photograph by Paul McGee

Steve Earle & Roseanne Reid @ Vicar Street, Dublin 29th June 2023

His beard may be greyer and his hair somewhat thinner, but Steve Earle’s performance this evening lived up to the standard of his many visits to Ireland over the past three decades. It’s the final date of his The Alone Again Tour and Earle is in sparkling form. His vocals, guitar, and mandolin work are outstanding, aided in no small measure by a sound engineer whose input results in a crystal-clear sound.

Earle’s choice of support act on the tour is the Edinburgh-born singer songwriter, Roseanne Reid. Her apprenticeship as a young artist learning her trade included attending Steve Earle’s Camp Copperhead songwriting workshop in Upstate New York in 2016. Their relationship developed from there, resulting in Earle sharing vocals on the song Sweet Annie, from Reid’s debut album TRAILS. The invitation to open for Earle on his current tour has given Reid the perfect opportunity to introduce her music, including material from her recently released album LAWSIDE, to a wide audience. The quietly spoken Reid takes full advantage tonight, playing material from both her latest album and debut record to a full house. Support slots can be challenging, but from her opening song, All I Need, she plays to pin-drop silence. Also included in her set are Couldn’t Wish More For You from her new album and I Love Her So from her debut album. Given the rapturous applause at the end of her thirty-minute set, Reid has undoubtedly won over a host of new admirers.

Earle’s setlist is a perfectly balanced selection of material from his two-dozen album back catalogue, alongside several poignant covers. He opens with Shane McGowan’s If I Should Fall From Grace With God (‘one of THE greatest songwriters, I’m singing this one because when he does no one can understand a fuckin’ word he’s saying’) and bookends the show one- and three-quarter hours and two dozen songs later with Jerusalem.  

Now She’s Gone is, tongue-in-cheek, dedicated to ‘what’s her name, wherever she is’ and is followed by Goodbye (‘same girl, different harmonica’). In conjunction with Earle’s good humour throughout are two emotionally charged songs that are performed back-to-back. Introducing Harlem River Blues, he tells of his ongoing anguish and devastation since the accidental death of his son Justin Townes, explaining that his tragic demise was a result of fentanyl-laced cocaine. Also recalled is the passing of Jerry Jeff Walker (‘one of my original teachers, alongside Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt’) with his inclusion of Mr. Bojangles, a song Earle tells us he has been playing since he was fourteen years old.  

Explaining the backstory to It’s About Blood, he speaks passionately about the twenty-nine lives lost on April 5, 2010, following an explosion at the Upper Branch coal mine in West Virginia. Other highlights include Guitar Town, The Devil’s Right Hand and Taneytown and the back-to-back raw blues of You’re The Best Lover I Ever Had and South Nashville Blues. Saving the best for last, he picks up the mandolin and finishes with crowd-pleasers Copperhead Road and Galway Girl, boasting that the latter will be his legacy after his day (‘even if people will probably think some Irish fucker wrote it’).  He encores with two songs, Billy Austin and the aforementioned Jerusalem, ending what has been a spectacular and memorable return to Ireland by one of our most cherished adopted sons. 

Review and photos by Declan Culliton

Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival 2023

The small team in Westport have pulled off yet another successful production, their seventeenth, to continue the high standards of what has been rightly declared as one of the top boutique festivals in Ireland. The weather this year certainly helped to show off this beautiful Mayo town at its best, while the programme was as good as ever.

Pulling off somewhat of a coup, the headlining act was The Kody Norris Show, direct from East Tennessee, currently one of the top bluegrass bands in the US. They certainly cut a dash around town all weekend, clearly loving every minute of their first visit to Ireland (and Europe) and making friends everywhere they went, in their coordinating outfits adorned with tassels & rhinestones. Not only were they dressed in homage to their bluegrass heroes, though, but they also have the musical chops to carry on the tradition. This they did with much humour and aplomb, their newly penned songs (mostly from the pen of Kody himself) demonstrating that they will progress the genre, as well as carry the torch for the traditional material. There has always been an emphasis on old time American (or mountain) music in this festival, and this year was no exception. One of the headliners for the Friday night Town Hall concert was the trio of Austin Derryberry (fiddle) and his wife Courtney (guitar and flatfooting) and Prof Greg Reish (guitar) who are well known exponents of this string band genre, that originated in the late 19th and early 20th century, particularly in the Appalachias. The other headliner that night was Bill & The Belles, a string band trio from Tennessee, who stretch the genre into more pop and jazz territory, much to the appreciation of the sold out venue.

One of the draws of this festival for music lovers is the ancillary programme that runs alongside the (mostly free) day and night time gigs in the pubs. Drawing on their experience of N American festivals, Uri, Tim and Freda have had the foresight to add workshops and allied events to the already extensive choice of gigs. This year included a Square Dance, with tuition for the uninitiated, the Gospel Hour on Sunday morning in the architecturally important Holy Trinity Church, the Red Room Mystery Gig, and two workshops on the Saturday afternoon. The aforementioned Prof Greg Reish, of the Centre for Popular Music in Middle Tennessee State University, is a musicologist and scholar as well as a musician, and gave a fascinating lecture about the restoration of the almost lost tapes of the hugely important old time fiddler, Ed Haley. Austin Derryberry followed this with a workshop on old time fiddle.

In addition to this, punters and musicians alike happily rubbed shoulders all weekend, including impromptu jams on the street and later sessions in the hotels until well into the night.

Sat night’s concert, MC’d expertly again by Kerry Fearon, opened with a too short set from Nashville’s Jacob Groopman & Melody Walker, formerly of Front Country. Melody has become known for her songwriting in particular, and gave her own take on songs that she co-wrote with Molly Tuttle for her Grammy winning album, The Crooked Tree. Fog Holler, another sartorially coordinated foursome, hailing from Portland, Oregon also proved popular tonight and over the weekend with their blend of original edgy bluegrass, their fiddler Lillian Sawyer being particularly impressive. Headliners were, of course, the unforgettable Kody Norris Show, demonstrating why they were voted Entertainer of the Year and Instrumental Group of the Year at SPGMA this year.

Europe was represented, as always by the very accomplished and entertaining Rustic Robots (Czech Rep),  Lluis Gomez Bluegrass Quartet (Spain) and Lunch Special (UK). Unfortunately, Lonesome Highway couldn’t get around to seeing all of the acts, which also included the local Rocky Top Stringband, The Pond and the Demolition String Band (US) and Niamh Dunne (Irish folk).

The dates for next year have been announced (June 7-9, 2024) and accommodation books up very early, so put it in your diary and start planning now. You have been warned.

Report & photos by Eilís Boland

Lukas Nelson @ The Academy, Dublin - 23rd June 2023

What doesn’t fit into the header above is the rather lengthy name of the Lukas Nelson band, The Promise of the Real (POTR). Formed in 2008, after a random meeting at a Neil Young concert between Lukas and drummer Anthony LoGerfo, the tale of how the band name came about is very amusing; consisting of a post-concert party that included midnight surfing, a painful encounter with a sting ray, and listening to Young’s On the Beach album that has the track Walk On and the lines ‘sooner or later, it all gets real.’ Being the son of a Country music legend may get you a seat at some interesting tables but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you receive any return invites. You have to earn your own place in the music industry and there is an implied pressure just from the family background alone.

Lukas has been able to not only emerge from any potential shadow that is cast by his father but has walked down his own sunny path of success. His music can best be summed up as Country Soul although growing up with the early influences of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan has also coloured his song arrangements and the extended guitar dynamics that form such an integral part of his overall sound. Lukas Nelson is quite simply a superbly gifted guitarist and on many songs tonight he displays that sublime talent within the song structures that often extend into great band workouts across the five musicians on stage at the Academy.

This is a very impressive return to Dublin for Nelson and he certainly gives everything in a genuinely star-quality performance. His vocal tone is reminiscent of his father at times, especially on the slower numbers, and he can also channel Glen Campbell at other moments. Although there is a new album due shortly, called Sticks and Stones, the bulk of the setlist tonight is focused on the 2017 album, Promise of the Real. Several favourites are greeted by the enthusiastic crowd, with Four Letter Word, Die Alone and Fool Me Once turning up the intensity.  More reflective songs like Just Outside of Austin, Set Me Down On A Cloud and Forget About Georgia show off a more country side of his sound, while the standout rendition of Find Yourself is such a special moment with a powerful and soulful vocal performance added to by some dynamic guitar playing.

The show includes a solo slot from Nelson where he performs three songs on acoustic guitar, again demonstrating his impressive technique and tone on Consider It Heaven, The Breath Of My Baby and a beautifully delivered Angel Flying Too Close To the Ground a tribute to his father’s enduring legacy and a real highlight (plus my favourite Willie Nelson song). The funky side of the band is displayed on Carolina, a song that has an addictive groove, reminiscent of Little Feat, running through the rhythm. Throughout, the interplay between the musicians is superb to witness, the years of playing as an ensemble showcasing their consistently high standards. Lukas Nelson (guitar, vocals) is joined as always by Anthony LoGerfo (drums, percussion), Tato Melgar (percussion), Corey McCormick (bass, vocals), and Logan Metz (guitars, harmonica, keyboards, vocals).        

The upcoming album is featured with the title track Sticks and Stones kicking off proceedings, alongside Every Time I Drink, More Than Friends, Ladder Of Love and Alcohallelujah. These new songs all sound vibrant and alive, which bodes well for the ongoing success of this impressive artist. Encoring with a full-on workout, Something Real was a perfect way to celebrate the band in all their individual brilliance with a drumming and percussion onslaught that was reminiscent of a Santana showcase, added to by bass guitar and warm keyboard melody, before Nelson brings everything up a notch further in a climax that resembles a metal band in full flow. Exhilarating.

Lukas Nelson has real star quality, not only in his guitar playing and his impressive vocal range but also in his humility and the sense of integrity that he communicates in everything that he represents tonight. The promise of the real? The promise has more than been delivered upon and as a live performer, Lukas Nelson is at the top of his game.  

Review and photographs by Paul McGee 

Buddy Mondlock @ The Cherry Tree, Dublin - 17th June 2023

It is good to see the Cherry Tree open for live music events once again. During the two years of Covid lockdown, a lot of similar venues were forced to close their doors and many have never returned to the original activity that they once enjoyed. The upstairs room has been reshaped and the new stage is very impressive, giving an intimate setting and a reduced capacity of 50 guests.

Paul Lee is tonight’s promoter and it’s like stepping back in time to walk into the venue and to see his warm greeting. Paul has been a music promoter on the Dublin circuit for many years, operating in various venues from the Cobblestone to the DC Club in the city centre. He moved to the Cherry Tree in Walkinstown for a number of years also, before Covid forced live music to be consigned to a communal waiting room as we relied only on our memories of what attending an actual gig was like. Happily, those dark days are starting to be replaced by a return to the joys of live performance and the presence of Buddy Mondlock and Mike Lindauer is just the perfect answer for our yearning souls.

Buddy has been a frequent visitor to our shores and has always been given a warm welcome by a country that has the sense of the bard and the poet running through the very lifeblood of the people. His abilities as both a consummate wordsmith and a guitar player of great subtlety are evident to all who have followed his career. His observations of life and love are mixed with wry humour and a sense of understanding when looking at the fragility of us all. A Buddy Mondlock gig is all about community and a sharing of the moment; the power of communication and a sense of unison in being part of a greater whole.

Touring a new album, FILAMENT, sees Buddy joined by the always excellent Mike Lindauer on fretless 5-string bass. Mike is such a lyrical player, very intuitive and always serving the song with his sensitive progressions and warm tone. The repartee between the two old friends is clearly evident for all to see. They are so comfortable in each other’s presence and their musical interplay is seamless. The humour is never far from the surface either, as when Buddy quips that he doesn’t need a tuner for his guitar when he has Mike’s eyebrows as a guide.

The set list tonight is very generous and the two musicians deliver twenty-three songs in total. From the new album, Buddy features nine of the eleven songs and none are lacking in the high standards that he has set over a career of seven albums, many songs written and covered by the likes of Guy Clark, Janis Ian, Nanci Griffith, David Wilcox and the folk trio, Peter, Paul and Mary.  Highlights from the new album include The Woman In the Window and Come Back First. The former a song about regret, the road not taken and the price of love; the latter is an amusing look at relationships that don’t ever follow an easy path. Another song, Perfect, is dedicated to his wife Polly and recounts the story of how they came to Ireland and married on a beach near Clonakilty in West Cork.

Buddy also revisits his 1998 release, POETIC JUSTICE, and plays five songs from the album, with the sing-along No Choice being a particular favourite among the enthusiastic audience. New Jersey Sunset is another highlight with Mike really stretching out on his bass and delivering some jazz-infused melody lines – such a joy to witness.  A previous album release was THE EDGE OF THE WORLD (2007) and this also features with the superb song Mud (co-written with Guy Clark), joining fine renditions of Nobody Knows Nothing and the excellent encore of I Count You My Friend.

The set also includes songs from Buddy’s 1988 eponymous release and The Cats Of the Colosseum, Amsterdam and his most covered song, The Kid, are all performed with a freshness, as if they are brand new. Two more highlights on the night were Let Me Go and What Do I Know, both taken from THE MEMORY WALL (2013) album. Buddy references the title track of the new album as being a look at how the music business has ‘a way of consuming our pop stars.’ In a career that has straddled over three decades, the obvious talent of Buddy Mondlock continues to shine brightly and the respect in which he is held among his peers is clear evidence that we are blessed by his songwriting and his enthusiasm to keep turning up with a guitar in hand and a smile on his face.

Review by Paul McGee and photography by Vincent Lennon

Hibsen @ Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin - 9th June 2023

Tonight sees the realisation of a dream for both Gráinne Hunt and Jim Murphy. As co-writers of the recently recorded Hibsen album, this premiere launch is everything that both could have been hoping for. Their pairing at an online writing workshop over Covid lockdown has proven to be a match made in the ether as both artists found their collaboration in song to be a joyful and rewarding experience.

Deciding to interpret the fifteen short stories of James Joyce that feature in his 1914 Dubliners novel is a somewhat daunting task. The scale of Joyce’s reputation and writing can only set the most challenging demands of any such collaboration and task. Fortune favours the brave however and it is a testament to the creativity of both artists that the end results are very compelling and a magnificent achievement.

The performance tonight is part of this year’s Bloomsday Festival and with support from the Arts Council, the project is brought to fruition by the performance of all fifteen songs in the beautiful and serene surroundings of the Smock Alley Theatre. Dating back to 1662, when it opened as the Theatre Royal, the history of the venue has witnessed full houses, seven days a week; structural problems over time, intense rivalry from other Dublin theatres, and eventually closure. Recreated as a church in the 19th Century during penal times, the building endured until 2012 when it once again opened as a theatre. It is the perfect setting in which to enjoy the unveiling of this new musical work. Hunt and Murphy are joined by a string quartet which is comprised of the four musicians who also feature on the album; Gerald Peregrine (cello), Beth McNinch (viola), Lynda O’Connor (first violin), and Paul O’Hanlon (second violin).

The remaining musicians on the evening are all members of the Blue Fish Diamond group that was formed by Jim Murphy some years ago and consists of  Axel McDonald (electric guitars), Ronan Quinn (bass), Laura Ryder (keyboards), and Shay Sweeney (drums & percussion). Jim Murphy contributes vocals and plays a selection of three guitars on the night and Gráinne Hunt provides all lead vocals. She is the ideal focal point and first lady of song, with a very accomplished performance throughout, displaying an impressive vocal range and a lovely tone in her convincing delivery of the material.  

It is by no means an impediment if you have not read the original Joyce stories, as each song is brought to life by the colourful arrangements and melodies, together with the well-crafted lyrics. However, there is the added benefit of selected readings from the novel by Irish journalist Frank McNally as a point of reference every few songs. His spoken delivery adds context and augments the musicians’ interplay across the variety of short stories. Such is the quality of the songs that one finds an instant familiarity with the rhythms and the choruses, almost wanting to join with the performers in song as the fine arrangements play out.

Highlights include Two Gallants, The Boarding House, Clay, and Ivy Day In the Committee Room.  The players excel throughout with the string quartet elevating the songs and other musicians rising to the challenge of subtle and sensitive interpretation of the music. The interval break did nothing to interrupt the momentum of the evening and the easy flow of the music built throughout, culminating in a dynamic finalé with the wonderful song The Dead. The intensity of the performance bringing not only an emotional response from Gráinne Hunt but also a cathartic release from the enthusiastic audience that had loved every minute of the performance.

Review and photographs by Paul McGee

Bluegrass Omagh 2023

After somewhat of a ‘blip’ (shall we call it?) in 2022, this much loved event at the Ulster-American Folk Park returned in style on the May 26-29 Bank Holiday weekend. Despite being yet another victim of public funding cutbacks, Richard Hurst and his team in National Museums of Northern Ireland once again managed to put on a superb weekend of music and entertainment, helped by the sunny weather.

One of highlights for the music fan was the annual McConversation, which this year featured one of Ireland’s earliest purveyors of bluegrass, the venerable Niall Toner. His interviewer was the broadcaster and festival MC Frank Galligan, brought back by popular demand after being sorely missed in 2022. Niall regaled the audience with fascinating anecdotes from his long career in bluegrass and traditional country, including how he passed a cassette tape of one of his first compositions to the Nashville Bluegrass Band at this festival in the 90s and it ended up on one of their Grammy nominated albums, TWENTY YEAR BLUES, in 2004. That plea for peace, There’s a Better Way, was performed, along with many more of Niall’s original compositions, by himself and his band at several performances over the weekend.

The American headliners this year were Zoe & Cloyd and The Honey Dewdrops from the US, and Viper Central from Canada. Clearly delighted to have finally made it here after the original 2020 booking was scuppered by the pandemic, Zoe & Cloyd (and band) brought their mix of bluegrass, klezmer and Americana to an enthusiastic audience. Promoting their new release, Songs of Our Grandfathers, Natalya Zoe Weinstein (fiddle) demonstrated her Jewish klezmer influences, while husband John Cloyd Miller (guitar) paid homage to his grandfather, pioneering bluegrass fiddler Jim Shumate, an original member of Bill Monroes’s Bluegrass Boys. The Honey Dewdrops (Virginia), comprising Laura Wortman (frailing banjo) and Kagey Parrish (guitar) were also on their first visit to N Ireland, and their beautiful blend of Americana/folk/bluegrass and original compositions were impressive. Back again after their 2017 appearance, Viper Central were stronger than ever. Their unusual rootsy sound, while bluegrass based, fuses jazz and folk influences into joyous uplifting performances, while they were bolstered by the addition of multi instrumentalist, Jack Garton, on trumpet and accordion! Europe was represented by the return of festival favourites, The Bluegrass Boogiemen (NL) and the equally entertaining Truffle Valley Boys, on their first visit from Italy. The latter are dedicated to paying homage to traditional early bluegrass, which they do with outstanding musicianship, sartorial style and with great humour.

Ireland was also represented by old favourites Woodbine, and newer favourites the Watery Hill Boys, the Broken String Boys, the local Knotty Pine String Band and the new combo, Henry (Janet and Colin). A rare treat was the appearance of Co Down’s Ian Alexander (formerly of Appalachian Strings), who impressed with his original compositions and covers, and his chops on mandolin and guitar.

Poignantly, there was recognition of those we have lost in recent years, particularly the beloved fiddler and all round character, Geordie McAdam, after whom there was a new event created, the Geordie McAdam Open Mic stage, which we hope will become a regular feature.

Debates over the timing of the event continue among the punters, with some favouring a return to the previous early September slot. Unfortunately, the current May dates fall very close to the Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival, which attracts a similar audience.

Sadly, Richard Hurst will retire soon and it remains to be seen how his legacy will be carried on. Regulars will be hoping for ‘more of the same’, in the hopes that this will continue its reputation as one of the best bluegrass festivals outside of the US. Long may it run.

Report and photographs by Eilís Boland

The Remedy Club @The Workman’s Club, Dublin - 28th May 2023

A new album launch party is always a very joyful occasion to attend. Coming together to celebrate all the hard work and long hours that go into making music and creating an album is really what it’s all about. The sharing of new songs and the fun in playing them to a live audience for the first time is not lost on any of the crowd who turn out in solid numbers to support the Remedy Club tonight. This is their third album release and the title of BACK TO YOU is appropriate, given all the inspiration and perspiration that has been expended by both Aileen and KJ. To have achieved three album releases is reason enough to celebrate in an industry famous for many bodies buried along the wayside.

Aileen Mythen and KJ McEvoy are the creative centre of the band and when they are not performing as a duo, they gather other musicians to help paint the song arrangements with intriguing colours and shapes. Tonight they have invited some stellar players to highlight their new songs and we are graced by the presence of Dave Murphy (pedal steel), Podge Kilbride (keyboards), Phil Gaynor (drums), Shane Fitzsimmons (bass), and co-producer on the album, Gavin Glass who joins the group on electric guitar for four numbers.

As always, Aileen delivers as a charming host and is a dynamic leading lady. Her voice is a beautiful instrument that she uses so well; the rich tones often building to a powerhouse delivery as she compliments the band in full flight. Aileen is always gracious in her praise of others and fulsome in her tributes to those who have helped the career of the Remedy Club. However, at its core, it is Aileen and her husband KJ who drive the entire enterprise; writing the songs, booking the gigs, balancing the books, and dealing with all the marketing and PR that a successful group requires these days in the crazy world of social media overkill.

KJ is such a superb guitarist and his lyrical playing style is delivered with such apparent ease. The reality of course is so different as the long hours of practice required to attain such a high standard can never be taken for granted. Tonight KJ looks very sharp indeed in his hat and waistcoat and is the perfect foil for Aileen as she drives the band's energy to deliver increasingly high-performance levels all round.

The new songs sound great in the setting of the Workmans Club. The rhythm section of Phil Gaynor and Shane Fitzsimmons is locked in tight to the groove and provide the power that drives the beat along, embellished by the creative runs of both Dave Murphy on pedal steel and Podge Kilbride on keyboards. It is the dynamic guitar of KJ that stands out of course and his interplay with Gavin Glass is also a highlight of the evening.

The new album has twelve new songs and tonight we are treated to live versions that really excite the enthusiastic audience. The album title and song Back To You is dedicated to Layla Kay, the daughter of Aileen and KJ and it is played again as part of the encore on the evening. Roll With It is a recent single and is delivered in real style, while the song It’s Alright is dedicated to the enduring memory of Gavin Ralston, a fellow musician and friend who died in 2019. The real highlight of the set is a quartet of songs that really build on the atmosphere and have people dancing along to Texas Sky, Boleyn’s Blues, Worthwhile and I’m Going Home.    

A very enjoyable night of great music, delivered with style, and a timely reminder of the great talent that we have in Dublin among our music community. Buy the album, you will not be disappointed. 

Review and photo by Paul McGee

Morgan Wade @ Whelan’s, Dublin - 24th May 2023

There can be no doubting the increasing buzz around the music of this upcoming artist. Ever since her album RECKLESS was released back in 2021, Morgan Wade has been growing her reputation with a strong touring ethic and an ability to capture the imagination of an audience who like authentic song writing and her open honesty in performance.

Tonight Whelan’s is packed with admiring fans and, on the last date of a short European tour, Wade is joined on guitar by Clint Wells, a Nashville based musician and producer who plays in her regular touring band. The stripped down nature of the performance is a perfect setting to gauge the talents of this artist; nowhere to hide in such an intimate venue; just two stools and three guitars placed centre stage, and an expectant crowd that dwell upon and sing every line of Wade’s songs.

The set is confined to twelve songs over a seventy minute performance focused heavily on the RECKLESS album, with nine songs taken from that very successful release; it was re-released in 2022 by Sony and featured a further six tracks not on the original Thirty Tigers release. Her vocal tone has great character and personality with an edge that reminds me at times of Amy Ray from the Indigo Girls. Wade certainly strikes an image of the single-minded rebel, someone who will not suffer fools and who has a clear idea as to where she is heading.

Her songs are mainly focused around relationships, usually at the point of breaking, or else viewed through the rear view mirror of reflection and lessons learned. Wade also sings about such issues as addiction and recovery, with an honesty that has brought her many accolades for her open approach. Her song, The Night, reflects on the topic of wellness with the lines “I won't shut my mouth, is it a rule down in the south, that you can't talk about your mental health.” She further explores the issue on the sister song The Night (Part Two), with the words “ I'm at war with myself, Battered and bruised from my mental health.” Such honesty in the face of ongoing temptation can only establish Wade as a strong role model for others of her generation who are facing up to inner challenges and decisions regarding life choices and the peer groups that they call friends.

Songs like Run, Last Cigarette, Matches and Metaphors, Mend and Take Me Away are all received with open arms by the audience and the atmosphere is one of communal celebration with the music. It is on the more reflective numbers, such as Don’t Cry and Met You where Wade soars and shows the talent that will continue to lift her above many of the other emerging singer songwriters who are building careers in what can be a very unforgiving industry. There is a new album due later this year but the only reference to this is the inclusion of new single Psychopath in the set. Wade also includes an older song Crossing State Lines which is very engaging. It first appeared on the 2018 release Morgan Wade and the Stepbrothers.

Wade strikes me as somewhat shy in the face of her admiring fans and her between song stories tend to focus around touring anecdotes and the banter with Clint Wells. There is no encore tonight which leaves many disappointed fans hoping that Wade might appear at the merch table where t-shirts are selling in healthy quantities. Despite the low key ending, tonight proves that we are in the presence of a real talent who will continue to forge her own path and build upon the instincts that have gotten her this far on her personal journey. 

Support act Kat Hasty played a short opening set and was well received by the audience. Her vocals were a little light in the mix and increasing crowd noise did her no favours, but she endured with songs like Where The Wildflowers Lay and Burn It Down hitting the mark with those who came to listen.

Review and photo by Paul McGee

Jerry Leger@The Court House, Bangor, Northern Ireland

Despite the disappointing turnout, Jerry Leger was nonplussed. It was the Canadian singer-songwriter’s second only visit to Ireland, and his first time in the newly opened, refurbished and repurposed Court House in Bangor. The Open House not-for-profit organisation has done a magnificent job in turning the defunct listed mid-Victorian bank (and later courthouse) building into a superb venue, comprising a bar and mid-sized gig room on the ground floor, and the spacious but cosy Drawing Room bar on the first floor, with views of Bangor marina and harbour from all the windows. Jerry happily took to the floor there, with the backdrop of the early summer sun setting behind him over the sea, and gave it his all, as is his reputation as a hard working touring artist, with or without his band.

He proceeded to treat the small audience to a selection of songs mainly from his two most recent albums - NOTHING PRESSING (2022) and TIME OUT FOR TOMORROW, his 2019 opus that was scuppered, along with so many other artists’ projects, by the pandemic. He mostly let the songs speak for themselves - well crafted numbers like Kill It With Kindness, Nothing Pressing and Recluse Revisions needed no explanation. Occasionally, we were treated to amusing anecdotes by way of introduction, like the fact that Dead Radio Stars was inspired by his father’s love of radio dramas while growing up in Newfoundland without a tv. There was a song from his 2008 album, which he described as his ‘Gordon Lightfoot’ phase, and he aptly dedicated it to the late singer-songwriter. A cover of Bowie’s Janine followed his endearing tale of how big an influence that icon was on him as a teenager, doing cover songs in a local coffee house. We were transported back to 2010 for Dreamer, Pretender, his girlfriend’s favourite song off the TRAVELING GREY record. Revealing that his songs are generally only partly autobiographical, he admitted that his girlfriend is referenced in The Great Unknown, ‘she’s got a lot of those records/you’ve been dying to hear’.

Almost two hours on, armed only with his vintage monogrammed acoustic Guild guitar, Leger encored with Jeff Tweedy’s You Are Not Alone, a song covered by Mavis Staples recently.

 Leger claimed that ‘he was giving it at least 86% tonight’. For the audience, many of whom were leaving as firm new fans, it felt like 186%.

Review and photo by Eilís Boland