The Old Settler’s 32nd Annual Music Festival in Tilmon, Texas was a big success in spite of dramatic weather and temperature swings. The festival was ranked number five of the top ten music festivals in the US by USA Today. OSMF beat out some pretty big names in the festival world like, Austin City Limits (#9), Bottle Rock (#7) and Coachella (#10).
The four-day festival began on Thursday evening at the Campground Stage. This small intimate gathering is a great way to kick off the festival. The music kicked off with the folky foursome, Feeding Leroy. With one album under their belts the foursome, based out of the twin port towns of Duluth, MN and Superior, WI travel the country. Feeding Leroy is Lee Martin and Sonja Njordal, who share guitar and vocal duties, backed up by Luke Martin on Harmonica and Adam Staupe on Bass.
Next up was Jaimee Harris. Jaime is a current resident of Austin but grew up in Waco, TX. Harris has been compared to Americana heavy-hitters like Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams. Jaimee was recently nominated for Best Folk and Best Songwriter for the 2019 Austin Music Awards. Jamie was joined on the Campground stage for a couple songs by another Americana legend and Grammy winner, Mary Gauthier.
Indie-Americana band Mipso really got the crowd up and dancing with their bluegrass inspired arrangements. The North Carolina quartet is made up of Jacob Sharp on mandolin, Wood Robinson on bass, Joseph Terrell on guitar and fiddler Libby Rodenbough. All four members sing and harmonize together beautifully. The band’s 2016 album Old Time Reverie and 2018 elabum Edges Run both debuted at number one on Billboard’s Bluegrass top 40.
The clear favorite of the night was the reunion after 15 years of the South Austin Jug Band. Despite their name, the band does not have a single jug. They do have two guitar players, a fiddler, a mandolin, and a bass player, but not a jug to be seen. From the moment the band took the stage for a soundcheck until they finished playing the crowd was hooting and hollering and dancing. It’s obvious that the South Austin Jug Band is a favorite in Austin, TX, even after 15 years of solo and different band projects. It just goes to show, you can’t keep a good band down.
Closing out the first night is singer-songwriter and all-around funny guy, Paul Thorn. Paul is known for his great storytelling, not only in his songs but during and between his songs. Some of Paul’s better known songs include “I Don’t Like Half the Folks I Love”, “Snake Farm”, “Burn Down the Trailer Park”, “Pimps and Preachers” and “800 pound Jesus”. Long known as a southern rocker, he has recently crossed over into gospel inspired music. His latest album “Don’t Let the Devil Ride” consists of songs previously recorded by African American gospel singers and groups. www.oldsettlersmusicfest.org Take a look at Friday night at the Festival, here: Show Review: Old Settlers 32nd Annual Music Fest: Night 2
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