Beat Root Revival and Kierston White at the Depot w/2024 WoodyFest Roadshow Concert
Over the years I’ve seen more concerts and music performances than I could ever hope to put a number on. But, I can say with 100% certainty, that this past Friday night I attended my very first concert held inside a train depot. Yep, that’s right, The Depot to be exact, in downtown Norman, OK. The building is the old Santa Fe Depot built in the late 1800s, and has now housed the Performing Arts Studio, or The Depot since 2003. Adjacent to the current Amtrak line, The Depot hosts a small concert series as well as art galleries within its cozy confines.
For my first visit, I had the absolute pleasure of attending the 2024 WoodyFest Roadshow Concert, highlighted by a pair of wonderful performances from Austin based duo, Beat Root Revival as well as Oklahoma singer-songwriter Kierston White who both managed to effortlessly keep the sold-out audience hanging on every note and word while the Western Art of Lauri Ketchum adorning the walls, seemed to accentuate the songs unexpectedly well.
Beat Root Revival was one of my favorite discoveries at last summer’s WoodyFest. Comprised of Andrea Magee and Ben Jones, the pair are a multi-instrumentalist duo who magically blend elements from rock-n-roll, country, folk, rhythm and blues into what I could only call, true “roots” music. Whatever you want to call it, it’s captivating and memorable, and wholly different from anything you’ve likely heard before. Jones handles the guitar and jokes, while Magee also plays guitar, bodhran, Irish whistles and flute. Both provide vocals and together, absolutely beautiful harmonies. They have a self titled album available via Toulouse Records, and recently toured supporting Brian Setzer. They’re the real deal, and I’m really excited they’ll be appearing again at WoodyFest this July.
Opening up the evening was Oklahoma singer-songwriter and Norman resident, Kierston White. I’ve been fortunate to see White a whole bunch over the years, from solo gigs at the Deli, her acoustic group, Tequila Songbirds, to supporting national artists such as John Paul White. No matter what, it’s always a treat. She’s got great songs and a powerhouse voice to back them up. Those songs. Man, all I can say is a couple of them on this night hit me like a punch to the gut, and I’m going to need to hear them again to fully process them. Thankfully, I’ll be able to do just that. White has a new EP titled Give the People What They Paid For, which was produced by her brother and Damn Quails member, Bryon White and contains studio versions of some of those songs. On this night White had also recruited Terry ‘Buffalo’ Ware to accompany her on guitar, which made an already wonderful set all the more special.
Ware’s a bit of a songwriter himself, having formed the Cowboy Twinkies back in 1973 with Ray Wylie Hubbard, and having released some 10 albums of his own. Along the way, he’s worked with an incredible list of musicians such as Hubbard, Jimmy LaFave, John Fullbright, Michael Fracasso, Eliza Gilkyson, Wanda Jackson and so many more. He’s also performed at each WoodyFest since the inaugural festival in 1998, and now leads the incredibly talented WoodyFest House Band each year.
The best part of the WoodyFest Roadshow concerts is that we’re one step closer to the upcoming Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah, OK this July. In fact, the festival line-up was just announced on Monday, and looks to be another memorable fest. Beat Root Revival, Kierston White and Terry ‘Buffalo’ Ware will all be featured at this year’s festival, and I’m looking forward to seeing and listening to each of them again soon.
Find out more information about everyone here:
https://www.woodyfest.com
https://www.beatrootrevival.com
Check out some of last year’s WoodyFest coverage here: Show Review: WoodyFest 2023 pt 1
