Redd & The Paper Flowers at OKC’s Blue Note Lounge
Redd & The Paper Flowers, touring behind Appalachian Bell Jar their independent debut album which released in May earlier this year, had arranged a fairly last minute gig for this past Tuesday in Oklahoma City at the Blue Note Lounge. The Knoxville, TN band was headed west for September dates of their Bell Jar Tour, and with an open date, took a chance playing a town they’d never visited before. Their album had missed my radar, but somehow the Facebook algorithm lords worked a “suggested” post about the OKC show into my feed a couple of weeks ago. I was intrigued. Enough so, that despite it being a “school night” (I’m up at 4am-ish for work) I hopped over to the band’s Bandcamp page as well as their website just to see what they’re about. It was both, one of the best decisions I’ve made this year as well as one of the best shows I’ve seen this year.
Didn’t see that coming.
As I mentioned, the band hails from Knoxville, and is comprised of Redd Daugherty on lead vocals and guitar, Colleen d’Alelio on cello/vocals, Katie Adams on upright bass/vocals and Gavin Gregg on mandolin/vocals. The band’s origin and back story is both complex and fascinating and I’ll try to expand into that more in an upcoming review of Appalachian Bell Jar in the next week or so. The simple story is that the band formed post pandemic in 2022 around the Knoxville open-mic scene. Since then, they’ve faced plenty of adversity head on, only to overcome most of it together as friends, bandmates and coworkers. They’ve extremely close, one the tightest knit bands I’ve seen, and that positive energy just radiates in their music and from the stage during their performance. The band played a good portion of the album as well as a handful of well chosen and placed covers that did a masterful job of revealing each of the band member’s musical tastes. In between, Daugherty’s charm and humor prefaced each song, with banter back and forth between her bandmates and audience too, creating a warm, friendly and intimate atmosphere that’s increasingly rare to find.
Musically, they’re equally folky and bluegrassy with a healthy dollop of jazz and contemporary influences mixed in as well. The band’s original material is fresh, clever and inviting. Standouts for me included “Cinnamon” “Regrets of Mine” and “Ijams.” Despite not being familiar with the songs, I loved what I was hearing. I’m really looking forward to digging in a little deeper with the album and individual songs for a future review, so stay tuned.
The addition of cover songs in a set can either be a train wreck of varying degree, or be a valuable asset, particularly when a band is just getting started. It’s most successful when the band has the ability to interpret and tailor an arrangement around a classic “oldie but goodie,” rather than just playing a few cover songs that fill up the setlist. Redd & The Paper Flowers did just that with each and every one. “Hit the Road Jack” felt like an early 30s speakeasy. “Plastic Jesus” had us all singing along, while Daugherty’s version of “Valerie” captured all of Winehouse’s poignancy while also showcasing her extraordinary vocal range. Adventurous takes on System of a Down’s “Aerials” and the White Stripes “Seven Nation Army” were completely unexpected and absolutely satisfying to this heavy music fan. Their ability to take such iconic songs and reinvent them in their own unique sound is a testament to the talent D’Alelio, Adams, Gregg and Daugherty possess. Watching them do it live is pretty special too.
Like most of you reading this, I always feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and joy when I discover a new artist or band. Whether that’s from a friend’s suggestion, or some random social media algorithm, a new band to fall in love with is a special gift. That’s how it feels with Redd & The Paper Flowers. I can’t recommend checking them out enough. They’re a band to watch for sure. They’ve got a sophomore album already in the works and I expect 2026 is going to be a big year for them. By the time you’re reading this, they’ll have likely finished up this short westerly run of dates through Colorado, but I imagine they’ll be back out on the road soon, and I encourage you to head over to their webpage or socials for more information:
https://www.reddandthepaperflowers.com
Setlist:
Redd & The Paper Flowers 9-09-2025
Blue Note Lounge Oklahoma City, OK
Heavyweight
Hit The Road Jack (Percy Mayfield/Ray Charles)
Girl in a Painting
Shower Thoughts
Jolene (Dolly Parton)
If The Devil
Plastic Jesus (Ed Rush/George Cromarty)
Cinnamon
Dreaming
You Are My Sunshine (Jimmie Davis/Charles Mitchell
Ain’t No Sunshine (Bill Withers)
Pearl Street
Valerie (Amy Winehouse)
Aerials (System of a Down
Ijams
In the Summertime (Munjo Jerry)
Seven Nation Army (White Stripes)
Opal Apple (Rise Up Appalachia)