From the Familiar to the Discovery: 2021 in Music Almost four years ago, I started shooting photos and writing about music for the website Americana Highways. It has been a fun adventure, except for that 18-month period in which my camera sat largely in its bag and the music I heard was mostly on wireless […]
Scott Miller — Jammin Java On a brisk mid-November evening, Scott Miller is standing on the small stage in a suit, playing an acoustic guitar. As soon as it’s over, he’ll load everything into a van and return to his 200-acre farm near Staunton, Va., in the Shenandoah Valley, where more than 60 cattle are […]
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Lantern Tour show review Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle have been friends since the 1980s, collaborating on different projects and working together to benefit various causes they believe would benefit from their attention. For the past several years, the cause has been creating a better life for refugees as Harris and Earle have taken the […]
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Los Lobos — Show at Antone’s on 10/21 with Nuevo opening At some point in the summer of 1985, a college friend of mine and I went on a road trip from Houston to Dallas, detouring through the Texas Hill Country — more or less on purpose — in an effort to soak in as […]
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Lori McKenna — Birchmere Lori McKenna is one of those songwriters who specializes in three- and four-minute novels, her lyrics so full of real-life details that transport you to the places she wants you to go. Seeing her in concert, you also get the audio version of a reader’s guide that takes you behind the […]
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Shoalsfest 2021: Jason Isbell has been on a pandemic-belated tour for his 2020 album Reunions since July, and the idea of bringing people together again must have been on his mind when planning ShoalsFest 2021. Fortunately, others were on board as well, including members of Isbell’s first band, the Drive-by Truckers, Slobberbone and Centro-matic. For […]
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John Hiatt recently noted the changes to the Nashville he moved to 50 years ago, noting that he hasn’t been downtown much over the last 10 to 15 years. “I didn’t realize you could get here on the hot tub bus,” he said, drawing a laugh from the crowd during his performance at the Ryman […]
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Age and mortality are on the minds of many in the age of COVID, but the Avett Brothers have a way of acknowledging that while showing their audiences a great time. In the first of a three-show stint Thursday that ends the 50th anniversary season for Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, […]
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Located in Alexandria, Va., the Birchmere is known for its outstanding acoustics and seats in the 500-seat main hall that allow you to get close to the artists and the stage. It is a terrific place to sit and listen to music. But after 18 months of being cooped up, a significant portion of the […]
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Jason Isbell with Waxahatchee at Wolf Trap 9/14 In some circles, Jason Isbell has been at the center of controversy over his approach to live shows in the age of COVID. While Isbell’s no apologies approach has likely led him to lose some fans, you could not tell by the size of the crowd at […]
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