Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion – Holiday Hangover Edition
The last days of summer have come and gone and the holiday season is upon us. The music festival scene has migrated south with the birds to the warmer climates of tropic paradises like Key West, Punta Cana, and Puerto Morelos. Meanwhile, the fattened turkeys and shapely spruce are on the chopping block around here, and when darkness falls at five o’clock each afternoon, summer just seems so far away…
But fret not! We come bearing the gift of distraction from those heat rash-inducing ugly sweaters. We’ll help you tune out those awkward conversations about politics with your in-laws. We might even be able to help ease that drunk uncle-sized hangover you accidentally caught from the conspicuously spiked eggnog. How, you might ask, can we promise such holiday hope? As the Ghost of Festivals Past, we offer you a unique vision of future sights and sounds!
If celebrating twenty years of festival entertainment in the birth place of country music during Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2020 isn’t already on your calendar for next year, it should be. The early release of the first 30 bands on board for next summer’s lineup is evidence that it’s likely to be one for the ages!
So, what better way to help you avoid plunging into your inner Ebenezer Scrooge this holiday season than to take you on a journey through music past, present, and future. Here are a few chances to catch some live performances of some of the many artists that impressed us from 2019’s lineup at some great venues vetted by yours truly.
Ruston Kelly did not disappoint on State Street. His set was both electrifying and emotional. The night-time ambience of Downtown Bristol was the perfect setting for Kelly’s powerful harmonics of “Son of a Highway Daughter” and the catchy bursts of self-reflection in “Faceplant.” I’m sold on Kelly’s self-labeled Dirt Emo genre.
Go See This – 02.22.20 at The Gray Eagle (Asheville, NC)
Listen To This Before You Go – Paratrooper’s Battlecry, Dying Star (2019)
Lucy Dacus was magnificent under the hazy outdoor lights of the Cumberland Stage. Her song “Night Shift” is almost two songs in one that work together in the best sort of way. The first half of the song is a therapy session, a coming-to-terms moment. The second half echoes confident resolve for the future and does so in tones and melodies like those that sent Radiohead to the radio. Catch her with Ruston Kelly at the legendary Ryman Auditorium for one of my most anticipated shows of the new year.
Go See This – 03.06.20 at Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, TN)
Listen To This Before You Go – Night Shift, Historian (2018)
Beth Snapp kicked things off right Friday night on the 7th Street Stage. Her sharp vocals and even sharper lyrics say what all of us 80s kids are thinking in “Confessions of an Exhausted Thirty-Something.” A touch of feel-good violin and mandolin, a dash of Snapp’s reassuring voice, a splash of bourbon, and everything will be alright this holiday season.
Go See This – 02.07.20 at The Local (Nashville, TN)
Listen To This Before You Go – Confessions of an Exhausted Thirty-Something, Don’t Apologize (2018)
With such an extensive catalog of great songs, it’s difficult to pick just one from Yarn. With tour stops across Virginia the past year, I’ve had the chance to see them a few times and can personally attest to the subtle, but delightful differences in each live performance. Their set on the Paramount Stage was no exception. Give any of Yarn’s nine albums released over the past decade or so a listen and good luck trying to choose just one favorite song.
Go See This – 12.21.19 at Lincoln Theatre (Raleigh, NC)
Listen To This Before You Go – Don’t Break My Heart Again, Yarn (2007)
The Cumberland Stage was loaded with great artists this year and newcomers CAAMP wowed the crowd with all their folky goodness. With undertones from the likes of Neil Young and even The Boss, CAAMP have constructed quiet the album in By and By. Hailing from the great state of Ohio, their songs are infused with stories of the American heartland with a little something for everyone, from the bright lights of the big city to the glowing moonlight on the family farm.
Go See This – 12.27.19 or 12.28.19 at Newport Music Hall (Columbus, OH)
Listen To This Before You Go – Peach Fuzz, By and By (2019)
September 2020 is just around the corner! Well…not really. But until then, keep on listening to great artists and supporting your local live music scene. We’ll see you in Bristol soon!