Much in the vein of the Joanna Newsom’s and Sufjan Steven’s of the world, Sollee is a classical musician first and foremost. What he’s done with the new record is taken his skill-set and the same bizarre style of adaptation his earlier musical brethren applied to baroque and utilized it on more rural sounds like bluegrass and folk, along with elements of jazz and R&B. The result is tracks like “Bible Belt”, which is a decidedly somber, almost eerie jazz cut with the instrumentation sounding as much like bird calls as it does horns, making the funk-ified sexual energy all that more confusing and alluring. “Close To You”, another offering, is a bluegrass-pop hybrid, jangly and rustic in nature, with huge chunks of psychedelia mixed in thanks to more unique horn arrangements that continue the song’s blissful energy and prevent it from delving into the land of noise.

Through these tracks and beyond, Sollee keeps things interesting with his sonic creations. He ends, however, on a gloriously romantic and breath-stealing moment of ambient simplicity with “I Need”, showing, in the end, and for all his creative prowess, Sollee just wants to make us all feel the power of a great song. And that, by the way, is a completely timeless concept.

Ben Sollee has always had a special relationship with bicycles. In 2010, he embarked on the “Ditch the Van” tour. During that excursion, Ben and his band abandoned the comforts of an automobile and hauled their gear and instruments cross the country on bikes. The fascination with these pedaling machines continues in L. C. Crowley’s video for “Close To You.” Sollee jumps on an old-fashioned bicycle in a studio, riding along as people walk by with card board cutouts of trees, rocks, and other things you might see along the road. He’s not moving here, but the scenery’s got some speed!

Directed By: L. C. Crowley
Produced By: Puja Chaudhari
Director of Photography: Carlos Ramsey
Production Designer: Jessica Sanchez

But despite the comparatively modest setting, the eclectic Kentucky rockers were their typical go-for-broke selves during the performance, ripping through a 24-song set that would have dazzled in a headlining slot at the aforementioned Indio, CA, festival. Indeed, the quintet played so self-assuredly loose at the Lexington, KY, show that it was nearly impossible to fathom that – besides a recent taping of VH1’s Storytellers – they had been on a live hiatus since closing out the main stage at the 2010 Voodoo festival on Halloween night in New Orleans.

The no-holds-barred showmanship that they last displayed in the Crescent City carried right over into the beginning of this show, with the band opening with a full-throttled rendition of the Southern-fried jam “Mahgeetah” from their 2003 LP, It Still Moves. Then, without any breathing space, the band burnt through two cuts from their experimental breakthrough album Z. The full-throttle anthem “Anytime” found MMJ’s lion-maned frontman Jim James dishing out Elvis-style karate kicks while wildly wielding his Gibson Flying guitar, whereas the reggae-tinged rocker “Off the Record” illustrated Bo Koster’s indispensability by binding the song together with reverb-y keyboard licks.

Throughout the performance, the Louisville-bred James praised Lexington like a second home, weaving in stories between songs about his two-year stint at the university. “There are lots of ghosts listening to you here,” the singer told the crowd that was largely comprised of college students. “And if you pray hard enough and talk hard enough to the ghosts, they actually listen to you and help you make your dreams come true.” And right before he belted out a beautiful version of the song “Golden”, he added to his stoner tangent, “you live in a powerful, fucked up dimension here … God bless it.”

If there were any disappointments with the show, it was that the band only played two songs from their forthcoming album Circuital, the LP’s title track and the ballad “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)”. And even though both songs had already seen its live debuts, both added freshness to a set that was otherwise comprised of live staples. “Circuital” slow burned from echo-chambered Southern goodness to a layered marathon rocker al la The Who, leaving James wandering around the small stage punch-drunk by the song’s end. “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)”, by contrast, was a smoothing sway-with-your-partner ballad with Zen lyrics like “I’m going where there ain’t no need/To escape from what is, only spirits at ease.”

Meanwhile, the show’s opener, the classical cellist and Lexington native Ben Sollee, joined the band on-and-off throughout the night, adding refined overtones to the previously mentioned performances of “Golden” and “Wonderful”. But Sollee’s most memorable onstage reappearance came during the late set showing of “Smokin’ from Shootin’”, with Sollee standing up with his cello midway through the song and trading lines with bassist Tom Blankenship.

Other highlights included MMJ dusting off the songs “Lowdown” and “Butch Cassidy” from their debut album, 1999’s The Tennessee Fire. And in-between those two early cuts was a jarring but superb reworking of the song “Dondante”, one in which guitarist Carl Broemel and drummer Patrick Hallahan added White Light/White Heat guitar fuzz and a totemic backbeat to the expansive jam.

By the time the band kicked off their encore with the psychedelic pop songs “Wordless Chorus” and “Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Pt. 1”, even the most lackadaisical attendees were blissed-out. The funky, quirky “Highly Suspicious” followed, knocking off anyone still on the fence about the Evil Urges prog tune. On stage, the guitar riffs grind far funkier and the melody comes off as far more infectious than the studio counterpart, all but coercing you into singing along to James’s Prince-ly falsetto about a “peanut-butter-pudding surprise”. And when James and company reached their obligatory but consistently wonderful closer “One Big Holiday”, the vigorous performance showed that props and Grecian stage sets are superfluous effects when making a claim as one of music’s finest live acts.

Setlist:
Mahgeetah
Anytime
Off The Record
Evil Urges
I’m Amazed
The Way That He Sings
Gideon
Circuital
Golden
Lowdown
Dondante
Butch Cassidy
Wonderful (The Way I Feel)
Lay Low
What A Wonderful Man
Dancefloor
Smokin’ From Shootin’
End of Run Thru
Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Pt. 2
Encore:
Wordless Chorus
Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Pt. 1
Highly Suspicious
One Big Holiday

Now, two months after the initial 2011 lineup announcement, Bonnaroo has confirmed a number of new acts. A staple since 2004, the festival will once again play a host to a jam-packed lineup of renowned comedians, highlighted by Lewis Black and the 420 Comedy Blaze tour hosted by Cheech Marin and featuring Ralphie May, the stars of Workaholics, and more.

Others to join them in the laughs include The League (Paul Scheer, Nick Kroll, Jon Lajoie, Stephen Rannazzisi), Donald Glover, Kathleen Madigan, Eugene Mirman, Tim Minchin, and Hannibal Buress. Henry Rollins and filmmaker John Waters will also make appearances.

On the music side, NOFX, Galactic, G. Love & Special Sauce, Allen Toussaint (w/ Dr. John and The Original Meters), Black Uhuru, Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, and The Knux have all been added to the fold.

Also, Shpongle will present a full-scale production in the form the Shpongletron Experience, with Ben Sollee, Anthony B, Forro in the Dark, Dennis Coffey, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens, Futurebirds, and Hanggai rounding out the latest music acts.

Peep Bonnaroo’s complete 2011 lineup at our Festival Outlook. General admission and VIP tickets are still available an can be purchased via the festival’s website.

They’re not yet listed on the festival’s website, but Queens of the Stone Age will play La Zona Rosa on March 16th, according to an issued press release. Also, Yoko Ono has been confirmed as the festival’s featured speaker, and she’ll also play Chimera Music night at The Elysium on March 20th.

Update: Expect to see The Strokes, too. According to the band’s latest newsletter, they have “something cool planned for SXSW.”

Other newly confirmed acts include B.o.B., …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Duff McKagan’s Loaded, Panic! at the Disco, Lucinda Williams, Liz Phair, Meat Puppets, Robert Earl Keen, X Japan, The Black Angels, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Reggie Watts, Kurt Vile & the Violators, Sasha, Calvin Harris, J. Cole, The Cool Kids, Megafaun, Jamie xx, Jesse Malin & The St Marks Social, and She Wants Revenge.

And if that weren’t enough, Spank Rock, Cyhi Da Prynce, Curren$y, Dawes, Chiddy Bang, Theophilus London, Rainbow Arabia, Big Freedia, Cass McCombs, Phantogram, The Cave Singers, Liturgy, The Fresh & Onlys, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, An House, AWOLNATION, Ben Sollee, Boats, Colin Stetson, The Ferocious Few, Hanson, Papercuts, Parlovr, and Peanut Butter Wolf are all also confirmed.

Again, this about 1/10 of the currently announced roster for this year’s festival, so head over to Festival Outlook for a even more extensive glimpse. The music portion of South by Southwest 2011 runs from March 16-20 in Austin, Texas. For ticket information and all other necessary details, visit sxsw.com.

Yes, Joanna Newsom has a tribute album and thanks to the wonders of online streaming, you can sample all 21 of the album’s tracks in the Soundcloud widget below. As previously reported, Versions of Johanna features contributions from the likes of M. Ward, Billy Bragg, Owen Pallett, and Ben Sollee, and all profits from the sale of the album benefit Oxfam. They’re asking for $10 or more for a digitial copy and you can buy it right now at this link.

I love going to music festivals and seeing live music, but to be honest I wasn’t initially sure how excited I was to attend HulabaLOU. I enjoy several of the bands on the lineup, but hate equally as many of them. I didn’t know if the vibe and crowd would be welcoming, laid back, and music loving or a bro and cougar fest looking for an excuse to drink in public. While doing some prep work before the festival (you know, like a real reporter) I read someone jokingly ask, “Who will be playing all of the state fairs this weekend?!” True, at first glance, the lineup looks pretty strange. It’s filled with as many state fair acts as truly legendary, as much classic rock as bluegrass, and a mixture of local bands none of us has ever heard of and indie acts that no locals have ever heard of, as well.

But after fighting the record high temperatures and a few cougars, here’s how it went…

Friday, July 23

Chrisette Michele

Around 4:00 p.m., Chrisette Michele strolled on stage wearing a black dress with white polka dots, circa Billie Holiday, boldly adding frosted blonde hair and blue eye shadow. “What’s up Louisville,” she yelled out. “I know there are only 10 of y’all, but what’s up?” Most of the sparse crowd looked like they were just there to get a good seat for the Gladys Knight and the O’Jays, but there were a few hardcore fans up front.

I only knew Michele’s name from being featured on rap songs by artists like Jay-Z, Nas, and The Roots.  But I learned that she’s got a lot more to offer than a catchy chorus. Michele’s got a powerful voice and was funny and engaging throughout her set. She opened with “Epiphany”, the titular track off latest effort and an empowering song about getting out of a bad relationship (“I’m just about over being your girlfriend. I’m leaving.”).  She showed off her impressive vocal range and powerful pipes during every song, taking time to do vocal solos, using it like an instrument.

“How many of y’all are in love,” she continued to engage the crowd, to which seven people raised their hands. “Only seven of y’all? It must be part of the recession.”

Setlist: Epiphany, What You Do, All I Ever Think About, I’m Okay, Porcelain Doll, Golden, If I Have My Way, Blame It on Me, Fragile

The B 52s

“We have some special guests with us here today,” frontman Fred Schneider screamed. “Us!”

Even though I don’t know a ton of their songs, I was still excited to see The B 52s. I like to see classic songs performed, and they had enough of them to get me excited. It’s an added bonus when you retain all of your original members (save for guitarist and founding member Ricky Wilson who passed away in 1985). They started the show with two of their more familiar songs, “Private Idaho” and “Mesopotamia”.

On stage, the B-52s look like they’re in some kind of improv play, running around as if they’re inventing dance moves, while oozing with charisma and confidence. There must not be a lot of money in the wardrobe budget as they’re all still wearing the same outfits from 30 years ago. Maybe that’s the charm, though.

For Kentucky, they blended newer songs like “Funplex” with an oldie like “Roam”, ultimately ending the show with the very expected “Love Shack” but returning for the unexpected encore of the very awesome “Rock Lobster”.

Setlist: Private Idaho, Mesopotamia, Give Me Back My Man, Funplex, Roam, Party Out of Bounds, Love in the Year 3000, Cosmic Thing, Hot Corner, Wig, Love Shack, Rock Lobster

Train

After The B52s, I decided to catch the end of Train’s set. I’m not a fan, but I have to admit their singles can be catchy.  I got there in time to see “Hey Soul Sister” and “Drops of Jupiter”, which basically runs the gamut of their back catalog’s success. In hindsight, there was nothing really special about their performances, just live versions of their studio work. But it seems like the band’s recent fame and success has given lead singer Pat Monahan a natural smile and a lot more confidence and charisma – at least if we’re to base it off the last time I saw them, which was about 10 years ago.

Doobie Brothers

“I was half-baked. Smokin’ doobies. Doobie brothers, I was smokin’ doobies with my brothers. Peace out, Seacrest!” -Michael Scott, The Office.

The Doobie Brothers played the same stage as the B-52s before them, but the crowd actually seemed to get a lot younger, filling up with 20-somethings like myself who grew up on classic rock. Never having seen the Doobie Brothers before, I didn’t know whether to expect a good show or a sad depressing reminder of why it might be better to burn out than to fade away.

First of all, the Doobie Brothers look exactly like what you’d think a “Doobie Brother” would look like.  And since they have always had a high turnover rate for band members, seeing the original lineup is somewhat of a relative thing. Even so, this incarnation boasts half of the original lineup, so it’s no Lynyrd Skynyrd situation.

The Doobies performed mainly classic songs, starting off with sing-alongs “Take Me in Your Arms” and “Jesus is Just Alright”.  They worked the crowd into enough of a frenzy to eventually introduce some new songs from an upcoming album. I was surprised to see an older guy singing every word of one of the new songs, proving that that generation might watch live concert videos on YouTube as much as we do. (Maybe more if they’re reliving the glory days!)

Anticipation built enough until they finally teased us with the first few chords of “Blackwater.” Everyone perked up and sang along. Coupled with the encore of “China Grove” and “Listen to the Music”, I was reminded of summers full of classic rock radio. The Doobie Brothers look a little aged, but their music and delivery still sound fresh.

Setlist: Take Me in Your Arms, Jesus is Just Alright, Dangerous, Rockin’ Down the Highway, Clear as the Driven Snow, Nobody, World Gone Crazy, Back To The Chateau, Takin’ It To The Streets, Don’t Start Me to Talkin’, Little Bitty Pretty One, Blackwater, Long Train Runnin’, China Grove, Without You, Listen To the Music

Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi was the night’s headliner, and if t-shirts were any indication of excitement, the crowd was ready to party like it was 1988. (Bon Jovi fans must not be familiar with the “Don’t wear the t-shirt of the band you’re going to see” rule.)  Jon Bon Jovi came out wearing a sleeveless leather vest showing off a Superman tattoo on his left bicep. I was shocked.

While not Bon Jovi’s biggest fan, I’ve got to admit that they play to their audience with the best of them. Calls to the crowd for more energy were met with deafening screams from both men and women of all ages.  I actually forgot that I didn’t like Bon Jovi while I was singing along to “It’s My Life”.

Their set was 19 songs long, which included 18 singles. The only song that wasn’t a single was “We Got It Going On” off of 2007’s Lost Highway. Maybe a deeper cut for the real fans? They delivered.

Setlist: Lost Highway, We Weren’t Born to Follow, You Give Love a Bad Name, Born to Be My Baby, Superman Tonight, It’s My Life, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, We Got It Goin’ On, Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night, Bad Medicine/Oh, Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison cover)/Shout! (Isley Brothers cover) Bad Medicine, Lay Your Hands on Me (Richie Sambora on lead vocals), (You Want to) Make a Memory, I’ll Be There For You, Runaway, Have a Nice Day, Who Says You Can’t Go Home, Keep the Faith, Wanted Dead or Alive [feat. Dierks Bentley], Livin’ on a Prayer

Saturday, July 24

Kim Taylor

Cincinnati’s Kim Taylor was one of Saturday’s first acts. I hadn’t planned to show up until Ben Sollee but I heard one of her songs on Pandora a few days before and changed my mind. She came out barefoot, wearing an ankle-length, navy blue summer dress. She has a powerful voice that hauntingly echoed as it went through the mostly empty Churchill Downs. Of no fault of her own the lack of an audience made it feel like she’s probably more suited for the Bluebird Cafe than for a music festival like HullabaLOU.

Ben Sollee

After reading reviews of Ben Sollee’s newest album, released on Sub Pop with Daniel Martin Moore, I was excited to check him out. HullabaLOU was a one-off show, a break from his current tour with Moore and My Morning Jacket’s Jim James to raise awareness about mountain top removal.

I really enjoyed Sollee’s set. His voice sounds like a mixture of Amos Lee and Paolo Nutini, mixed with some beautiful cello music. I didn’t know many of the songs but I enjoyed focusing on the sounds that he was bringing out of the cello. And there were honestly a dozen fans in front of me that knew every word to every song, which always makes a show more fun. I loved the line from his song “It’s Not Impossible”: “And I must admit/All jokes aside/I find some men beautiful/Some girls handsome, and some children wise/And I hope some day/Before I die/I can share the kiss/That brings tears to my eyes.”

Sollee’s from down the road in Lexington and was excited to be playing a festival in his home state.  “Take care of this festival,” Solle said.  “Hopefully we can grow it.”

War

Bandleader Lonnie Jordan is the only original member still left in War, so this show’s lineup was mostly like a “review” of the original, and I mostly expected to be underwhelmed. But they sounded awesome.  These days, War sounds like a jam band, and maybe they always were, even before we really coined the term. Even when there were some sound problems and Jordan’s keyboard had to be worked on, the band ignored the sound guy and just kept jamming. The youngest member of the band, bass player Francisco “Pancho” Tomaselli, really stood out and was featured on a lot of the songs.

Hearing “Low Rider” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends” (“The best part of Lethal Weapon 4 was hearing this song in the credits” according to the friend who came with me) was cool, and both renditions sounded better than I expected. I made it through seven songs before I left to hear Ben Folds.

Setlist: Cisco Kid, Me An Baby Brother, Slippin’ Into Darkness, Galaxy War, Summer, Why Can’t We Be Friends, Low Rider, and more

Ben Folds

I’ve seen Ben Folds about five times or I would have been there for his entire set. He’s incredibly talented, plays several instruments, and is funny and engaging enough to keep an audience’s attention even when he’s on stage by himself. I got there in time to join in on a raucous sing-along of “Army” and the rest played out just as well.

Joan Osborne

Joan Osborne is originally from Louisville, KY and had a large crowd at her show.  She started the show with a tribute to her second home New York with the song, “Bury Me on the Battery”.

There were several Grateful Dead shirts in the crowd, people excited to see her for her past work with the band, and probably hoping she’d cover some Dead songs.  They didn’t have to wait long, getting a cover of “Brokedown Palace” as the third song of the seat.  During “Help Me” Osborne sauntered around stage singing “I don’t feel like sleeping, I just fell like lying down.”  She must have been pretty jazzed because she even picked up an electric guitar and played on “Ladder.”  The set finished with songs like her singles “St. Teresa” and “One of Us”.

Setlist: Bury Me on the Battery, Pretty Little Stranger, Brokedown Palace (Grateful Dead cover), Help Me, St. Teresa, Ladder, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, One of Us, Only You Know and I Know.

Al Green

Al Green was one of the most anticipated sets of the weekend for me. Even though he’s been performing in a red and black tux, throwing out roses, and fronting a 14 piece band for years it still works.

He mixed his own classics like “Let’s Get Married” and “Let’s Stay Together” with contemporary hits like “”I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)”, “Bring It On Home to Me”, “My Girl”, and “Dock of the Bay”. I was surprised to see the “Reverend” cursing at a sound guy during his rendition of “Amazing Grace”. Apparently he didn’t find the grace to be too amazing.

The main thing I took away from the show was how strong Green’s voice still is, and how much people love him.

Govt’ Mule

I was able to see about half of Gov’t Mule’s show. Even though we were battling record high temperatures all weekend a strong breeze started blowing as I reached the shade of their stage, making it one of the most enjoyable atmospheres of the day. Lots of Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers shirts were scattered throughout the crowd and joined each other singing Soulshine. The crowd liked ending with Soulshine, but seemed like they wanted something with bigger bang to go out on.

Setlist: Railroad Boy, Gameface > Banks of The Deep End, Steppin’ Lightly, Broke Down On The Brazos, Beautifully Broken, I’m A Ram, Mule > Soulshine

Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney showed up, played his songs (the ones on the radio and some other ones), and left.

I’ve never seen so many people singing every word, going crazy over something that I didn’t get.  But then I realized, Kenny Chesney is a genius.  He speaks to a neglected demographic.  I know people that spend every vacation at the beach every year, and have since they were kids.  I know people that have abandoned Sunday school but still somehow feel connected to it.  I know people that live for happy hour and a good time.  Kenny Chesney speaks to them.  He’s taken what Jimmy Buffett started, updated it, and added an American flag.  I don’t like it, but now I get it.

He did actually cover “The Joker”, “Three Little Birds” (he has a member of the Wailers in his band), and “Gimme Three Steps” which I enjoyed.

Setlist: Beer In Mexico, Keg In The Closet, Big Star, Summertime, Ain’t Back Yet, Out Last Night, No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems, Don’t Blink, I Go Back, Anything But Mine, Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven, Back Where I Come From, The Woman with You, There Goes My Life, Living In Fast Forward, Young, The Joker/Three Little Birds/Gimme Three Steps (with Jason Aldean), Never Wanted Nothing More, When The Sun Goes Down, Don’t Happen Twice, How Forever Feels, She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy

Sunday, July 25

The Avett Brothers

HullabaLOU lets you get a good place for the secondary stage acts, but unless you have reserved seats in the first section, the main stage view is awful. It’s a good side stage venue, but not a good main stage venue. The Avett Brothers were a victim of the main stage. It was ironic to see the band so far away from the fans it usually connects so closely with. There were about 100 people, maybe, in the first two reserved sections. There were a couple of small pockets of fans that knew all of their songs, but most of the seats were empty. I assume their ticket holders were resting up for Zac Brown and Dave Matthews. They’ve gotten a new drummer since their Bonnaroo show, drummer Jacob Edwards who used to play with Samantha Crain.

Half of their songs were from the new album, but it seemed like those were the most familiar to the crowd. Older songs like “I Killed Sally’s Lover” and “Swept Away” really helped the energy, and it was exciting to hear new song, “Down With the Shine”. The open spaces and sparse crowd might have hurt them, but the Avetts still put on an energy packed show. I don’t think they know how to put on a bad show.

Setlist: Tin Man, January Wedding, I Killed Sally’s Lover, Kick Drum Heart, Signs, The Fall, Pretty Girl from Cedar Lane, I and Love and You, Down With the Shine, Swept Away, Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise, Go to Sleep, Laundry Room

Loretta Lynn

I arrived to Loretta Lynn just in time to see “You Ain’t Woman Enough to Take My Man”.  If newer country gals like Carrie Underwood would key a cheater’s car and Taylor Swift would tell somebody they’re gay, Loretta’s brand of country would threaten to kill them, and so convincingly that you’re sure she means it. Just like with most of the other performers this weekend, I was surprised at how strong Loretta’s voice still was. Between songs she rambled on like my grandmother, but I found it warm and enduring, not annoying.

Steve Miller Band

The Steve Miller Band was my most anticipated set of the weekend. Growing up on classic rock, their greatest hits CD was always on heavy rotation for me. There must have been a lot of other people that felt the same way, because this was the biggest non-headliner crowd I saw all weekend. As soon as the first notes of “Jet Airliner” were played, the large crowd started singing and dancing, and never really stopped. However, you could tell that almost no one has kept tabs on the band, as newer material like “Hey Yeah” and “Further on Up the Road” went over everyone’s heads. (They must have missed our review of new album, Bingo.) But that’s to be expected with a “classic rock” act.

Steve Miller came out by himself and played an acoustic version of “Wild Mountain Honey”, which sounded beautiful and haunting echoing through Churchill Downs. One thing that really impressed me was how Miller’s such an underrated guitarist. After seeing him live, I’m convinced he deserves more consideration, both in composition and performance.

The show ended on eight straight singles, starting with “Dance, Dance” Dance”, “The Joker”, and “Abracadabra”.  For the song “Living in the U.S.A.”, Miller told the crowd, “I wrote this song for some people gathering in Chicago outside of the Democratic National Convention in the 60’s. Everybody was paying attention back then. Nobody is paying attention now. I challenge you to question your government and pay attention.”

The set closed with “Fly Like an Eagle” and “Rock’n Me”, which featured a boy named Dillon Brown on guitar. Brown is a student at Kids Rock Free, a School of Rock-type school that Miller helps fund and oversee.

I was once again surprised by how clear and strong Steve’s voice and guitar playing was after all these years.  The show lived up to the hype for me, and I was glad to get more than just a note-for-note rendition of the greatest hits.

Set list: Jet Airliner, Take the Money and Run, Mercury Blues, Hey Yeah, Further on Up the Road, Ooh Poo Pah Doo, I Can’t Be Satisfied (Muddy Waters cover), Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma, Wild Mountain Honey, Dance Dance Dance, The Joker, Abracadabra, Serenade, The Stake, Living in the U.S.A., Fly Like an Eagle, Rock’n Me

Rhonda Vincent

The Bluegrass Stage where Rhonda Vincent played was the strangest stage at HullabaLOU. It was practically in a big open hallway between the entrance and the other stages. The area in front of the stage was so small that almost no one stood in it the entire weekend, choosing rather to sit on benches or tables elevated away from the stage about 30 yards back. So anyone who decided to dance or watch up close was almost part of the show to the audience.

She was billed as just Rhonda Vincent, but she was also joined by her band the Rage. Since she stopped after the Steve Miller Band, I was able to catch the last part of her show. With her popularity and the aged-to-perfection sound of her old timey blue grass, I was expecting to see a much older woman, but surprised to find a younger looking 48-year-old. Even playing to a smaller crowd she seemed to have a good time, and sounded great.

Dave Matthews Band

I’m doing this review through the eyes of someone that used to be a big Dave Matthews Band fan. I saw a dozen shows in the late 90’s, but gave them up cold turkey and haven’t been to see them in about five years. So if you’re in the same boat as me, I’ll give you an update as to what’s changed.

Matthews started the show with the first single off their latest effort, Big Whiskey & The Groogrux King, “Funny the Way It Is”.  It took five songs before we heard a song from one of the classic DMB albums, and that song would be “Crush”.  Before all of their recent material, Matthews would tell people the name of the song, which is something that never used to happen. I don’t know if it’s due to the fact that he talks more between songs (don’t worry, he still mumbles unintelligibly too), or if it’s out of necessity because older fans wouldn’t know the new songs without an introduction.

The death of founding member and saxophonist LeRoi Moore has taken an element from their live shows that can never be completely replaced. I personally loved what he added to their songs, both in the writing process and in live performances. But the addition of saxophonist Jeff Coffin, trumpet player Rashawn Ross, and guitarist Tim Reynolds does what it can to make up for Moore’s musical absence, and has added a new depth to their live sound.

Some of the highlights of the show included a great version of “#41”, a full band version of “Gravedigger”, and “Lie in Our Graves”. Zac Brown joined in for covers of Willie Nelson’s “Funny How Time Slips Away” and Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”.

The show ended with an acoustic version of “Some Devil” and the typical version of “Ants Marching”, with a little different drum intro to try and throw people off.

All in all it was a solid show. I can see why people are still drawn to it, and I remember why it was a gateway to other things for me, and why it’s something that I’m no longer really into. I’m sure they will continue to headline festivals, but at this point I’m not sure I’ll find myself in the crowd.

Setlist: Funny The Way It Is, You Might Die Trying, Stay or Leave, Seven, Crush, Don’t Drink the Water, Why I Am, Spaceman, Corn Bread, #41, Gravedigger, Lie In Our Graves, You and Me, Shake Me Like a Monkey, Aint It Funny How Time Slips Away [w/ Zac Brown], All Along the Watchtower [w/ Zac Brown], Some Devil, Ants Marching

Conclusion

Overall, HullabaLOU was a great success. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be like going to a frat party, or an incredible music experience. In reality, it was a little bit of both. I had a good time and I saw a lot of bands that performed and sounded much better than I thought they could. The heat was rough, but there were places you could go that actually had air conditioning, there were several free water fountains, and cold water was only two bucks a bottle, so it was manageable.

I mainly enjoyed the small crowds and the chance to see so many legendary acts in just three days. Steve Sexton, president of Churchill Downs Entertainment, says that HullabaLOU will be back next year. And hopefully I will, too.
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Basically, mountaintop removal a controversial form of coal mining in which entire mountains are literally blown up. Opponents, like ILoveMountains.org, argue that the practice is “devastating hundreds of square miles of Appalachia; polluting the headwaters of rivers that provide drinking water to millions of Americans; and destroying a distinctly American culture that has endured for generations.”

Looking to take their protest one step further, James (who goes by the moniker Yim Yames for everything outside of his My Morning Jacket duties), Sollee, and Moore have announced plans for a summer tour. They call themselves the Appalachian Voices and they’ll launch their nine-date trek starting July 22nd in Lexington, Kentucky. The tour will stick to states with a healthy population of mines and miners, such West Virginia, Tennessee, and Virginia. There will also be stops in New York, as well as appearances at the forthcoming Newport Folk Festival.

You can find the complete touring itinerary below. Tickets go on sale starting Friday, May 21st via Ticketmaster.com. A portion of the proceeds from Dear Companion as well as the upcoming tour benefit Appalachian Voices, for which the tour was named, an organization devoted to ending mountaintop removal coal mining together with diverse environmental problems impacting the central and southern Appalachian Mountains.

Appalachian Voices 2010 Tour Dates:
07/22 – Lexington, KY @ Lexington Opera House
07/23 – Knoxville, TN @ The Bijou Theater
07/25 – Charleston, WV @ Mountain Stage
07/26 – Marlinton, WV @ Pocahontas Opera House
07/28 – Charlotesvile, VA @ Jefferson Theater
07/29 – Woodstock, NY @ Bearsville Theater
07/30 – New York, NY @ Music Hall of Williamburg
07/31 – Newport, RI @ Newport Folk Festival (Yim Yames solo)
08/01 – Newport, RI @ Newport Folk Festival (Sollee & Moore)

Music aside, there’s a real purpose behind this project. All three share the Kentucky mountains for a home, and this record was written in protest of mountain top chopping thanks to those greedy and short-sighted coal companies. It’s something that not many people outside the Appalachian states have heard of, but with Dear Companion, the two artist hope to get out some awareness and raise money for the cause, with part of the proceeds go to Appalachian Voices.

This isn’t Sollee’s first foray in to the world of topical music. Really, he prefers it when flying solo with his 2008 debut, singing the praises of peace, love, and happiness. He’s an incredibly intelligent person who knows how to craft a song with a message, and as you hear on Dear Companion, he gets to further hone in on that craft. But as just one third of the equation, Moore’s talent for songwriting can’t be left out. Moore covers the folksier end of the spectrum, and with James’s touch, the tracks are taken to a newer level than what was on his own debut. When all three combine you get the perfect blend of folk, new-grass, and alt-country. Somewhere Arlo Guthrie is listening and smiling.

Ringing and country harmonies suck us in from the get-go on “Something, Somewhere, Sometime”. Here the duo apologizes to the mountains, but if you hadn’t an idea what this record was about, you might not get it right away. These songs are written more like brokenhearted love songs than fist-in-the-air political rants. That’s the feeling of the record: lost, broken, but caring and wise. “My Wealth Comes to Me” leans more toward the 60′s utopianism of protest songs, but the poetry that surrounds it takes much of the weight off, making something more relatable.

While Sollee’s smooth-as-always vocals take up much of the record, Moore’s simpler, more direct style comes through for some of the albums best tracks, like “Needn’t Say a Thing”. The dark and swampy “Dear Companion” pulls out all the bluegrass stops with down-tempo banjos and rattling percussion building on the cello and fiddle. His vocals are stepped up a notch too, showing more of his underrated range. He’s quick to stay in his musical comfort zone, however, with his preverbal middle finger to big coal on “Flyrock Blues”. Moore can pluck and strum a folk song like the best of them, and this record really shows it off.

While there’s a serious tone, a sense of humor can’t help but come out with the harsh truths of “This is Only a Song”. They sing it right out, in between talking about too many cars and the apathetic youth: “This is only a song, it can’t change the world”. Lyrics aside, the songwriting is classic. If I hadn’t told you what the record was about, would you have guessed it based on a blind listen? Probably not, and that’s what makes these songwriters so good; they can take an issue and make it personally identifiable. They’re protest songs for the romantic, and love songs for those that love the mountains. Who knew they would end up making their best music while trying to save some mountains?

Buy:
Dear Companion

Other than being a biking enthusiast, Solle is born and bred of the Kentucky folk movement. But he isn’t your average good old boy. He likes to play around with roles, creating for himself a role that is one part Southern crooner and one part genre eschewing musical entity. Moore, though, is decisively more laidback and simplistic, something he picked up from being a bit of drifter, spending time in places like Costa Rica, Cameroon, Minnesota and beyond over the last few years. That uneasiness to settle has created a folk singer with a true universal worldview.

The record that brought the two together, Dear Companion, is a Southern affair through and through, with Jim James of Monsters of Folk and My Morning Jacket pulling production duties. The album is folky and light, but it’s also got their shared spirit of altruism and activism thread throughout the record, specifically the impact of the Mountaintop Removal coal mining and its impact on the people and culture of Appalachia. The title track best represents the spirit of the album. The song take the staples of down-home folk, the guitar and dancing fiddle, and spin it into a sinister and dark tale of some strained relationship. While Martin’s voice, which is haunting and engaging as it moves through the beat as steady as a knife and as thin as a vapor, dominates the track, Sollee’s musicianship punctuates the track, creating much of the feel of the song and moving it along in a frantic pace unlike any other mountain jam you’ve ever heard without losing the emotional connection. Here’s where we should say something about the South rising again.

Dear Companion will be released on February 16th via Sub Pop.

Check Out:
“Dear Companion”

As was the case at Lollapalooza, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been tapped to fill Austin City Limits’ vacant Friday night headlining spot left by the canceled Beastie Boys. The trio, which will play opposite Kings of Leon, will hold down the AMD stage from 8:30-9:45 p.m.

Also added to the ACL bill today were Raphael Saadiq and Ben Sollee. The former will play Lake Bird Lake from 5:30-6:30 on Friday, while the latter will hit Austin Ventures at 12:20 on Sunday. ACL has yet to name a replacement for the recently canceled Lily Allen, who was supposed to close out Lake Bird Lake on Friday night. Expect an announcement for that in the coming days.

As previously reported, this year’s festival is soldout. But if you are interested in seeing the complete list of acts playing, hit our Austin City Limits Outlook page.

Austin City Limits 2009 takes place from October 2-4 at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas.

Told you he’s killing four birds with one stone.

Ben Sollee 2009 Tour Dates:
06/07 – Somerset, KY @ Carnegie Arts Center
06/08 – Albany, KY @ Clinton County Library
06/09 – Cookeville, TN @ Backdoor Playhouse
06/10 – McMinnville, TN @ Capalano’s
06/11 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival
06/13 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival
06/14 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival

If there is anything to say about Ben Sollee and his music, is that it’s refreshing. His debut solo record Learning to Bend hit me like diving into a pool on a hot, humid D.C. summer day. My mind was released, my ears smiled. Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky and just 24 years old, Sollee has been around the traditional music block, earning much credibility and recognition since being mentioned as one of NPR’s top ten unknown artists of the year back in 2007. He is also known for his part in The Sparrow Quartet, as well as his work on the classic radio program Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour. Most recently, Sollee performed three sets at this years Bonnaroo, one of which is in support of his solo work.

A combination of bluegrass, jazz, and blues, Sollee’s sound is light and complex, combining the old with the new in terms of musical styles. As mentioned before, his main gig since 2005 has been with the bluegrass group The Sparrow Quartet led by the female banjo player Abigail Washburn and includes the world-renowned banjo player Bele Fleck and five-string fiddler Casey Drissen. This experience as part of a progressive bluegrass group has helped him build a style of playing that is very unique, almost guitar like when it comes to the way he plucks the strings making each note their own dramatic entity.

A follow up to his debut solo EP, If You’re Gonna Leave My Country, Learning to Bend is his first full length release and opens with social commentary on the folk inspired track “A Few Honest Words”. The track is an elegant reaction to the current social and political state the country is in, and also provides an introduction to Sollee’s unique style while backed by a drawn out violin. Further into the album, an updated rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” provides re-written verses more fitting for the time.

For highlights on this record, “How To See The Sun Rise” provides an excellent example of the man’s writing skills, introducing the jazz fusion. The bluegrass and folk roots never stray too far however, and really shine on “Prettiest Tree On The Mountain”, and “Panning for Gold” (personal favorites). For the first record on his own, he has put a lot of talent on the table.

This style of music has always been a personal outlet for me becoming the comfort food for my ears. While we all get wrapped up in what is new and progressive, it is nice to be able to sit back and enjoy an artist for their simplicity and creativity and with an instrument that is usually used only as a dramatizing background effect. Ben Sollee has provided a record that is hard to put down, and is well worth a listen for those with an ear for the traditional.

Check Out:
“A Few Honest Words”
“Dear Kanye”