Currently Browsing: 30A Songwriters Festival
Jan 20, 2013
By Ken Paulson
– Nanci Griffith cancelled her show this afternoon due to illness, giving the Shadowboxers a chance to step up to the 30A Songwriters Festival’s biggest venue. The young Atlanta band charmed the crowd at Gulf Place Amphitheater with a well-paced set fueled by in large part by ’70s era soul and funk.
When is the last time you heard a young band and leaned over and said “That sounds a lot like Stevie Wonder?”
The songs from the band’s new album Red Room were tight and energetic, with impressive harmonies throughout. The biggest surprise was the band’s cool cover of Big Star’s “13.”
As the band exited the stage, audience members lined up more than 20 deep to buy the band’s album, set for official release Jan. 22 on Vanguard.
Follow Sun209: Americana Music News on Twitter at @sun209com.
Jan 19, 2013
By Ken Paulson
– Mary Chapin Carpenter’s first band date of the new year came this afternoon at the 30A Songwriters Festival. She’s still touring in support of Ashes and Roses, an album she described today as being dark and serious in tone. Still, she said, the album does take a hopeful turn midway through. That said, she proceeded to play one of the saddest songs on the album, “What to Take and What to Throw Away.”
Carpenter has had a long and successful touring career, and she once again demonstrated why, sprinkling new and more challenging songs among hits like “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her” and “ I Feel Lucky.” She was joined on the latter by Tift Merritt and Marti Jones.
Carpenter still has a terrific band with John Jennings on guitar, Jon Carroll on keyboards and Don Dixon on bass. Still it was a surprise to hear Lucinda William’s “Passionate Kisses” and “The Hard Way,” both long-time concert favorites, turned down a notch, and played at a slower tempo.
Overall, it was a compelling set and at time playful. Lyle Lovett and Dwight Yoakam, it seems, have lost their appeal for the woman who name-checked them in “I Feel Lucky.” Her new heartthrobs? The stars of “Dexter” and “Breaking Bad.” Clearly, times have changed.
(Photo copyright Ken Paulson 2013)
Follow Sun209: Americana Music News on Twitter at @sun209com.
Jan 19, 2013
Americana Music News – Suzanne Vega played a brisk set at the Gulf Place Amphitheater today, the first headliner at the 30A Songwriters Festival.
It was a career-spanning set and the audience listened attentively under surprisingly dark skies. The sun broke through, along with the hits, at the set’s close. “Luka” and a spirited “Tom’s Diner” (complete with top hat) closed out Vega’s performance.
(Photo copyright 2013 Ken Paulson)
Follow Sun209: Americana Music News on Twitter at @Sun209com.
Jan 18, 2013
Americana Music News – The 30A Songwriters Festival wraps up on Sunday with headliners Nanci Griffith and Lucinda Williams, two highly respected artists who have carved out long and successful careers by following their own creative paths.
Griffith is touring in support of her new album Intersection and will perform at 1:30 p.m. at Gulf Place Amphitheater. We saw Lucinda Williams on the Cayamo cruise last year and can only say that anything can happen. She takes the stage at 3:30 p.m.
Other intriguing shows on Sunday:
- Holly Williams and Homesick Elephant at the Hibiscus at 10 a.m., followed by Gretchen Peters and Eliza Gilkyson.
- Amy Andrews and Brigitte DeMeyer at the Hibiscus at 6:30 p.m.
- Shawn Mullins and Chuck Cannon at Bentley’s at 8:30 p.m.
- Humming House at Pandora’s at 9:30 p.m.
- David Olney, Tommy Womack and Webb Wilder at Rosemary Beach Town Hall at 10 p.m.
You’ll find ticket details and maps to venues at the 30A Songwriters site. And here’s a look back at the 2012 festival.
Follow Sun209: Americana Music News on Twitter at @sun209com.
Jan 18, 2013
Americana Music News – The 30A Songwriters Festival is clearly trying to corner the market on female singer-songwriters. There are literally dozens in Walton County, Florida, this weekend, including Saturday’s headliners Mary Chapin Carpenter and Suzanne Vega, both appearing at the Gulf Place Amphitheatre Saturday afternoon.
Ashes and Roses, Carpenter’s latest album, stakes out somber turf, but her live shows range from highly personal songs to her often-energetic hits. Vega’s “Luka,” a hit song about an abused boy, was the unlikeliest way to launch a career, but foreshadowed years of thought-provoking and adventurous recordings.
Among the shows we’re most eager to see on Saturday:
- Don Dixon and Marti Jones at 723 Whiskey Bravo at 7 p.m.
- Freedy Johnston, Susan Cowsill and Vickie Peterson at Rosemary Beach Town Hall at 7 p.m.
- Allison Moorer, Gretchen Peters and Parker & Parker at the Boathouse at 7:30 p.m.
- Webb Wilder, Tommy Womack, Mike Whitty and Angel Snow at Fish Out of Water at 8:30 p.m.
- Kim Richey and Holly Williams at Bentley’s and Maddog’s at 9 p.m.
- Will Kimbrough, Sugarcane Jane and Grayson Capps at Caliza at 9:30 p.m.
- Tift Merritt at Fish Out of Water at 10 p.m.
You’ll find ticket details and maps to venues at the 30A Songwriters site. And here’s a look back at the 2012 festival.
Follow Sun209: Americana Music News on Twitter at @sun209com.
Jan 17, 2013
Americana Music News – The 30A Songwriters Festival in Walton County, Florida opens tomorrow with a varied and intriguing line-up. Some of the best bets on Friday night:
- Webb Wilder, Jimmy Hall and Parker & Parker at the Boathouse at 7:30 p.m.
- David Olney and Don DiLego at Shorty’s Topside at 7:30 p.m.
- Freedy Johnston and Charlie Mars at Bud and Alley’s at 9 p.m.
- Tommy Womack and Will Kimbrough at the Boathouse at 9:30 p.m.
- Jeffrey Steele at Fish Out of Water at 10 p.m.
- Fastball at Caliza at 10:30 p.m.
You’ll find ticket details and maps to venues at the 30A Songwriters site. And here’s a look back at the 2012 festival.
Follow Sun209: Americana Music News on Twitter at @sun209com.
Jan 10, 2013
Americana Music News – There’s an impressive line-up booked for this year’s 30A Songwriters Festival in Walton County, Florida. The festival, set for Jan. 18-20, will feature Lucinda Williams, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nanci Griffith, Will Kimbrough, Jeffrey Steele, Suzanne Vega, Fastball, Tift Merritt, Allison Moorer, Webb Wilder, Eliza Gilkyson, Freedy Johnston, Gretchen Peters, Tommy Womack, Brigitte DeMeyer and many more.
Here’s a link to our coverage of the 2012 festival, which included outstanding sets from the Bangles, Rodney Crowell and Steve Forbert.
The 2013 schedule hasn”t been posted yet, but you’ll find a list of artists and information about tickets on the festival’s site.
Jan 15, 2012
By Ken Paulson
Seaside, Florida - The third annual 30A Songwriters Festival, closed out its three-day run today, wrapping up an ambitious and entertaining celebration of songs.
Very similar in scope and approach to Nashville’s’ Tin Pan South Festival, run by the Nashville Songwriters Association International, 30A showcases a wide range of artists and genres in both open-air and intimate indoor venues. There are still some growing pains – parking can be tight and some audiences don’t get the whole “listening” thing – but the festival is clearly moving in the right direction.
Among the highlights:
- Rodney Crowell at the Gulf Place Amphitheater: Crowell is savvy enough to complement his most challenging and topical songs with his country hits, including “Crazy for Leaving” and “Stars on the Water.” His cover of “Like a Rolling Stone” was great fun.
- An impressive solo acoustic set by Vicki Peterson of the Bangles. Her “Mixed Messages” was recorded by both the Bangles and Continental Drifters, and it was a pleasure to hear it as it began. Susan Cowsill followed with a very brief and off-kilter performance, but somehow it was charming. The show featured cameos and heckling by assorted Bangles and Cowsills. Truly memorable.
- Steve Forbert at Fish Out of Water: His introduction – something about a Grammy-nominated songwriter from Mississippi – badly undersold one of the most literate, consistent and prolific singer-songwriters over nearly four decades. The audience enjoyed his energetic and entertaining set, and then roared as they recognized “Romeo’s Tune.” So that’s who that was.
- The Bangles: We reported earlier on their great set; it was one of the most memorable of the weekend. Rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t get much more joyous.
[cincopa AoEA0wKHgzcv]
Follow Sun209: The Americana Music Journal on Twitter (sun209com) and Facebook.
Jan 14, 2012
We’re at the 3rd annual 30A Songwriters Festival in Santa Rosa, Florida, with Matthew Sweet and the Bangles headlining. The weather is as good as it gets in Florida in January and turnout so far has been impressive enough that some veteran attendees of the festival are saying it’s too crowded. Clearly these people have never been to Bonnaroo.
We’ll post reviews of the Bangles and Matthew Sweet shows later, but we’re headed out for a full slate of acoustic performances tonight. This is our first year here and the festival’s map left us with a sense that we’d be travelling all over the county to visit the mulitple venues, but the festival is actually fairly compact, with most of the Saturday shows clustered near the Watercolor Resort on A30.
Jan 14, 2012
Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles
By Ken Paulson
-Seaside, Fla. — As headliners at the 30A Songwriters Festival, the Bangles proudly proclaimed their founding three decades ago. Both the band and their music have held up remarkably well.
There’s some irony in the Bangles being the biggest names at the festival because while they’ve written a good part of their material, some of their biggest successes and most popular tracks have been covers of others’ compositions.
Their driving set at the Lyceum in Seaside, Florida included spirited versions of Prince’s “Manic Monday,” Alex Chilton’s “September Gurls,” Jules Shear’s “If She Knew What She Wants,” Paul Simon’s “Hazy Shade of Winter” and Emmitt Rhodes’ “Live.” Indeed, that is one of the most endearing qualities of the Bangles: They know and respect great pop songs and their covers typically match or beat the originals.
The concert began with “Anna Lee,” the same song that leads off the Bangles’ fine new album Sweetheart of the Sun. The album was well-represented in the set, and the new material is strong, particularly “Under A Cloud” and “Ball and Chain.”
Susanna Hoffs may have been the most visible of the Bangles due to videos and a solo career, but the show was a reminder that this is a band with balance, with Hoffs, Vicki Peterson and Debi Peterson trading off lead and harmony vocals throughout the concert.
The Bangles’ harmonies were impeccable, and songs like “In My Room,” and “Going Down to Liverpool” remain vibrant.
Surprises included a medley of “Get the Girl” and the Turtles’ “Outside Chance” (written by a young Warren Zevon) and set closer ‘Walk Like an Egyptian/Magic Bus” with a chorus/dance troupe made up of bands that have opened for the Bangles.
The Bangles may play hits from an earlier era, but this is no oldies band. There’s a vitality and energy here that few of their peers can match.
Jan 14, 2012
Matthew Sweet opened the afternoon show at the 30A Songwriters Festival with a set that drew heavily from his breakthrough 1991 album Girlfriend. Sweet joked that the girlfriend was now 21 and old enough to drink.
It was a tough setting for Sweet. Most of the crowd had come to see the Bangles, and though there’s some stylistic common ground, he wasn’t big on pop radio. Although Girlfriend is widely considered a classic, this was new material to much of the crowd and the response was somewhat subdued.
Sweet said he had been playing the album in its entirety on his current tour, but was going to skip some songs “because we can.”
Highlights included Girlfriend tracks ““I’ve Been Waiting” and “Evangeline” and the hard-driving closer ‘Sick of Myself,” from 100% Fun.
Follow Sun209: The Americana Music Journal on Twitter (sun209com) and Facebook.
Jan 14, 2012
Sun209 is headed for Santa Rose Beach, Florida to cover the 30A Songwriters Festival this weekend. Watch for updates on Twitter (sun209com) and on this site.
The News Herald of Panama City previewed the festival today. You’ll find the full story by Tony Simmons here, but here’s a preview:
Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles described the event as “a series of magical moments unfolding over the course of the long weekend — old friends reuniting, new friendships being born. … Large audiences and performers enjoying days and nights of music, storytelling both poignant and humorous, spontaneous jams, Southern hospitality, delicious food and wine.”
The festival is produced by the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County and presented by Visit South Walton. Proceeds benefit the CAA.
Festival venues include Vue, Fire, The Naked Grape and the Gulf Place Amphitheatre in Santa Rosa Beach; First Note Music Hall in Blue Mountain Beach; Hibiscus, Pandora’s and Shorty’s in Grayton Beach; Fish Out of Water, The Gathering Spot and The Boathouse in WaterColor; The Lyceum, Bud & Alley’s, Pizza Bar, Central Square Records and the Seaside Meeting Hall Theatre in Seaside; La Botana in Seagrove; Caliza in Alys Beach; the amphitheater in Seacrest Beach; and Amavida, The Summer Kitchen and the Town Hall in Rosemary Beach.
Jan 12, 2012
The 30A Songwriters Festival in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, has just released its performance schedule for this weekend, Jan. 13-15.
You’ll find it in PDF form here.
Top draws on opening night will include the Psycho Sisters (former Continental Drifters Susan Cowsill and Vicki Peterson), David Olney, David Ryan Harris, Steve Forbert, Indigo Girl Amy Ray, John Oates, Corey Smith and a solo show by Bangle Susannah Hoffs, with a guest appearance by Matthew Sweet. Hoffman and Sweet recorded two volumes of Under the Covers together, both of which were terrific collections of classic rock and pop.
Jan 8, 2012
The Bangles, Rodney Crowell and Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls are among the headliners at next week’s 30A Songwriters Festival in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
While some songwriters festivals feature writers who have composed for others, the 30A festival features a wide range of performers with recording careers, who also happen to write their own material.
Artists scheduled to appear at the festival Jan. 13-15 include Matthew Sweet, Mary Gauthier, Tania Elizabeth, Shawn Mullins, Jeffrey Steele, Miles Zuniga of Fastball, Joan Osborne, Jim Lauderdale, Steve Forbert, Chely Wright, the Sam Bush Band, David Ryan Harris, Corey Smith, Marti Jones and Don Dixon, Tommy Talton, Randall Bramblett, Susan Cowsill, Teddy Gentry, Lenny LeBlanc, Joseph Arthur, Lori McKenna, Eric Brace and Peter Cooper, Chuck Cannon, Brigitte DeMeyer, Jeff Black, David Olney, Over the Rhine, Tommy Womack, Emily Lynch, Larkin Poe and Suzi Ragsdale.
Schedule details and ticket information can be found here.
Sun209 chronicles rock, roots and Americana music, drawing its name from the catalog number of Elvis Presley's first single, the Big Bang of contemporary music.
Review copies and press releases: PO Box 432, 3908 Lebanon Pike, Hermitage, TN 37076.
E-mail: sun209editor@gmail.com.
