Sun209 is based in Nashville, so we’re taking Austin’s claim of being the “”Live Music Capital of the World” with a grain of salt. That said, the line-up at the Keep Austin Weird Festival was truly impressive, particularly the bands that hit the stage in the late afternoon and early evening. There’s some of the Band in Deadman and Motown/Stax…
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame announces nominees
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced its 2011 nominees, and the roster is extraordinary. (Full disclosure: I’m a member of the Hall’s board.) Here’s the announcement that was released today: Five highly successful artists and ten songwriters whose work has been recorded by some of the biggest names in popular and country music have been nominated for one…
Buffalo Springfield returns
Nostalgia suits Neil Young. During his last show at the Ryman, Young barely acknowledged the audience, performing an impressive set of songs with a stage presence somewhere between oblivious and sullen. Contrast that with Young, the exuberant frontman for Buffalo Springfield, the legendary (and for once, the adjective is apt) sixties band that has just reunited after four decades on…
Loretta Lynn at Bonnaroo
Loretta Lynn charmed a largely young audience at Bonnaroo this afternoon, bridging the decades with her biggest hits and a disarming presence. At one point, she invited requests, and said if the band didn’t know the song, “you can come up and sing it yourself.” At 79, Lynn is still a first-rate performer. Songs like “You Ain’t Woman Enough” and…