Tag Archives: Jamie Lin Wilson

Concerts

The Biggest Takeaways From the 7th Annual Medicine Stone

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It has been a privilege to cover the Medicine Stone festival in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, for the past four years. It’s more than just a celebration of Red Dirt music; it’s also about the atmosphere and the fellowship and the way that the artists and fans come together for a weekend to just have fun and enjoy live music.

But there was an obvious difference this year. How would a festival founded by Jason Boland and the Turnpike Troubadours work without the Troubadours themselves?

Overall, this was the most solid lineup Medicine stone has put together in the years Country Exclusive has been in attendance. Wade Bowen and Flatland Cavalry, two of the main stage highlights from 2018, both returned and delivered excellent sets. Wade Bowen has killed it both times I’ve seen him at this festival, and it would be exciting to see him get a headlining slot. As for Flatland Cavalry, they’ve been improving each year, and sonically, they may be the closest thing we’ll ever have again to the Turnpike Troubadours sound. Shinyribs put on a good show in 2017, and it was great to see them come back and perform even better. Theirs was one of the most entertaining sets of the entire weekend. Red Shahan has been a highlight each year, and 2019 was no exception; in fact, it was a little disappointing that he only got forty-five minutes onstage. And Jason Boland & the stragglers are always great live, but this has been their best Medicine Stone performance yet. There’s a reason the straggler’s live albums are some of their best material.

I was impressed with the new incarnation of American Aquarium; I wrote during my very first year covering this festival that they didn’t quite seem to fit with the Red dirt artists, as their music leaned more toward Americana. Then, after the implosion and rebuilding of the band, their 2018 album really impressed me, and their live show has greatly improved as well. It is wonderful to see that what could have killed them has only made them stronger, and much like Flatland Cavalry, it’s encouraging to watch them getting better every year.

One of the cooler aspects of the festival is the smaller, more intimate stages where artists play each day before the main stage opens. These are a nice place to hear smaller artists, as well as those that thrive more in a quieter setting. Courtney Patton’s acoustic show on Friday (9/20), at the gravel bar was the crown jewel of these quieter sets. This was her first time at Medicine stone, and I would love to see her there again, (and can we please get Jason eady as well?) It was also our first time seeing Bri Bagwell, who turned in a more upbeat set at the river stage on Saturday (9/21). I would like to see her return to the festival as well, and I think she would do well as a main stage performer. She put on an energetic show, and she was also one of the most engaging artists with the crowd. Incidentally, I also need her to record “Seven Spanish Angels” ASAP, she sang that song excellently.

Medicine Stone has had some issues in recent years booking women, and this has been a common concern from attendees. In 2018, only Jamie Lin Wilson and Kaitlin Butts were booked. This year saw a concentrated effort to include more women, with the aforementioned Patton and Bagwell as well as the returning Wilson and Butts and the “Queen of Oklahoma,” Carter Sampson. Wilson, Patton, and Butts also did a Dixie Chicks tribute Friday evening for one of the “after-party” sets that takes place on the small stages after the headliners each night. All these women were standouts of the whole weekend, proud representations of the women of Texas and Red dirt music. It was also encouraging to see them being brought up onstage by so many of the men. Kaitlin Butts sang with Flatland Cavalry and American Aquarium, Bri Bagwell joined William Clark Green, and Butts, Wilson, and Patton all came onstage to accompany Wade Bowen. AT Medicine Stone, these artists often come onstage to sing with each other, but it definitely seemed like the focus in 2019 was on including and appreciating the women of the subgenre.

But the absence of Turnpike was certainly felt. This was both a positive and a negative thing. It was cool to see Kaitlin butts singing “Gin, Smoke, Lies” and to hear R.C. Edwards singing “Fall out of Love” when R.C. and the Ambers opened on the main stage the first night. But Jamie Lin Wilson’s “Oklahoma Stars” took on a whole new meaning when someone pointed out to me that now the star which burns bright and disappears could also be Evan Felker. Although the lineup as a whole was incredibly strong, there didn’t seem to be a closer who could quite fill the hole created by the Troubadours, and only Saturday night, when Jason boland headlined, saw the same kind of crowds which have become customary to us over the years. There’s also a sense that the more things change, the more they stay the same, and to have Turnpike’s own festival going on without them right there in their hometown was bittersweet.

Still, as always, this was a great experience and one that I would recommend to any fan of live music. You don’t have to like country because not every band sounds country; Cody Canada & the departed are a full-on rock band, and Shinyribs rings much closer to Louisiana than Texas or Oklahoma. You don’t even have to love music itself, for this is more than just music, it’s family and fellowship and one weekend where we’re not divided by anything but rather all here together to enjoy this. This is the power and the joy of live music, to bring us all together for three days until we have to return to our separate realities. May that power and joy continue to live through Medicine Stone for years to come.

Best Live Performers: Jason Boland & the Stragglers, Shinyribs, Wade Bowen, Bri Bagwell, Courtney Patton, Flatland Cavalry, Jamie Lin Wilson

Concerts

Some Thoughts from the 6th Annual Medicine Stone

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This is the third year in which I’ve had the privilege of attending Medicine Stone, a three-day live music festival on the Illinois River in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. In 2016, I gave a full concert review, and last year, I tried to highlight some of the unsung heroes of the event. This year, Medicine Stone took on a slightly different purpose for me in light of my ongoing goal of seeing live shows in 2018. The festival provided a nice contrast to all the indoor shows I’ve been covering, as well as just being the only festival I’ve covered so far on this journey.

Turnpike Troubadours made a triumphant return to the stage after having to cancel several shows recently due to various medical and personal issues. I’ve discussed Turnpike’s phenomenal live shows before, but it was especially good to see them return to form after their cancelled appearances. In addition, they weren’t as wonderful as they normally are last year; the sound quality made it difficult to hear Evan Felker over the the rest of the band. After having to move their set from Friday to Saturday due to rainy weather, they put on a great show and returned to themselves in fine fashion.

As mentioned, the rain was a major issue on Friday. NO sets were cancelled, but everything was moved inside a tent, the main stage being uncovered. It didn’t provide enough cover for everyone present, so many of us sat under canopies or just out in the rain for some of Friday night’s performances. Reckless Kelly’s lead singer called it the “cheeseburger tent” as they played their set. I’d been especially excited to see them, for they had been outstanding in 2016 and had not come to Medicine Stone in 2017.

As for performers I’d never seen live before, there were several standouts. Koe Wetzel may have his detractors, but the man puts on a ridiculously energetic live show. This was one of the highlights of the whole weekend. Wade Bowen immediately followed, and to the surprise of no one, he’s also fantastic live. He was the artist on the lineup that excited me most when I first learned which artists would be playing this year. John Fullbright played on a smaller stage–actually, he played in the cheeseburger tent–on Friday afternoon, and his set was also a highlight. This aspect of Medicine Stone, having performers play more intimate shows on smaller stages, is one of my favorite things about the experience and a great way to discover newer artists and enjoy those artists whose songs shine in quieter settings.

As for the returning artists, I was most impressed with Red Shahan. He blew me away last year and again this time. AS far as I’m concerned, he can come back every year. Flatland Cavalry also impressed me this year after not really standing out for me in 2017, again due to their sound quality. And everyone knows Turnpike and Boland and Randy rogers all put on a good show, making them staples at Medicine Stone.

One thing I found a bit discouraging was the lack of women on the bill. Only Jamie Lin Wilson and Kaitlin Butts were on the lineup; they’ve both been there each year, but in 2017, there were several more women booked. I specifically mentioned sunny Sweeney last year as being a standout and expressed hope that she would return. Suzanne Santo also put on a great performance. Both Jamie Lin and Kaitlin are great artists, and I recognize that there is a lot more involved in booking more women at festivals than just simply doing it, but I definitely would have appreciated more effort in this area.

That said, overall, I felt that this was the strongest lineup I’ve yet seen at Medicine Stone. In terms of sonic styles within Texas/Red Dirt music, it also felt like the most diverse. There was a good balance of established artists and new talent as well.

IN light of the ongoing commentary on live music, I also have to say there is nothing quite like the camaraderie of a festival experience. I’ve been championing Medicine Stone for three years now, but it can’t be stressed enough that the atmosphere is just special at a festival. I haven’t been to a bad show yet in 2018; I’ve enjoyed some more than others, but each has provided its own unique insight. With Medicine Stone, even though I’ve been there before, it still stands out among the other shows, and not just for the number of artists, or even just for the quality of the music. It’s the social aspect, the way you see faces from years past and recognize them, the way strangers offer you a canopy to sit under to take shelter from the rain. For those three days, you’re all united by this incredible thing we call music, and it proves more than ever that music can unite us even in this divisive world in which we find ourselves. When you spend three days together, you understand why Jamie Lin Wilson was inspired to pick up her pen and write “Oklahoma Stars” about the experience. It is irreplaceable, and I highly recommend this festival to any fan of Red dirt or of live music in general.

Best Live Performers: Koe Wetzel, Wade Bowen, Red Shahan, John Fullbright, Turnpike Troubadours

Random Reflections

Reflecting on: Turnpike Troubadours–Goodbye Normal Street

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Brianna and I are both huge fans of Turnpike, and between the two of us, we’ve managed to cover, either via a review or a reflection, each of their other three albums still in print. I’ve also covered their live shows. It seemed fitting to explore this album and complete the picture, especially since they’ve been so important to both of us.

Release Date: 2012

Style: Red Dirt

People Who Might Like This album: Red Dirt fans, those who love strong songwriting mixed with lively, upbeat instrumentation

Standout Tracks: “Gin, Smoke, Lies,” “Before the devil Knows We’re Dead,” “Good Lord Lorrie,” “Call a Spade a Spade,” “empty as a drum,” “Quit While I’m Ahead”

Reflections: It says so much about this band that we would want to feature all their albums here, for this is such a broad category that we only feature stuff we consider to be really great in our reflections. It’s meant to be more of a personal thing for each of us rather than an exploration of “classic” albums. Turnpike’s self-titled record from 2015 is my favorite and won our album of the Year, while Brianna prefers Diamonds & Gasoline and their latest, A Long Way From Your Heart. But unlike other artists where you search through a few good albums to pick one for a reflection and automatically throw out the rest, all of Turnpike’s material is good enough to be featured. And Goodbye Normal Street has its own special things that connect me with it.

“Gin, Smoke, Lies” is the first Turnpike song I ever heard, the one that immediately made me a fan. It shows off the strength of Turnpike, their ability to craft really genius lyrics while also making catchy songs. Their instrumentation, especially their propensity for fiddle, is one of my favorite things. “Before The devil Knows We’re dead” is a song about dying doing the things you love, and it’s somehow made happy because of the way they perform it, with fiddle and electric guitar running free. To all of you out there, take serious note: this is the song I want played at my funeral, not some hymn or tear-jerker; this is a celebration of life, and what a way to go, as Evan Felker sings: “Let’s leave the world laughin’ when our eulogies are read.”

When I was listening to this for this piece, I was stunned by the beauty in “Quit While I’m ahead,” a song I’ve played countless times before but have never completely noticed. It speaks again to the fact that people can listen to this band just for the music and the melodies and all that fiddle and never even pay attention to the songwriting genius. It’s the depth of writing of someone like Jason Isbell, but given to us in a way that’s more accessible and fun. And not to mention more country; they do blend country with rock as is common to Red Dirt, but a song like the duet with Jamie Lin Wilson, “Call a Spade a spade,” can’t be mistaken for anything other than three chords and the truth.

And for all you Turnpike enthusiasts and Lorrie apologists, looking to connect that Browning shotgun and those logging roads and piece together the story of this unforgettable character, she makes her first appearance here in “Good Lord Lorrie.” It’s a great song on its own, but now, in light of their more recent songs with references to her, it becomes even more intriguing, and essential listening for those trying to solve the mystery.

It’s so great to say that we’ve written about all the Turnpike albums still in wide circulation. It’s wonderful that their output has been so strong, not to mention significant to both Brianna and myself. Goodbye Normal Street completes the puzzle, at least until they grace us with a new record. That day cannot come soon enough.

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Concerts

Jamie Lin Wilson Killed it Live at The Blue Door

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I’ve been trying to go to more live shows all year, and just last week, after seeing Jason Boland, Mike McClure, and Cody Canada in an acoustic song swap, I noted that I’d covered seven shows already this year on the way to the goal of twelve–but I’d only covered one woman, Courtney Patton. This was certainly not intentional, but it did seem weird to me looking back, considering I do listen to a lot of women artists and feature them all the time on this site. But this is how it happened, and I was hoping to find some more women to support live. Then, on Friday, (6/29_, at around 5 PM, I saw Jamie Lin Wilson’s tweet that she’d made it to Oklahoma City in a borrowed van and would be playing The Blue Door that night. So with only three hours’ notice, I went; I’ve seen her before, but never as a headliner, and I knew it would be a good show and a cool thing to write about.

As I say, I’ve seen Jamie Lin Wilson live before–this actually was the fourth time after twice at Medicine Stone and once opening for Turnpike. She also graciously did an interview with me two years ago at Medicine Stone, and among other things, she talked about how many women artists shine in listening rooms, as opposed to in arenas and at festivals where alcohol and partying are driving factors. She proved this true in her own case, as although she was great on the main stage that first year, she seemed to bring something even more special to the smaller, more intimate stage on which she performed in 2017. The Blue Door, as I’ve noted before, is great for songwriters like this, offering something unique and intimate and frankly unparalleled. It’s listening rooms like this one where you feel like you’re just chilling with the artist, where everything feels informal and personal.

What Jamie Lin Wilson has that sets her apart from many songwriters, both men and women, who thrive in these types of venues is stage presence and charisma. She’s happy joking with her band and with the crowd, ruining the joke of why the chicken crossed the road, teasing her electric guitar player about borrowing all of her stuff in order to actually come on the road and play for her, and telling us about the line dancers in France that are obsessed with one of Courtney Patton’s early songs. But between all these lighthearted, fun moments, she’s got songs with such depth of feeling, like the bittersweet “Dusty Shoes” or the resigned “Just Like Heartache.” I’ve seen her do this song before, but I am always amazed by her version of Tom Petty’s “Room at the Top.” She worked in some Trishas songs as well, like “Little Sweet Cigars” and the closer, “drive.”

And yes, we did hear some songs from the new album coming out in October. She commented that she observed a lot for this record, just watched things happen around her and wrote them down. We heard a song about her daughter’s reaction watching the clouds pass over during the first cold front and another inspired by her friend who gets philosophical and poetic whenever he drinks too much. I’m so happy to hear that she recorded “Oklahoma stars,” a song I fell in love with last September at Medicine Stone. Evan Felker of the Turnpike Troubadours wrote the last verse, and Turnpike recorded it on their latest album. Everyone knows my obsession with Turnpike, but if you read that review, you also know I didn’t like their version of this song. It’s probably a biased opinion because I had Jamie Lin’s in my head already and an idea of what it should sound like, but I had been really looking forward to the song and then found it to be the only track I didn’t like on the Troubadours’ record. I still love Jamie Lin’s version, and I can’t wait to hear it on the new album.

I’ve been blessed in 2018 with not having been to a bad show, and i try to keep these little pieces positive anyway, not like formal reviews so much as spotlights of cool live music. That said, Jamie Lin Wilson’s show has definitely been one of the highlights of the whole series. And in the bigger picture, where the spirit of this whole exercise has been to support live music itself, her voice and these songs offer something in a live setting that can’t be found in the studio. I feel like a broken record saying that in so many of these pieces, but damn it, it just keeps being proven to me time and time again.

Best Live Songs: “Dusty Shoes,” “Room at the Top,” “Little Sweet Cigars,” “Just Like Heartache,” “Oklahoma stars,” “Whistling”

Reviews

Album Review: American Aquarium–Things Change

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Rating: 8.5/10

As recently as a few weeks ago, I stated on Twitter that one of my controversial musical opinions was my lack of feeling toward American Aquarium. As I noted then, it was never about the writing–that’s always been pretty excellent, and “Losing Side of Twenty-Five” is an absolutely brilliant song that I’ve loved since the first time I heard it. But after seeing them live twice, I was not convinced of them as a band, and I felt like BJ Barham, the lead singer, tended to only sing in one gear: over the top. But we must approach music with an open mind as I said just yesterday, so I took my own advice and went into the new American Aquarium release setting aside all preconceived notions.

That’s partly because so much had changed for American Aquarium prior to this album. The title is certainly appropriate. Every single member of American aquarium had left, leaving Barham to start from scratch. I knew it had taken a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to make this record, and more than that, I wanted to hear the new version of the band. After several listens with this thing, I have to say that though I am sorry Barham had to endure all this hardship, the result is a much better version of American Aquarium. It results in an album borne of struggle and resilience, and one that is a truly enjoyable listen.

The writing was always the band’s greatest strength, and this album is no exception. Barham’s songs have a way of feeling at once personal and autobiographical, and also quite relatable. He writes with clever turns of phrase, but never with the depth of some songwriters that sometimes forsakes the ability to connect with the audience. It all feels very real. There’s a track here called “One day at a Time” wherein he speaks of getting sober and trying to make up for the past and the hurt he’s caused everyone, and every word feels like it came straight from his soul. You are pretty much entitled to be impressed by a line like “you see, the man left holding the pen controls how every story ends, and truth becomes a martyr for the sake of the song.” “I Gave up the drinking (Before She Gave up on Me)” is essentially this same song, only told in a lighter fashion. “crooked+Straight,” one of the harder, rock-leaning tracks, is one time where the intensity of Barham’s vocal delivery really works to add to this excellently written autobiographical story. I could go on about the writing for almost every song here, so I’ll just say the songwriting throughout much of this record is just outstanding.

But that’s been the case for American aquarium the entire time. Where this album elevates itself above everything else they’ve ever recorded is in the way they’ve found their sound. They sound like a band more than they ever did before, and more than that, the tracks all seem to have the right production and instrumentation. There are some surprisingly and refreshingly country tunes here, like “Work Conquers All,” a nice ode to Oklahoma featuring some lovely fiddle. As an Oklahoman, I have to say I was excited to hear the little town of Durant referenced, as opposed to something like Oklahoma City or Tulsa which are often the only two cities people from other places can name. There’s accordion all over “Shadows of You,” and Jamie Lin Wilson’s harmony, as it usually does, really adds to this wistful heartbreak song. There are the standard rock songs as well, but these and other country selections provide more flavor and variety to the album. BJ Barham also seems to have found some different gears, doing a better job of holding back on softer songs so that when he belts the harder stuff, it can be more easily appreciated as a sign of emotion. The sound of American Aquarium has just improved in so many ways, and it’s interesting and unfortunate that it all had to come crashing down in order for that to happen.

The song that initially sparked my recent Twitter comments, and the unapologetic album opener, is “The world is on Fire.” the political nature of this may make it polarizing for some listeners, and I do question the idea of making this the opener when the rest of the record, even the political commentary, is more understanding. None of it backs down from its stance, but a track like “Tough Folks” captures the mood of this album better, with the line “Last November I saw firsthand what desperation makes good people do.” There’s an empathy with people who hold different political viewpoints, as well as enough self-awareness of Barham’s own failings, to make songs like this one more likely to connect with listeners than “The world is on Fire.” It’s also really similar to “White Man’s World” from Jason Isbell in that both songs reference their daughters and the anxiety about the world the girls will inherit, but that fosters comparisons to Isbell’s song, which did a better job of being self-aware rather than preachy.

Other than this song, though, I’m really enjoying this record. Much of the songwriting is stellar, and each track gets the instrumentation and production exactly right. Perhaps most refreshing is that out of the hardship and upheaval this band went through, American Aquarium became worlds better. This album is the best of American Aquarium’s career, and it’s all the more special that it’s a product of desperation and turmoil and incredible determination. I hate that BJ Barham went through hell to get here, but it’s often the case that going through hell produces the best and most enduring art. That’s certainly the case here, and indeed, this is one of the strongest albums of 2018 so far.

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