Category Archives: Concerts

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

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”

Concerts

Yellow House Revisited: an Evening with Jason Boland, Cody Canada, and Mike McClure

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For the people who didn’t grow up in Texas and Oklahoma in the 90’s and 00’s, and the people who have flocked to Texas country and Red Dirt recently because of Turnpike and Cody Jinks, it might be hard to imagine just ow prevalent Red Dirt music was here in those days. You can still go to Texas and find stations just playing Texas music, and others that play Texas country and Red Dirt right along with mainstream stuff, and for those looking to Americana to become a viable alternative format to mainstream country, Texas has already done that, with its own charts and festivals and fans that have sustained these artists’ careers for years. In Oklahoma, it was much the same before corporate radio, before iHeart and Cumulus dictated everything from on high–I grew up with Jason Boland and Cross Canadian Ragweed on my radio dial right beside Tim McGraw and Keith Urban. One of our local country stations had a show called Red Dirt Nights and played this music with pride. My divorce from country radio had as much to do with the sudden blacklist of Red Dirt music from the airwaves as it did with anything else.

Understand, then, that to see Jason Boland, Cody Canada, and Mike McClure onstage together is a legendary experience in the world of Red Dirt, akin to hearing three mainstream stars, or the Red dirt equivalent of what people would like to see with Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, and Chris Stapleton. These three are all legends in their own right in the landscape of Oklahoma music, and it’s great to see any one of them live. To see all of them together doing acoustic songs and swapping stories is a different kind of experience, and one that is just as special for Red Dirt fans.

It was that experience that I got to witness Friday night, (6/22_, at Oklahoma City’s historic Tower Theatre. This venue has welcomed me now for several events during my 2018 concert series, and I looked forward to this one because this would be unlike anything I’ve covered or will cover in 2018. I’ve seen these artists at Medicine Stone, and I certainly enjoy them live with a full band. That’ll be a great experience come September, but this was different, it was intimate. It was three friends onstage together, taking turns playing their songs and trading stories in between. They’ve named this tour “Yellow House Revisited” after a house they lived in in Stillwater, and it’s just so interesting to hear stories from those early days of Red Dirt music. It’s great to hear the story of how Cross Canadian Ragweed’s “Seventeen” was written after a conversation between Cody Canada and Jason Boland; it was Boland who said, while they tried to avoid the cops, that “you’re always seventeen in your hometown.” Canada and McClure’s ill-advised trip to Nashville turned into an even more ill-advised trip to Panama City, Florida, and with virtually no money to get back home, Canada decided the only thing he could do was write a song, and “Alabama” was born.

All that underscores the way that artists in the Texas/Red Dirt scenes are like a family. Mike McClure sang “The Funeral,” which many will know as a Turnpike Troubadours song, and if you’re at all familiar with Red Dirt, you’ll recognize that as a common practice. These artists record each other’s songs and sing on their albums and support each other. It was mentioned by one of them onstage that they’d been told Oklahoma’s music was different from Texas music, and the difference was the loyalty. I believe the whole scene is loyal, but there is something about three Oklahoma musicians traveling around singing each other’s songs that just wouldn’t happen anywhere else. That makes songs like “If I ever Get Back to Oklahoma” all the more special, and songs like “Boys from Oklahoma,” the perfect choice for an encore, all the more fun. I will never get tired of hearing either of these songs in a live setting because the kinship with the artists and the fans is something irreplaceable.

It’s that kinship, and that commitment to live music, which makes Red Dirt music a special thing. all three of these artists embody what makes this music important to our state, and further drive home the point that we should never have cast it off our airwaves. If you’re not that familiar with this subgenre, a show like this is a great introduction, and a case for what the elusive term “Red Dirt” actually means. If you’re already a fan of this music and these artists, this is a show you go to to see them in a different light, to hear those old songs reimagined, and to get that camaraderie between artists and fans that only exists in Oklahoma music.

Best Live Songs: “Fightin’ For,” “If I Ever Get Back to Oklahoma,” “Pearl Snaps,” “Boys From Oklahoma”

Concerts

George Strait is Still the King: a Live Review

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When I made the resolution at the beginning of 2018 to attend and write about more live shows and emphasize the importance of live music, especially in the current climate of streaming where tours, rather than album sales, support artists, I already knew I would be seeing King George Strait in June. It seems fitting that this post marks the halfway point of the goal of going to twelve shows this year because the midway point should be special, and George Strait certainly qualifies. Aside from being one of the biggest names in the history of the genre and not touring regularly after 2014, Strait is my favorite artist. I am working to own all of his albums, and when I tried to write a reflection on one earlier this week in preparation for this show, I eventually threw my hands up in surrender, unable to select something because of the sheer amount of quality material he has produced over his thirty-seven-year career. He was one artist my grandma, my mom, and I could all agree on, speaking to the resonance his music has had with several generations. I had seen him live once before, on the tour just before his massive farewell one, and although it was a great show, I had it pretty effectively ruined by the company, as my ex-husband, to whom I was then engaged, hated every moment of being there and made it known. Don’t go to shows with people like this if you can help it, it’s better to go alone if you must. Anyway, when my mom announced to me last October that he would be playing two shows in June in Tulsa, I jumped at the chance to right this wrong.

And after seeing King George on Friday (6/1), I don’t know if my words can possibly do it justice. I’ve seen some incredible stuff during this 2018 concert series–I’ve had the pleasure of watching Colter Wall silence crowds with his voice in a small, intimate setting, I’ve seen Shane Smith & the Saints absolutely kill it live for the third time in two years, and I’ve witnessed Jason Isbell take songs like “Speed Trap Town” and “If we Were Vampires” and somehow translate them into unforgettable moments in a live setting. I’ve had the great fortune to have not seen a bad show yet this year, and yet all of it somehow pales in comparison to what George Strait did Friday night.

I gave credit to Colter wall for doing the best closing number so far in 2018, and George strait gets credit for the best opening. He was introduced by Waylon Jennings’ “are You sure Hank Done it This way,” followed by the entrance of the ace in the Hole Band, who broke out into “deep in the Heart of Texas” while Strait came out onto the stage. It was nearly seven minutes after the lights went down that George Strait actually began singing, with the opener being “write This down.”

From there, he gave us two hours of music and thirty-one songs, and it struck me that on Saturday, he could easily choose thirty-one entirely different ones to perform for that crowd without resorting to singing anything obscure. That’s just ridiculous and speaks for itself. I don’t usually do this, but I will list the ones he performed below this post. I did notice that it was pretty well-balanced between older and newer material, with perhaps a bit too much focus on the more modern stuff. I can’t begin to guess how you decide which songs to play with a discography like this, though; do you just flip some coins, or roll some dice, or what? Although he could have done all #1 hits, I was impressed by the fact he included lesser-known songs as well, like “Cold Beer Conversation” and “Take me to Texas.” He also worked in tributes to other artists, singing “The Old Violin” from Johnny Paycheck and following the trend of so many right now by doing a couple for Merle Haggard, “Sing Me Back Home” and “are the Good Times Really Over.” I need him to record “Are the Good Times Really Over” now; that was one of the highlights of the whole thing. During the encore, he also did two Bob Wills numbers with the appropriate “Take me Back to Tulsa” and “Milk cow Blues.” Asleep at the Wheel had been the opener for Strait, and they also paid tribute to Wills, first with Waylon’s “Bob Wills is Still the King” and then with Wills’ song “New San Antonio Rose.” I had the feeling listening to all these songs that these may be some of the last artists playing Bob Wills music on big stages like this, and how important that is for the preservation of country music’s history–lots of people have heard of Merle Haggard, and many are paying tribute to him, but to hear music by Bob Wills in a sold-out arena is special because many younger audiences have likely never heard of him or his songs. With George strait especially, this is bridging the gaps between generations once again, as all these contemporary listeners who found his music in the last decade of his career are being exposed to older artists like this. It’s a great reflection of country music paying homage to its roots.

As for the highlights in Strait’s discography, it’s hard to single any out because they’re all such great songs, and George is a brilliant live performer. “I Can Still Make Cheyenne” stood out for me because that’s always been my favorite of his songs, and he didn’t sing that when I saw him before. “Baby blue” was another one that especially stood out, as well as “Troubadour.” “Amarillo by Morning” obviously qualifies here, and “All my Exes Live in Texas,” though not one of my favorite Strait songs, is just incredibly fun in a live setting. Except for a couple songs, he sounded excellent vocally, and also, unlike so many shows I’ve seen, this one wasn’t so loud that I couldn’t hear or understand the words. My dad, who has some significant hearing loss, also commented that he could actually understand George, so I know it’s not just a case of me being really familiar with these songs.

George noted that there would be something special happening that night besides the music. That came when he called up a soldier and a representative from the Military Warriors Support Organization and presented the key to a mortgage-free home to the veteran, who was wounded and has experienced TBI and PTSD. The Military warriors Support Organization seeks to provide housing and financial support to soldiers who have suffered severe injuries during combat, and we were told that this is the sixty-first home given by Strait, who is responsible for contributing fourteen million dollars to this effort. It was refreshing to see the crowd stand and cheer for a soldier with the same enthusiasm they gave to George Strait, and it seemed necessary to include that in this piece. For more information about this organization, you can go to MilitaryWarriors.org.

I feel like this goes without saying, but if you do get one of these chances like I had to see George Strait live, please do it. As a music fan, this is one of the most memorable concerts I’ve ever gotten to attend, and it’s an honor to be able to write about it here and have this outlet to share it with you all.

Best Live Songs: “Baby Blue,” “Are the Good Times Really Over,” “I Can still Make Cheyenne,” “Amarillo by Morning,” “Troubadour,” “All my Exes Live in Texas”

Setlist

1. “Deep in the Heart of Texas”
2. “Write This Down”
3. “Oceanfront Property”
4. “Cold Beer Conversation”
5. “Wrapped”
6. “Baby Blue”
7. “Run”
8. “She’ll Leave You With a Smile”
9. “The Old Violin”
10.”Kicked Outta Country”
11. “I cross my Heart”
12. “Arkansas Dave”
13. “The Man in Love With You”
14. “Check Yes or No”
15. “Sing me Back Home”
16. “Are the Good Times Really Over”
17. “Here for a Good Time”
18. “Take me to Texas”
19. “Give it all we Got Tonight”
20. “Give it Away”
21. “You Look so Good in Love”
22. “It Just Comes Natural”
23. “I Can Still Make Cheyenne”
24. “Amarillo by Morning”
25. “The Chair”
26. “Troubadour”
27. “Unwound”

Encore
28. “The Fireman”
29. “All my Exes Live in Texas”
30. “Take me Back to Tulsa”
31. “Milk Cow Blues”
32. “The Cowboy Rides Away”