Tag Archives: Jason Boland

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

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”

Playlists

My Top Thirteen Songs of 2018 so Far

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Editor’s Note: These are not ranked in any particular order, and all songs have been reviewed or featured in some way, whether in Memorable songs or on one of our playlists, by Country Exclusive. Please respect this list for what it is–one person’s opinion, and an outlet for sharing good music. That said, feel free and encouraged to share your favorite songs of the year so far in the comments below!
And don’t ask why I picked thirteen, some things should remain a mystery.

Anderson East: “Cabinet Door”

From Encore, featured on our January playlist

This was the first song to blow me away in 2018, and yes, hopefully I will review this album at some point. This is the tale of a man whose wife of fifty-two years has passed away; he’s left lost and alone trying to pick up the pieces, and he’s talking to her about everything he misses, and everything that hasn’t been right since she’s been gone. It’s just an incredible song of love and loss, and it’s impossible not to feel something when you hear it.

Caitlyn Smith: “This Town is Killing Me”

From Starfire

What an honest, bittersweet, heartbreaking story of an artist’s struggles in Nashville, the things they’ll give up and go through in order to chase that dream, and the reasons it’s worth it. Caitlyn Smith is a world-class vocalist, and she’s known for belting and displaying her incredible range, but it’s a song like this, where her emotions are laid bare before us, that really sets her apart and makes her special. An artist with this much talent shouldn’t be struggling for a second in Music City, but it’s the hardship that led to this poignant, beautiful song.

Mike & the Moonpies: “Steak Night at the Prairie Rose”

From Steak Night at the Prairie Rose

Maybe it’s the relationship I have with my dad, or maybe it’s the stories of chasing his dreams of music, or perhaps it’s just a damn good song, but I think “Steak Night at the Prairie Rose” has been really underrated as a song in 2018. Just a simple tribute to his father and to music that should just be heard. Also, love that organ.

Wade Bowen: “Day of the Dead”

From Solid Ground

An underrated song from an underrated album. Putting some really cool Mexican influence in his Texas country, Wade sings of a man who’s run off to Mexico during the Day of the dead on his ex’s wedding day. It uses some interesting metaphors for the death of their love, and it’s one where the melody, instrumentation, and lyrics all work together to create a really great piece of music.

Courtney Patton: “Round Mountain”

From What it’s Like to Fly Alone

As I said recently on Twitter, here’s a song that blows me away every time I hear it. A beautifully crafted narrative of a woman who married young and felt trapped by her life and family–she made mistakes and eventually abandoned them, and the beauty here is that she’s neither apologetic for her actions nor unaware of what she’s done and the people she’s hurt. Also, there’s an overdose of lovely fiddle.

Courtney Marie Andrews: “Took You Up”

From May Your Kindness Remain

An incredibly moving love song that reminds us the best things in life are free. What a world it would be if we could all learn to embrace life like the lovers in this song. Also, Courtney Marie Andrews absolutely sings the hell out of this.

Red Shahan: “Waterbill”

From Culberson County

And for those of you who don’t think fun songs can be on these lists, I present Red Shahan’s “Waterbill,” the best album opener of the year so far and an absolutely fun, infectious tune that’s been one of my most played in 2018. It’s also got one of the best lyrics this year with: “you ain’t livin’ unless you’re livin’ life broke.” It’s impossible not to smile when you hear this song.

Sarah Shook & the Disarmers: “New Ways to Fail”

From Years

Another fun tune, and probably the most honest, relatable song you’ll hear for a long while. I can’t say anything else about this, I can just assure you that you’ve felt like this at some point in your life, and that relatability is what makes a great country song.

John Prine: “Lonesome Friends of Science”

From The Tree of Forgiveness

John Prine is a songwriter like no other, and we’re blessed to still be getting great, thoughtful songs from him at this stage of his life. He can create empathy for anyone or anything, even “poor planet Pluto,” who was demoted and uninvited by the other planets, as he explains in this song. And what a great way to live, thinking it doesn’t matter if the whole world ends today because this place is not really your home.

Ashley Monroe: “Orphan”

From Sparrow

Overall, I did not care for the overly polished sounds on Ashley Monroe’s latest effort, but this autobiographical sketch of an orphan is beautiful, and it’s made even better by the lovely strings supporting it. This is a story only Ashley Monroe can deliver, and it might be the best song of her career thus far.

Old Crow Medicine Show: “Look Away”

From Volunteer

In a world where Southern culture is being forsaken and eradicated at an alarming rate, “Look Away” uses lines from “Dixie” and embraces everything that is good and cherished about the South. This is a five-minute case for why Southerners still have things to be proud of, and why so many people embrace this land and its rich heritage.

American Aquarium: “One Day at a Time”

From Things Change

The best songs come from a place of honesty, the ability to release a part of your soul out into your music. BJ Barham gives us that in “One Day at a Time,” detailing his journey getting sober. And “you see the man left holding the pen controls how every story ends, and truth becomes a martyr for the sake of the song”–that line is just brilliant.

Jason Boland & the Stragglers: “Hard Times are Relative”

From Hard Times are Relative

The first time I heard this, I declared it the best song of the year so far. I don’t know how that will hold up, but this is an excellently crafted story song and a reminder to us that when we think our lives are tough, these people in times past had it far worse.

Honorable Mentions

  • Blackberry Smoke: “I’ve Got This Song”
  • Brent Cobb: “Come Home Soon”
  • Ashley McBryde: “Livin’ Next to Leroy”
  • Courtney Marie Andrews: “Border”
  • Kayla Ray: “Rockport”
  • Brandi Carlile: “The Mother”
  • Dierks Bentley ft. Brandi Carlile: “Travelin’ Light”
Reviews

Collaborative Review: Jason Boland & the Stragglers–Hard Times Are Relative

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Since we’re both fans of Jason Boland & the Stragglers and have each written about them here before, it seemed only natural that we should come together to discuss their newest album, Hard Times are Relative.

Conversation

Megan: First off, and we haven’t talked about this actually, but I want to bring it up since I actually reviewed Squelch here when it came out…I actually really liked Squelch, in fact I like it overall better than this one, but there’s no doubt that it was very political, it had something to say, and the audience for it was limited. There were those like me that loved it, but that’s probably a minority opinion. That was also in 2015, and we’ve become a lot more politically divided even since then, and I don’t know how you felt about that album, but I think for Jason Boland fans in general, this record will be like a breath of fresh air after that one, more a return to his roots and what made him popular in the first place.

Brianna: I love Jason Boland & the Stragglers, so it’d be hard for them to put out something I don’t like. In regards to Squelch, I really liked it, and I believe that album has some of their best songs. Still, I agree with you that this album is a much-needed break from the more political topics covered on their previous album. I like this one for its variety in subjects and tempos.

Megan: Yeah, like a lot of albums this year and unlike in 2017, it does have variety in the tempos. This one has really gone back to their traditional side that they went away from slightly on Squelch, and instrumentally, it’s probably my favorite 2018 album so far. And not just because it’s traditional, but because of the variety. The more traditional albums I’ve heard this year have almost been too minimalist. This one has variety, from fiddle to dobro to steel to some rock guitars.

Brianna: Yes, exactly! It’s both traditional and energetic.

Megan: Right, and that’s such a hard thing to come by these days. It doesn’t have to be sleepy just because it leans traditional.
We disagree pretty strongly on our favorites lyrically with this record, but let’s first talk about the title track, which you pointed out to me on your first listen–honestly, this has become my favorite song of the year and without any serious competition.

Brianna: Oh yeah. It’s my favorite song of the year, too. It’ll be hard to beat it, I think. The story revolves around a seventeen-year-old boy and his sister, taking care of their parents’ homestead, because said parents died in a mill fire. All they have is each other, a dog, and some land. The boy goes out hunting, and on his way back home, he falls into a cavern. The great part of this song is when he’s saved by his sister and the dog, and on the way home, they stop to dress the buck she shot along the way. Though I’ve just told everyone the whole story, it’s something that should be listened to. Really, it’s incredible. A song about family sticking together, saving each other. I love it!

Megan: Well, and then there’s the fact his sister who saves him is only ten. Yeah, that’s basically the whole story, but still. There’s more to it than that, as the title suggests. Hard times are relative…when you think your life sucks, it could always be worse. But Jason Boland is not that kind of songwriter. Instead, he’d rather give you a six-minute dissertation on people who had it far worse than you.

Brianna: Yep, and that’s why Jason Boland is one of the best writers in country today. I mean, I know I said I love the energy here, but Jason Boland and a slow, lyric-driven story song like this is pretty much perfection, from my point of view.
I guess that’s why “Do You Remember When” is my second-favorite track. It’s slower, super traditional in its instrumentation, and the lyrics are all about the past. Starting with how the outskirts of town have become the city. Definitely makes this a song I was into right away.

Megan: He’s definitely one of the most interesting songwriters around, if not one of the best.
To that end, “Do You Remember When” is actually one of my least favorites because it’s too direct for me. I feel like he pulls off this theme of looking back on the past better in “Grandfather’s Theme,” wherein he’s lamenting the fact that the progress since his grandfather’s time hasn’t all been forward and questioning what advice he’d even have to give his own grandson. I get the appeal for “Do You Remember When,” but I feel like Jason Boland tells a story better this way, where he’s putting a fresh spin on it. The song is really moody and dissonant as well, which is a really cool reflection of his state of mind. We’ve had lots of songs like “Do You Remember When,” but not many like this, that actually look back on the past while also speculating about the future, like saying he’ll tell his grandson about the days of the automobile and such. Anyway, that was kind of a tangent, I really like this song, lol.

Brianna: I don’t think it was a tangent, because the songs really are similar. To my way of thinking, the songs are from two different people’s point of view. One’s very traditional, just looking back on the past. The other is legitimately worried about the future. At least, that’s my interpretation.

Megan: This is what makes the collaborations cool, though, because I could honestly do without “Do You Remember When” and love “Grandfather’s Theme,” while for you, it’s pretty much the opposite.

Brianna: Oh yeah, “Grandfather’s Theme,” while insightful, is definitely not one of my favorites. I get what they’re trying to do with all the production on that song, but…it just doesn’t quite work for me. And yes. I love how with these collaborations, you get different opinions like this.

Megan: “Bulbs” is another one I really enjoy that I remember you didn’t. As for other standouts, “Right Where I Began” is really infectious and my favorite of the more lighthearted stuff. And “Going, Going, Gone” is a really interesting song wherein he uses baseball metaphors to explain that on a full count pitch, he finally overcomes the struggle in his life and hits a home run. The rest is all pleasant and enjoyable, and I absolutely love the instrumentation all over this, but none of it stands out especially. I thought “I Don’t Deserve You” with Sunny Sweeney would be an early favorite, but it hasn’t been. But “Do You Remember When” is really the only one I dislike.

Brianna: Oh yes. I’m not a fan of “Bulbs.” It’s probably my least favorite lyrically. Instrumentally, I like “Grandfather’s Theme” the least. As for “I Don’t Deserve You,” it’s not one of my favorites, either. Like you, the faster song I enjoy the most is “Right Where I Began.” It’s just so upbeat and fun! The rest of the album isn’t bad by any means, it just doesn’t stand out like the other songs do.

Brianna: For a rating, I’d give it a 7.5. It’s not my favorite album by these guys, but it’s fun, real country. Everyone knows I’m always into that by now. What about you?

Megan: I’d give it a light 7. I do think it will grow on me, though, because it’s an album I just want to play for the sound. I love how country it is without being one, extremely minimalist or two, too trapped in the past for its own good. It’s country because of course it is, it’s Jason freaking Boland, as opposed to being country because it tried its hardest to be. The title track is fantastic, definitely listen to that if you only pick one. Solid, fun, refreshingly country album. 7 with a chance of growth.

Ratings

Megan: 7/10
Brianna: 7.5/10

Buy The Album On Amazon