No Muzak around this festival, which is crawling with talent from Nashville and beyond.
Musicians and fans rubbed elbows at the dune-side kickoff party Friday afternoon at Bud & Alley's restaurant. From Los Angeles, Susanna Hoffs, of the pop all-girl supergroup The Bangles, along with singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet as "Sid & Susie," did a bunch of fun ''70s cover tunes - Neil Young, Yes, Fleetwood Mac, Carly Simon, etc. I'll admit it was a bit odd to start a songwriter's festival with covers (and to see a Muzak van on the way in), but they WERE good songs, well performed (Hoffs has some soulful chops) and the crowd was convivial. BMI sponsored the party, which offered an appetizer buffet for all ticket holders. Nice!
On to the tiny venue, the Seaside Meeting Hall ampitheatre, for an up-close and personal concert with three gifted Nashville songwriters: Kelly Archer, who played "On My Highway," a hit she co-wrote on Jason Eldean's album "Wide Open." Luke Laird writer on Carrie Underwood's "Last Name," "So Small," and "Temporary Home," and Natalie Hemby, who has written songs perfomed by Lee Ann Womack, Miranda Lambert, and Carrie Underwood. These soulful writers put on a loose, intimate show. Laird's "People on Planes" was haunting and moving.
Most of the members of Walton County's hometown boys Dread Clampitt took the stage next: Kyle Ogle, Baulder Saunders, and Kenny Oliverio. They showcased some of their solo song writing projects, as well as rockers the band typically plays at live shows. They were joined by Mike Whitty, a wonderfuly theatrical and quirky singer songwriter. This was an uncharacteristically tame Dread performance, but fit nicely into the more quiet folksy vibe.
Then it was on to headliners Sam Bush, Jeff Black, and John Oates, who did a round robin. The level of musicianship for these three pros was about what you'd expect: stellar. You could hear a pin drop in that hot and stuffy place. Newgrass king Bush's intricate mandolin work and buttery vocals shined, Black's emotionally fraught lyrics resonated, and Oates was simply fantastic. He paired wicked guitar skills with those gorgeous high and lonesome vocals we remember from 1970's pop sensations Hall & Oates. He did a stripped-down version of the duo's hit "She's Gone" and a nice rag-time cover of "He Was A Friand of Mine." I'll admit I haven't kept up with Hall or Oates, but after seeing this performance, I'll go looking for more work by this very talented performer.
Bush took the show out with Bob Marley's (dubbed "Billy Bob" Marley in honor of the country luminaries present) One Love...a sing along that left us all warm and fuzzy,
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