Folk Alliance International Conference Day 2: Chats, twang, and soul

Ann Powers and ALynda Segarra. // photo by Nick Spacek

I started my day by nearly oversleeping, Still, I made it to the ballroom in time to grab a seat and get comfy to see Ann Powers in conversation with Hurray for the Riff Raff’s Alynda Segarra—fresh off her having received The People’s Voice Award during the International Folk Music Awards the night before.

It was a wide-ranging conversation around Segarra’s new album, The Past is Still Alive, and took in elements of traveling, identity, honoring ancestors, and was as much a chat between two like-minded friends as it was an interview.

Noel Paul Stookey. // photo by Nick Spacek

Getting to hear Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul, & Mary chat with Deana McCloud of Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame was something else. He full-on asked questions of McCloud, told stories, and managed to weave together this mystical creation which also felt like the coolest professor I’d ever had combined with your friendliest grandparent. Musical theory–the idea that folk came out of change in the wake of World War II is intriguing–mixed with personal reminiscing and a broad knowledge of pop music made for alchemy in the truest sense. “Authenticity is in the intention,” he said at one point, and I could’ve listened to him speak far past the sadly short half hour.

McCloud suggested that he end their time with a song and, rather than picking up the banjo and dusting off a favorite, he started a vocal tone, invited the audience to join in and extemporize, and there was two minutes of beautiful joy.

Took a break for lunch with my sister at Buffalo State Pizza and missed some things in the middle thanks to writing up the previous day’s events, but the downtime was appreciated and needed considering what was coming next.

The Matchsellers. // photo by Nick Spacek

The first official showcase of the conference was Kansas City’s the Matchsellers, because a bluegrass quartet around a condenser mic singing cosmic country is exactly how you kick off this kind of thing, especially when your brief time in the room they’re playing includes the should-be-a-massive-hit “Shaky Motors.” The recording is a wondeful tune. Live, it’s the sort of song you walk away from shaking your head and telling people, “Man, you just have to be there.” Pretty sure the big whoops and yips from the audience mean I’m not the only one who thinks that way, either.

Dragging myself out of the room and upstairs to where El Pony Pisador was playing was hard. Damned hard. However, much like Les Rats du Swompe last year, El Pony Pisador are precisely the band you need to see as many times as possible. In their private showcase the night before, they served to boost everyone’s flagging reserves. Playing amplified at the beginning of the evening, it almost seems unfair that there were acts playing official showcases for four hours afterward. There was all that, plus a sea shanty, plus an a capella song, PLUS Tuvan throat singing,all within half an hour. Following these five gentleman with their synchronized moves and charm to spare would only be worse if someone joined them on accordion and took the energy to a full 11.

Willi Carlisle. // photo by Nick Spacek

Is it worth a five-minute wait to see someone play 20 minutes? When it’s Willi Carlisle, the answer is yes. For my next artist, I had to go all the way down to the lobby and then all the way up to Benton’s on the 20th floor for country-folk troubadour Willi Carlisle. I was, of course, late. Boo. The shows in the space are amazing,with artists in front of the downtown skyline, but the trip up there is a real kick in the teeth unless you’re running 10 minutes early. It was, unsurprisingly, packed as we walked off the elevator to hear Carlisle just starting “Critterland,” the title track to his latest album. His music is truly for the people, and takes country music back to its roots of being revolutionary, rather than the jingoist party jams which it’s become.

“Am I gettting political?” Yes. And we love it, Willi. The shadow-lantern play for “Two Headed Lamb” and its commentary on the “urban-rural divide” vis-a-vis tattoos shared by members of the Future Farmers of America and the trans community is a brilliant concept, and quietly weeping in an otherwise sterile hotel bar 20 stories up was not on my list for the evening, but there you go.

ISMAY. // photo by Nick Spacek

ISMAY is the project of Avery Hellman. It’s dusty and open, like the air on the family ranch where the musician spent much of their 20s working. Their grandfather ran the venerable music festival Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and one can tell just how much Hellman synthesized from those formative experiences. There’s a little Emmylou Harris, a bit of Lucinda Williams, some Steve Earle, and a smidgen of Jon Langford. Melody for days, with a willingness to let things spread out and fill the room all the way to the back. It’s also so rare to see a full rock band setup at Folk Alliance that the traditional grouping of guitars, bass, and drums almost felt novel in and of itself.

Next began the frantic pinballing portion of the evening, bouncing across the hall to catch an artist we’d seen at the International Folk Music Awards the night before, Mireya Ramos, for a little bit before immediately heading back whence we came to catch another awards performer, Malena Cadiz, then back across the hall to catch yet a third awards performer, that being the house band the Steel Wheels.

Mireya Ramos. // photo by Nick Spacek

Ramos had her fiddle, a pedal steel player, cellist, trumpet player, drummer, and guitarist from Kansas City’s Poor Choices. Opening with “I Fall to Pieces,” and following it up with a ranchera, it was a set which easily demonstrated how the collaboration honed their set with regular gigs together at the Ship. Soaring vocals, a crack band, and just inimitable skill. Taking these notes were distracting me from the fun onstage, so at this point, it’s mostly eye-popping emojis to convey how much fun I was having. I do recall the last song was a cumbia and Ramos invited everyone to dance, and the Resonant Rogues can cut a fucking rug.

Malena Cadiz. // photo by Nick Spacek

Sadly, sticking around for Ramos’ full set meant we only caught the back half of Cadiz’s set, which saw her accompanied only by her electric guitar. That said, her voice is arresting and immediate, and we walked into her in the midst of Leonard Cohen’s “Famous Blue Raincoat,” and there are far worse first of the last three songs to hear.

The Steel Wheels. // photo by Nick Spacek

The Steel Wheels’ set had a packed house. It was impressive crowd for this Virginia country-bluegrass quintet, and they were enthusiastic. It’s easy to see why. It’s maybe been seven years since I last saw the band, but they’re a fully-formed collection of musicians who manage to feel like I’m listening to a Flatt and Scruggs who’ve managed to make it all the way into the 21st century, picking up the best aspects of the last couple decades of country music on the way. While I desperately wish they’d kick up their heels a little more often on their most recent album Yes I Know (from which they exclusively played), there’s still a groove and sense of harmony with the impressive musicianship in the Steel Wheels and that’s pretty all right.

Whiskey Mash Band. // photo by Nick Spacek

Digging Roots were unfortunately off the bill after the Steel Wheels for reasons unknown, so a frantic run to the other end of the building to catch Whiskey Mash Band ensued. The KC band’s high-energy bluegrass collided with the Mountain Dew I’d slammed between acts to create a wave I’d ride for the next couple hours. Whiskey Mash’s music–a very potent distillation–is very very Winfield/FidPick. Think early Old Crow meets Split Lip and you’re 90% of the way there. They don’t reinvent the wheel, but they certainly know how to make a smooth ride.

Freedy Johnston. // photo by Nick Spacek

Caught exactly one song of Freedy Johnston’s set. He is good. Then I went and started the private showcases by seeing Willie Watson again because, well, sometimes you have to indulge your 20-something self and give in to seeing someone from one of your favorite bands you’d seen not 24 hours prior because it was just that fucking good. Also, the Michigan Room had smoked salmon jerky, and snacks were necessary.

The Trials of Cato. // photo by Nick Spacek

And, in a lovely bit of happenstance, I walked out of the Michigan Room to hear some lovely music coming from a few doors down and it was Trials of Cato, an act to which I’d been looking forward. They shouted out and played a song about Thomas Paine, which is very folk music and appealing to this English major. Their sound is so much bigger than a trio has any right to be, hence the very, very packed room hosting their set.

Bad Alaskan. // photo by Nick Spacek

Lawrence’s Bad Alaskan, the project of Alex Kimball-Williams, is the sort of thing perfectly suited for a hotel room set. All her gear fits in a Radio Flyer wagon. She takes traditional Indigenous music and interprets it through her synthesizers and also instructs as she performs. Catching her Boards of Canada-style sounds is always a treat and being present for her first-ever Folk Alliance set was truly wonderful.

Lady A. // photo by Nick Spacek

Next was the legend Lady A. Soulful and smooth, she came to notice when the former Lady Antebellum took Lady A as their name, but she’s been making music for decades and getting to see her play this intimately was an honor and a privilege. As she says, the Seattle singer encompasses blues, gospel, funk, soul, and so much more. Lady A hopes that just one person leaves her shows feeling that they’ve been moved and I defintely fell into that category. How can you hear her do Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” and not be moved?

Gasoline Lollipos. // photo by Nick Spacek

Going into their set, I knew nothing of the Gasoline Lollipops other than their name and that their frontman was wearing an anti-Nazi t-shirt. Good enough for me. They ended up being barrelhouse country blues and goodness, were they a blast. People were dancing in the back and as their set went on, folks had to pop their heads in the room to see just what this rollicking foursome was kicking out.

True Lions. // photo by Nick Spacek

Kansas City’s True Lions is an act I’ve seen in multiple configurations over the years, but this traditional trio format might be the happiest version. Watching Alison Hawkins’ fiddle playing is the most joyous experience one can have in KC, and while the room was filled with friends, I can only hope that this introduced at least one unfamiliar person and turned them into a fan. All those friends did make “Carrot Cake” into a singalong, and following it with Roger Miller’s “Oo-De-Lally” from Disney’s Robin Hood is 100% my jam and if you missed it, I am so very sorry.

Folk in the Flow with David LaFleche. // photo by Nick Spacek

David LaFleche showed up to his Friday time slot in Whiskey Mash Band’s room, so he stepped in with Folk in the Flow. It was Folk Alliance in miniature, with a duo quickly becoming a trio thanks to the talents of individuals meeting just moments before joining in song. There are worse places to be at 1am on a Friday morning than drinking Stockyards Brewing Cerveza Royale and listening to some jangly joy with the KC skyline in the background.

New this year to the conference is that the public can get tickets to the official showcases. You don’t have to register for the conference to go for just one night. Individual evening tickets available here.