Sierra Ferrell sells out The Truman performing Trail of Flowers

April 18, 2024

Haley Mullenix,

Sierra Ferrell. // photo by Haley Mullenix

Sierra Ferrell brought her Shoot for the Moon Tour to Kansas City Wednesday night as she took the stage at The Truman for a sold-out show with support from Cat Clyde. I’ve been lucky to see Ferrell twice already before this, both times at different music festivals, so I was excited to finally see her headline.

Sierra is the best mix of Americana, blues, and roots music. Her latest album, Trail of Flowers, draws influences that span decades and finally combine with her vocals to create her hauntingly ethereal folk sound.

Cat Clyde started the night with just her and her guitar. The folk singer from Stratford Ontario sang of her love for nature, as well as talking to and befriending the moon. A perfect combination of blues and folk she set the tone for the night. With a surefire attitude and an expressive nature, she captivated the audience and started the night off right.

The lights dimmed a little, and Ferrell walked right up to the microphone with guitar in hand, a star-studded cowboy hat, and the sparkliest boots you’d ever seen. Ferrell ‘s voice echoed through the room and the crowd watched in silent awe save for a few whoops and hollers when she’d hit a flawless run.

An immensely talented singer, Ferrell sang in school as a kid and was even in a Grateful Dead cover band before she began busking in her early twenties and living a sort of nomadic lifestyle. In 2018, she self-released her first album and was performing at The American Legion in Nashville which would lead her to eventually sign to her label. Her latest album covers everything from trying to find love, her experiences as a touring musician, and even a song that bloomed from her love of a good loaf of rosemary bread.

Ferrell‘s energy on stage is very fun-loving and inviting, as she talks about how powerful words are and the importance of caring for one another. There’s a sense of community when she gets the whole crowd in unison to say, “I love you” or to howl like wolves together, which she describes as, “a good, free feeling.” Sierra rounded the night off with a cover of Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee,” as well as “Years” by John Anderson. Her sound bounces between a nostalgic feeling for the timeless folk/Americana genre, and a jazzy, New Orleans, Calypso fusion with haunting minor chords. Ferrell is truly a voice shaping the future of music and her genre.

All photos by Haley Mullenix

Sierra Ferrell