My friends and family are worried. They’re constantly calling to check in on me and telling me I’ve changed. It’s true. My behavior has been out of character lately. Since adolescence I have generally despised country music, and yet yesterday I went to the Country Music Throwdown at the Meadowbrook Pavilion in Gilford, New Hampshire.

Don’t get me wrong, a lot of those concerned about this behavior are not concerned because they disapprove. Most of my family and friends back where I grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and even some of them up here in New England like Country Music. They worry because it’s so unlike me. Don’t worry folks, I’m fine.

I haven’t always had an aversion to country music. My parents didn’t have a big record collection (I’ve got thousands), but there was a decent size cabinet full of vinyl. I liked a lot of it, but I only remember well a small number of recordings that my mother actually schooled me in, at least in terms of how they were important to her. There was Dixie by Dorsey, which was Dad’s, records by Harry Belafonteand Perry Como and a concert recording by Elvis.  In the Country vein, she also loved albums by Loretta Lynne, both solo and with Conway Twitty. I did too, especially the more catchy tunes like “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man.” Mom particularly liked songs such as “Coal Miner’s Daughter” because she said she identified with those.

But then there was the day when a Reader’s Digest set of recordings by Hank Williams came in the mail. It was a large box, probably with 4-6 albums in it, turquoise around the edges with a white label. In the center was a bust of Hank Williams, in gold. At least I think that’s how I remember it. That set of recordings was the greatest! “Hey, Good Lookin'” is so much fun to sing along with when you’re whatever age I was. I really have no idea.  Heck, it’s a lot of fun to sing along with now!

I lost interest in country music during my adolescent rebellion, mostly because other types of music caught my attention. The bands that sell out stadiums now I saw when they were in small clubs. Then I went to graduate school at NYU and discovered Jazz (Thank you WBGO). That, the Metropolitan Opera and Broadway were pretty much the exclusive object of my attention for a while. So much to learn, so many acts to see, and so many places to see them in that city. Then I went to Morocco and that turned me on, first to the music of Morocco itself, and then, literally, to a whole world of music. It stood to reason that if what I was hearing in Morocco was this interesting, there must be good stuff elsewhere. And, of course, there is. Lots of it.

By then I’d more or less forgotten about those records my mom had played for me, and there certainly was little in contemporary popular country music to evoke it. The music felt formulaic as if written to be played in a mall, and the lyrics, full of gratuitous evocations of the flag, soldiers, Jesus, God, Mom and Pop, felt contrived. Don’t get me wrong. There’s not a thing wrong with any of those. But in these songs it to often felt like these were being evoked for purely commercial reasons or because they were easy songs for mediocre songwriters to write. They seemed like hollow symbols.

I rediscovered all this much more recently when I learned that Country Pop may dominate, but it’s not all there is. There is a whole world of stuff… Different kinds of music that go by different names and that you don’t often hear, or at least not often, on commercial radio: Roots Music, Americana, Alternative Country, Outlaw Country, etc.  Plus, many of the greats are still making music, yet they don’t command the airwaves as much as they did.   Merle Haggard just released a new album.  Others who have done so recently include Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson,  Emmylou Harris and even Johnny Cash, whose posthumous release “Ain’t No Grave” contains all new material recorded just before he passed.   Dolly Parton has a new album coming out soon, if I’m not mistaken.

So… By way of that very long introduction, let me tell you that the Country Music Throwdown is by far the best deal in town, assuming your town in on the tour. Having rediscovered that there is still a lot of country music that I like, I figured there had to be some of it at this show.  Sure enough, there was.  Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses alone are worth the ticket price, but more on that in my next post. You also get a full day festival of music, on three stages. And all this for ticket prices in the range of $20-50.

What is also worth the ticket price on it’s own is the Bluebird Cafe stage, though the 20-30 minute sets are far too short. Here you’ll see amazing singer/songwriters, some of whom have made it to the very top of the country charts, and yet you may never have heard of them.  Or maybe you have, and if that is the case, you are lucky. The Bluebird Cafe is a Nashville bar frequented by songwriters who are performers in their own right, but who haven’t gotten the attention they deserve, either because they are early in their careers or because they are just too uncompromising.  The Bluebird Cafe Stage is just a stage under a tarp with stools and performers on chairs with their acoustic guitars. But they are up close and personal and they are brilliant, though some more than others, of course.
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There is nobody on the Bluebird Cafe stage that I would not recommend checking out, but I will single out the ones I particularly enjoyed.  Brad Tursi is a talented songwriter, based on the melodies that I heard.  I didn’t know who he was, but it turns out he is an alumnus of James Madison University, which is where I spent my first two years of college.  He’s also got a melodic, evocative, voice that is ideally suited to a genre of music that so heavily emphasizes melody.  I want to hear more and predict big things for his career.  I’d suggest you check him out.

Another act I particularly enjoyed was Cory Branan. Cory is one of those artists who is difficult to describe because he is so unique. He ought to be a huge star. He’s quite handsome–tall with blond hair and blue eyes–and that never hurts when vying for attention in the TV/Internet age.  More importantly, he’s a hell of a guitarist, and has an engaging, energetic stage presence that definitely holds your attention.  His problem is that his music is unique and original, and sometimes the recording industry doesn’t know what to do with that.  For the most part, if you think you are hearing a Branan song develop too closely according to the conventions of a genre or form, it’s because at some point he’s going to screw with them.  His voice, too, teases you.  It can be quite smooth, and then rough and loud, like Springsteen singing “Born in the USA.”  He’s close to entering the pantheon of my all time favorite artists, even though I only started listening to him a week or so before the show!

Walker Hayes is an original too, with a great sense of humor and mad guitar skills.  He’s a bundle of energy and loves interacting with his audience.  He’s also get a great, strong, voice.  But I’ve not yet made up my mind about him, yet.  On the one hand I found him engaging and a lot of fun, on the other he sort of reminded me of the handsome frat boy who has to be the center of attention.  That’s not to say he won’t be a huge star.  This is simply a matter of taste.  The guys got talent by the pickup truck load and I’ve only heard a handful of songs, so who knows.  But he is definitely a lot of fun to check out live.

Troy Olsen and Dave Pahanish definitely caught my attention.  They played in different sets and are not much like one another in either their musical or personal styles, except that they were both dressed in black. What they do have in common is that they are both successful songwriters whose songs have been recorded by others and risen to the top of the charts. They are also both seasoned performers in their own right, so do yourself a favor and visit the links to their sites.   Ashley Ray performed in the set with Cory Brannan and Dave Pahanish, which must have been tough.  She seems like a younger performer.  But she held her own quite well and has a distinctive voice that conveys a song well.

Dave Pahanish, Ashley Ray and Corey Branan

What can I say?  Someone did a good job programming this stage.  The worst act is pretty damn good.  So, check out these artists on the Country Throwdown tour.  It’s likely you’ll actually get a chance to talk to them, or to buy a CD and get it signed if you’re so inclined.  That will probably be worth something someday as some of these artists are probably the big stars of tomorrow.

If you do decide to check out the show, get there early. In Gilford, at least, the show was terribly managed. Traffic backups, badly controlled parking, and long lines to get in the single entry gate, for example. I missed Tyler Reeves, a performer I’ve only recently discovered and consequently was eager to check out, because we spent over an hour in a single line of traffic just to get through the last mile or so to the gate, then nearly another 30 minutes in line waiting to have our tickets checked and actually walk into the venue.

We didn’t stay to the end, either. None of us were that much interested in the headliners, especially those that came later in the day, and the drive back is 2 hours. But it was still a great day, and definitely worth the cash!