The Commercial Appeal - Go Memphis
Last thoughts on Neil Young, Courtney Barnett, Beck & more
Four writers, four stages and three days. Our final thoughts on the 2016 Beale Street Music Festival. For a longer version of this, see Gomemphis.com.
1. WHO GETS THE GOLD MEDAL AS THE BEST ACT YOU SAW AT MUSIC FEST THIS YEAR?
The honor probably has to go to
Thirty-three years after his last Memphis show, he headlines the opening night of Music Fest and starts with an absolutely epic 35-minute “Down By the River.” While I’m sure that probably drove away more than a few casual fans, those who stayed behind got an evening of vintage Young — who seemed particularly energized, at age 70, playing with youthful L.A. band Promise of the Real.
There’s always a danger of recency bias, but
may have been the best Music Fest set I’ve ever seen. The “Down By the River” opener was a fierce, epic, exploratory master statement, but there was more after that, including a particularly rockin’ “Rockin’ in the Free World” and three buzzing nuggets f rom 1990’s “Ragged Glory,” perhaps Young’s last classic album. A 70-year-old force of nature in sneakers and jeans, reveling in noise with a band of twentysomethings, Young and crew turned all of Tom Lee Park on a Friday night into a blissed-out afternoon in dad’s garage.
epic two-hour rock ‘n’ roll show already seems like the stuff of legend. If I didn’t exactly need a 35-minute long-as-theMississippi “Down By the River,” I’m glad I was there to witness it.
I’ll go with here. It was a much looser affair than his Mud Island concert last year, with more extended jamming, more obscurities in the set list, and of course “Raspberry Beret” (and a little tease of “1999”).
2. THE SILVER?
showed why they’re one of the most underrated American groups of all time. Watching the veteran Los Angeles band work through a festival-friendly set (plenty of fan favorites and killer covers), was a reminder of how powerful a group that has both knowledge and passion can be. Compared to some of the fledgling bands I glimpsed at the fest, Lobos seemed like men among boys.
I’m going to cheat here with a pairing of and
two guitarwielding women f rom Melbourne and Memphis, respectively, whose music was fully in the now amid a festival whose pleasures are often legacy acts. Barnett is a rocker at heart, and her early Sunday evening set mined most of last year’s full-length debut, “Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit,” a collection of songs that just won’t quit. Baker, by contrast, makes music I don’t typically go Neil Young’s 35-minute “Down By the River” was just the start of a epic two-hour show on Music Fest’s opening night.
for, and slays me with it. She took the stage wearing a T-shirt proclaiming “Sad Songs Make Me Feel Better,” and sketched out songs from her own debut album, “Sprained Ankle,” that choked up artist and audience alike.
justified the hype (and I didn’t expect her to be a budding guitar god). This fence-sitter is now convinced he has to buy (and yes, I do mean buy) her album.
midafternoon set, just Amy Ray and Emily Saliers plus a fiddle player, was masterful and captivating. Amid a music festival that was heavy on up-and-coming female acts, here were two pioneers.
3. THE BRONZE?
Watc h i n g
Sunday set it was impossible not to buy into her buzzing indie-rock songs and slacker charms. Still not sure if I see her as the second coming as some do, but her performance definitely made me a fan.
After ran down her love of Chicago sports teams on Friday night, she noted that the Bulls had recently lost to the Grizzlies. “I better not run into one of them Grizzlies,” she warned. I know Z-BO don’t bluff, but I’m not sure he wants to mess with Mavis. The Stax-connected stalwart was in fine form with
a sharp band, bookending her set with the related Staple Singers invitations “If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me)” and “I’ll Take You There.”
as usual, delivered wall-towall excellence. The band may be without peer, even in “festival” mode, when they emphasize crowdpleasing covers (the Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” the Allman Brothers’ “One Way Out,” the Grateful Dead’s “Bertha”) over deep cuts. Having seen
only in her deadpan cheesy videos, I was delighted to see she’s fantastic on stage. I was especially impressed with her Alex Chiltonesque rhythm-lead guitar playing.
OUTSIDE OF YOUR MEDALISTS, WHICH ACT WAS MOST SURPRISING?
Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I really enjoyed the newest project from the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach. With multiple percussionists, horns, backup singers and other accouterment, it frees him up from his main band’s more narrow bluesinspired rock sound, and helped me get reacquainted with a sharp guitarist I’d begun to tune out as the Black Keys grew to arena stature.
I probably shouldn’t have been surprised, as he’s always been an entertaining performer, but came out and delivered from start to finish with a set that had more muscle and energy than I would’ve expected.
The driving organ-plus-horns sound of Stax signees
demonstrated the band really has spent a lot of time absorbing the Stax/volt catalog.
play a tuneful, dense brand of indiepop, but I was impressed by how much they actually rock. Their closing number, which ended in a squall of feedback, might have been the heaviest moment in a festival that lacked any metal acts.
WHAT LOCAL ACT IMPRESSED YOU MOST?
In addition to Julien Baker,
sounded great, and seemed to be having a terrific time, during his solo blues tent set on Saturday.
I guess this band technically qualifies as local, since Big Star co-founder Jody Stephens is the group’s singer and frontman. Making their official Memphis debut, the band — which also features L.A. guitarist/ vocalist Luther Russell, and was aided on Sunday by second guitarist Danny De La Matyr — offered a lovely opening to the fest’s final day. Inevitably,
who had no trouble commanding an appreciative if smallish crowd armed with just her guitar, her appealing but honest voice, her cutting confessional lyrics and her five-foot frame (four feet of which, during full emotive yowl, seem to be mouth).
Sunday afternoon provided my first chance to hear
who might not have had quite the buzz of festival opener Julien Baker, but nonetheless turned in an assured set of wellcrafted pop tunes.