The final day of the festival was perfect in several ways. First, Urban Woman accompanied me and, honestly, we haven’t see each other so much lately, so that was nice. Additionally, friends surrounded us and that’s always good. The weather was just about perfect and, most importantly for my tired self, I didn’t have to run from show to show and fret over missing artists I wish I’d seen. It was a perfect laid-back Sunday afternoon in the east Tennessee Spring.
The setting was the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, which is beautiful. The Smoky Mountains were visible in the distance and the Red Bud trees were in full bloom. The still exposed branches behind the stage made a beautiful backdrop for photographs and reminded me of the cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Bare Trees.” Food trucks provided everything nutritious and delicious and the beer, wine and moonshine flowed freely. Trolleys made a continuous circuit between the Gardens and downtown. It’s hard to believe this beautiful setting is actually just out of the city.
Caleb Hawley started the day as he’d ended mine the night before. From Pilot Light to the hillside stage seemed like a long journey, but he picked up essentially where he’d left of, with a fine set of soulful songs. Despite the fact that he kept wishing the crowd a “good morning” at 1:00 PM, he actually seemed more focused on the music than the night before. Or maybe it was the fact that I’d gotten a little rest, but the band and his performance seemed to be at a bit higher level. He has an incredible voice and we really enjoyed him.
Mutlu took the second slot and had changed approach a bit since the last time I saw him – on Market Square for Sundown in the City, as I recall. If I’m remembering correctly, he used a bank of electronic gadgets to enhance his sound. Not so at the Garden. Accompanied only by his acoustic guitar, his amazing voice and his keen wit, he put on a very good show. One moment poignant and the next hilariously devilish, his show is non-stop entertainment.
I’ve seen Tim O’Brien several times and I’ve seen Darrell Scott several times, but I don’t recall having seen them together before their performance Sunday. Their magical harmonies and similar musical visions make them a perfect pairing. Each of them are excellent musicians and each possess singular voices, but I have to say Darrell Scott has one of the best voices I might ever hear with a massive range and amazing vocal control. While their music might not be of the sort which would fill my ipod, there isn’t a better sound to fall into on a sunny afternoon on a hillside in east Tennessee.
Ben Sollee made his second festival performance, joined on stage for one song by his son Ollie. If Ben Sollee doesn’t become joyful as he plays, he does a very good job of faking it. He smiles, throws his head back, sways side-to-side and generally seems to lose himself in the music, all while making his cello do things cellos never imagined before him.
He used the bucolic setting to express in gentlemanly terms his feelings about the environment. He gave a shout out to those who had biked out with him that morning. But, mostly, center stage belonged, as it always does in his shows, to the songs. Wonderfully crafted and melodic with sometimes unexpected time shifts, they are gorgeous works of art. If you don’t his music, please pursue it.
The Black Lillies had not performed in Knoxville for a year, so their performance turned into a homecoming of sorts. Lots of old and new friends were in the crowd. Many of us remember Cruze from way back down the line, while other, newer fans attended in large numbers. I learned that a group from the Chicago area chartered a bus just because they saw the Black Lillies were on the bill. I think Knoxville got some pretty good exposure to new visitors for a second weekend in a row.
New material mixed with old and flowed into another excellent performance by the band. They played several songs and alluded to the possibility of a new album. If the songs they played were an indication, it should easily continue their phenomenal success.
For the first time all weekend at the shows I attended, the sound was a problem for the band with buzzing and feedback derailing several attempts to play various songs. They hung with it and eventually it all seemed to work out. It was unfortunate, but the band and the audience alike seemed to roll with it pretty easily.
The triumphal homecoming was followed by the headliner of the festival, Brett Dennen. He’s an artist that sort of sneaked up on me. I liked a particular song, then another and another and realized he was somebody I needed to check into in a larger way. I love “Blessed,” “Make You Crazy,” “Ain’t No Reason” and “Darlin’ Do Not Fear,” but I’d never gotten to see him perform.
Not given to much in the way of audience interaction or stage theatrics, what he did was play one simply excellent song after another. And he made it seem effortless. His songs are lyrically dense, uplifting and sometimes musically complex. He displayed quite a catalog of songs that weren’t radio hits, but sounded as if they might have been.
So, the sun down, exhaustion setting in, the festival ended. I had more fun than I’ve had in a long time and already can’t wait until next year. It served as a great showcase for the city and I loved seeing the artists at the shows and on the streets of our downtown. Hopefully many of them will return.
As I’ve done the previous days, I’m posting videos of the artists below, so you can sample them. I didn’t really find one of the quality I’d wished for Mutlu. He’s really an exceptional performer. I’ve posted a hundred forty five photographs from the first two days here. That same album on the Inside of Knoxville Facebook page will have another seventy-plus from the third day sometime later this afternoon.
Thanks for hanging with me. I hope some of you enjoyed these posts and I know others of you are anxious to get on to other topics downtown and we’ll do that starting tomorrow. Happy Wednesday, everybody.