Jim Lauderdale held court on the stage at Exit/In. One of Nashville’s most prolific industry vets had played the part of unofficial Americana Fest ambassador as he has for decades, and now it was his turn to take the spotlight for a set of his own. Lauderdale showcased tunes from all corners of his catalog, now more than 30 albums deep, and spanned more than 40 years.
Lauderdale made a strong case for why he’s considered a founding father of Americana by the time he got to “King of Broken hearts.” He and his band mixed rock and slide guitars with bass lines that are funky. Since the late 1990s, Americana has been referred to as country, folk or rock depending on the context, but the set was an easy sampling of the wide range of music.
The set was played to an audience with a lot of gray hair. He spoke about his close friendship with Buddy Miller, who he was honored with a lifetime achievement award from Robert Plant. Lauderdale brought up someone else at the end of his set. Lauderdale thinks of a young George Jones when he thinks of the outstanding singer- songwriter-fiddler. The seasoned entertainer ended his set with a shout out to his writing partner and an apology for all the songs he didn’t play that night. There are many.
It was difficult to tell if she was a recent addition to Nashville’s country music landscape, with her natural way of singing about whiskey, heartbreak and much more besides, or if she was just a new addition. She brought a stellar touring band to Exit/In, with whom she is embarking on a cross-country road tour, as she prepares to follow up Neon Cross, her powerful 2020LP produced by Shooter Jennings that reflects on a season of big changes in her life. Ryan Hartman used an empty Bud Light bottle as a slide to show off his guitar skills. Joshy Soul is an L.A. artist with a growing body of his own solo work.
The lead-off song on Neon Cross, “Sweet Mess”, was the one that took Soul’s spot at the keyboard, and she leaned on the crowd-pleasing “Wasco” for the finale. She is living proof that Americana has bench depth to spare, with relative newcomers who are just as capable as the legends.