OUT OF TOWN: Live from the Americana Music Conference in Nashville

Mary Armstong reports and takes review requests from the Americana Music Conference in Nashville.

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OUT OF TOWN: Live from the Americana Music Conference in Nashville

POSTED: Thursday, October 13, 2011, 11:30 AM

Filed Under: Music Concert Review

Mary Armstong reports and takes review requests from the Americana Music Conference in Nashville.

Americana brings the customary fraternal reunion, old friends zooming in from all sides, non-stop good music and a deep desire to be in five places at once, literally, counting all the showcase venues strewn about downtown Nashville.

Mary Faith Rhodes (Breezy Ridge Instruments) and I opted for serious country, at the Rutledge. We saw Marty Stuart open for his bride, Connie Smith (pictured). Yes, open, just a white guy with a guitar. Singing or story spinning, his soul is right there to energize the crowd. Stuart stayed onstage to play rhythm with Smith. She was in great form, her pipes are supple again, her band plays just like her glory days.

Following them Mountain Heart knocked us out with Bluegrass and funk and soul (yes, in the same set). David Mayfield Parade closed. The set started with seriously cool drumming, suggesting a sexy show to come. Enter the side players, one at a time, looking as hot as they played. Finally at the side of the stage, a fat guy is doing lunges, looking around to make sure he's got everybody's attention. He then vaults up and tumbles across the breadth of the stage, recovers and starts to shaking his ass. We got yer exotic dancer, right here! Fat solidarity! I'm in. Never did quite figure out if he was trolling for boys or girls or both. Not that it mattered, just keeping score. However, weak humor between songs left the audience telling better jokes back at him. Trying to pretend to be sorry when you really are is a complicated hall of mirrors to navigate. It was too loud to distinguish his lryics, but not so loud you couldn't make out that his voice is not one you'd listen to for pleasure. Yeah, last night was my chance to turn in early, wishing wistfully I'd left the Rutledge early enough to catch Peter Rowan, of the divine pipes, at the Station Inn.

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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