9th Annual Americana Music Festival & Conference - Nashville 9/17 - 9/20

[beach bob]

The AMA website blurb:

The 9th annual Americana Music Festival & Conference will bring over 1000 artists and industry professionals together from all over the world, representing all facets of our genre, to the Nashville Convention Center and premiere venues throughout the city from September 17 – September 20. The AMA Festival will feature up to 60 showcase or performance slots for both established and emerging artists. These opportunities include both daytime slots and off-site evening showcases on three nights.

By day, the Americana Music Conference features numerous panels, seminars, a trade show, and much more. This special event covers the interests and needs of artists, managers, labels, radio stations, publishers, agents, promoters, retailers, performing rights organizations, legal and business affairs executives, tour-related services, merchandisers, new media and all related allied professionals.

List of confirmed showcase artists:
Peter Bradley Adams
Nels Andrews
Marcia Ball
Band of Heathens
Randall Bramblett
Laura Cantrell
Chatham Country Line
John Cowan Band
Cross Canadian Ragweed
Dailey & Vincent
Dedringers
Christopher Denny
Joe Ely
Mike Farris
Rosie Flores
Folk Ute
Kylie Harris
Malcolm Holcombe
Will Hoge
Jason Isbell
Jason & The Scorchers
Kane Welch Kaplin
Randy Kohrs
Ben Kweller
Langhorne Slim & the War Eagles
Jim Lauderdale
Gary Louris & Mark Olson
Kathy Mattea
Anne McCue
James McMurtry
Chuck Mead
Tift Merritt
Buddy Miller
Jennifer Nicely
Dave Peterson & His Old Time Country Review
Reverend Peyton's Big [Darn] Band
Red Stick Ramblers
Kim Richey, Will Kimbrough & Mando Saenz
Bruce Robison
Romantica
Patty Hurst Shifter
Shurman
Sierra Hull & Highway 111
Patrick Sweany
The Belleville Outfit
The Coal Men
The Duhks
The Everybodyfields
The Farewell Drifters
The Gougers
The SteelDrivers
The Wrights Band of Annuals
Paul Thorn
Those Darlins
Ricky Young
Jim White
Robin & Linda Williams

Americana Music Association 2008 conference (http://www.americanamusic.org/site.php?content=conference)

[beach bob]

OK gang, cat's outta the bag now. I'M GOING TO THIS THING!!! TWO WEEKS AWAY!!! [assuming my home isn't flattened by various hurricanes churning out in the Atlantic right now]

As it turns out, one of my buddies that camps with us spring and fall on the Suwannee River for the music festivals, got a press pass for the AMA conference [he writes reviews and a column for a local entertainment freebie mag]. I recently logged a whole bunch of OT pay at my job, and started thinking evil thoughts. My birthday is coming up, and I proposed a solo weekend away from the family, as my birthday present. Linda scowled, but handed me my shore leave papers ;)

I'm not doing the conference part [that costs five hunnert bucks!], but I will be going to the awards show, and there's a night venue wristband for 35 bucks that's good for four nights of showcases at four venues. Oughta be pretty dang fun, with some great music. And I get to hang with my pals Curtis and Lynne. Event highlights to follow in the next couple posts...

[beach bob]

Thursday 7:00 - 9:30 pm
THE AMERICANA HONORS & AWARDS at the Historic Ryman Auditorium
Hosted by Jim Lauderdale with Buddy Miller's all star band!

[beach bob]

Thursday 5:00 - 6:30 pm, Douglas Corner, 2106 8th Ave S.
DARRELL SCOTT - CD CELEBRATION PARTY
For the new album Modern Hymns

Ace fiddler Casey Driessen will open this thing at 4:30, and will play with Darrell after that. It won't suck ;)

[beach bob]

Saturday at the conference - feting Glen Campbell:

To celebrate the August 19, 2008, release of his ironically titled CD, Meet Glen Campbell, the guitar god and Country Music Hall of Fame member will visit the Museum at noon on Saturday, September 20, for a rare film screening and Q&A. Meet Glen Campbell features high-spirited, emotionally charged versions of tracks that have personally moved and inspired him, including Tom Petty’s “Angel Dream,” the Replacements’ “Sadly Beautiful,” U2’s “All I Want Is You,” the Velvet Underground's “Jesus,” and Jackson Browne’s “These Days,” among others. The disc features an array of power-pop talent, including Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander, Wendy Melvoin (Prince and the Revolution), and Chris Chaney of Jane’s Addiction. The companion film, Meet Glen Campbell: A Documentary, which traces Campbell’s influences and chronicles his rise to music stardom, will be shown in the Museum’s Ford Theater. Following the screening, Campbell, filmmaker George Dougherty and album producer Julian Raymond will take questions from the audience. This program is included with Museum admission and is free to Museum members and to AMA conference registrants with badges.

When the program concludes, Campbell will sign copies of his new CD in the Museum Store.

That evening, Campbell will be feted at the Cannery Ballroom with a special tribute concert, Star-Spangled Rodeo: A Salute to Glen Campbell. The show, which begins at 8:30 p.m., will feature Bryson Jones and the Sin City All Stars, including Jesse Dayton, Greta Gaines, Jim Lauderdale, Raul Malo, Chuck Mead, Jason Ringenberg, and a special appearance by Campbell himself.

[beach bob]

Showcase schedule:

WEDNESDAY, September 17, 2008

BASEMENT
9:00 PM The Belleville Outfit
10:00 PM The everybodyfields
11:00 PM The Dedringers
12:00 AM Patrick Sweany

STATION INN
9:00 PM Donna Beasley
10:00 PM Dailey & Vincent
11:00 PM Randy Kohrs
12:00 PM SteelDrivers

3rd & LINDSLEY
9:00 PM Robin & Linda Williams
10:00 PM Nels Andrews
11:00 PM Anne McCue
12:00 AM Patty Hurst Shifter

MERCY LOUNGE
9:00 PM Romantica
10:00 PM Kane Welch Kaplin
11:00 PM Marcia Ball
12:00 AM Kim Richey, Will Kimbrough, Mando Saenz


THURSDAY, September 18, 2008
(showcases follow Honors & Awards show at Ryman)

BASEMENT
10:00 PM Laura Cantrell
11:00 PM Malcolm Holcombe
12:00 AM Luke Doucet & Melissa McClelland

STATION INN
10:00 PM Ben Sollee
11:00 PM Crooked Still
12:00 AM Diana Jones

3rd & LINDSLEY
(Presented by the City of Austin)
10:00 PM Rosie Flores
11:00 PM Joe Ely
12:00 PM Band of Heathens

MERCY LOUNGE
10:00 PM Langhorne Slim & the War Eagles
11:00 PM Jason & the Scorchers (reunion show!!!)

CANNERY BALLROOM
TBA


FRIDAY, September 19, 2008

BASEMENT (presented by the Aquarium Drunkard and My Old Kentucky Blog)
8:00 PM Blair
9:00 PM Those Darlins
10:00 PM Jason Isbell
11:00 PM O'Death
12:00 AM Le Switch

STATION INN
8:00 PM Chatham County Line
9:00 PM Bruce Robison
10:00 PM Kathy Mattea
11:00 PM Dave Peterson & His Old Time Country Review
12:00 AM Jim Lauderdale

3rd & LINDSLEY
8:00 PM Jim White
9:00 PM Red Stick Ramblers
10:00 PM Peter Bradley Adams
11:00 PM Mike Farris
12:00 AM The Coal Men

MERCY LOUNGE (presented by R&R)
8:00 PM TBA
9:00 AM Girls Guns & Glory
10:00 PM Paul Thorn
11:00 PM James McMurtry
12:00 AM The Gougers

CANNERY BALLROOM
9:00 PM SHURMAN
10:00 PM The Boxmasters
11:00 PM Cross Canadian Ragweed


SATURDAY, September 20, 2008

BASEMENT
8:00 PM Jennifer Niceley
9:00 PM Christopher Denny
10:00 PM Ben Kweller
11:00 PM Reverend Peyton's Big [Darn] Band
12:00 AM Band of Annuals

STATION INN
8:00 PM The Farewell Drifters
9:00 PM Sierra Hull & Highway 111
10:00 PM Peter Cooper
11:00 PM Justin Rutledge
12:00 AM The Wrights

3rd & LINDSLEY
8:00 PM Kylie Harris
9:00 PM John Cowan Band
10:00 PM Folk Uke
11:00 PM Randall Bramblett
12:00 AM Have Gun Will Travel

MERCY LOUNGE
8:00 PM The Duhks
9:00 PM Ricky Young
10:00 PM Buddy Miller
11:00 PM Gary Louris & Mark Olson (from the Jayhawks)
12:00 AM Chuck Mead

CANNERY BALLROOM
8:30 PM Sin City Presents “Starspangled Rodeo” A Salute To Glen Campbell featuring Glen Campbell
9:45 PM Surprise Guest
11:00 PM Raul Malo
12:45 Thirty Tigers & Sin City's Closing Night Hootenanny

[stratokatsu]

OK Bob, I am now officially sick... I can't go!

[jawbone]

Bob,

Amazing lineup. I've seen James Mcmurtry, Malcolm Holcombe, Jim Lauderdale and a few of the others over the years.

It'll be tough deciding what shows to see, we all should have such problems.

Let's talk about a SOFLA jam session in the next month or so, missed you at the last one.

Have a ball!

Cheers, Jim

[tadmania]

Golly, going to that event is almost reasonable grounds for leaving a woman who would otherwise prevent me from attending!

But, that's another story....or a great song.... or maybe neither. I'm sure your wife is very nice, Bob.

I had been toying with the idea of attending the Darrell Scott cd release for a bit now, but likely won't make it to Nashville. Buddy Miller, the Steeldrivers, too? And the Casey Dreissen set is worth the trip on its own.

Golly, have a great time, Bob. Be safe

[beach bob]

Have a ball!


I do believe I will :D

And yes, another guitar bleat'n'eat is due. I'm game, weekends away and natural disasters notwithstanding ;)

[beach bob]

I'm sure your wife is very nice, Bob.


Absolutely, she is. Plus I have credits coming my way... she's been on a couple Girls Only cruises with her mom and her four sisters... so she set the precedent. My genius has been to not bop her on the head with this obvious fact... I just let her think on the past and recall this on her own...

What I know about women used to fit in a thimble... now it partly fills a shot glass... I call that progress, for me :D

Unsure about the Steeldrivers... whatever the lineup, it'll be dang good. I am hoping Will Kimbrough is called up for Buddy's all-star band at the Ryman awards thing, as he was awarded AMA's instrumentalist of the year two years ago. He's the real deal, and a heckuva guitar picker.

re: staying safe, not a problem... I ain't driving, and I know how to call a cab ... thanks for the good thoughts, and I promise a report [of some sort] when I return / recover :p

[beach bob]

The Americana Music Association is proud to announce plans to celebrate the legacy of the Grateful Dead at this week’s ninth annual conference and music festival in Nashville. At Thursday night’s Honors & Awards at the Ryman Auditorium, Jerry Garcia will be named the recipient of the 2008 AMA President’s Award, a posthumous lifetime achievement recognition for innovation in American roots music. Following the awards, the AMA and Relix magazine co-host a huge tribute show with San Francisco’s The Waybacks and The American Beauty Project, featuring Ollabelle, Jim Lauderdale, Larry Campbell, Buddy Miller and several surprise guests.

AMA President Jessie Scott of Sirius XM Satellite Radio selected Garcia for this year’s award based on his many contributions to Americana music, as part of the Grateful Dead and as a collaborator in acoustic music. “Jerry Garcia championed the roots,” Scott says. “From the Americana infused Dead albums to his collaborations with David Grisman, his love for the archetypes of American music shines through.”

Relix magazine will sponsor the musical tribute to the Dead beginning at 10 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18 at the Cannery Ballroom, immediately following the Americana Honors & Awards. The Waybacks will kick off the evening. This Bay Area quartet has enjoyed fruitful on-stage collaborations with Dead founder Bob Weir over the last couple of years, and they’ll bring that spirit, and a very special guest, to their acoustic/electric music rooted in country and blues.

Next up, the American Beauty Project is a collective of remarkable artists who have gathered on several occasions to cover the historic albums the Grateful Dead released in 1970: American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead. They’ve earned praise in the New York Times, Variety and Relix magazine as a true re-imagining of grounbreaking songs that were meant to be interpreted and shared. The musicians include the passionate folk group Ollabelle, legendary multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell, star Nashville songwriter Jim Lauderdale and delicious singers Catherine Russell and Teresa Williams. Awards show band leader and Americana superstar Buddy Miller will be there, plus special guests you won’t want to miss.



Very special guests eh? They could just say Uncle Bob will be there, but that might spoil the surprise <hack, cough> :D