The Americana Music Association, working in partnership with Sonicbids, has selected the first two showcase artists for the upcoming Americana Music Festival (which will be held September 16-19, 2009 in Nashville, TN).
Brigid Kaelin made the front page of The Tennessean on her very first day playing Nashville, daring to play the accordion to country music during the 2007 Nashville Star finals. Last May, she wrote Elvis Costello a note offering her services as an Imposter, and he invited her to play live with his band without rehearsal. Dueling head-to-head accordion solos with keyboardist Steve Nieve, she later received several standing ovations during her musical saw solo.
Kaelin is a trained jazz pianist who played show tunes at West Village cabarets while a student at New York University. She released a country Chanukah record “Mazel Tonk!”
Jacob Simpson (vocals, guitar), Chase McGill (vocals, guitar, banjo, piano) and Dustin Hedrick (violin) initially formed Come On Go With Us while studying at Mississippi State University. With their strong Southern roots in mind, they embraced the idea of sweet tea, hot weather, family and friends, soon began the writing process and later took to the road. The band’s first full length album drops in March.
Applications for the 2009 Americana Music Festival will be accepted through Thursday, April 30, 2009. You may submit your materials directly to the AMA office via mail. All submissions must include the application form. Information on the submission process and access to the application form may be found at the AMA Website.
Conference registrations currently at the early bird discount rate of $250 for members and $350 for non-members are available at the Americana Music Online Store.
I hate to say anything bad about the AMA fest.But I guess I’m going to anyway.I attended in 2003.I was just going to the showcases,not the conferences.I went,the first night,to the Mercy Lounge.It was full house of these Americana business people.It was a very loud place.A band called The Mary Janes came out.I thought the crowd might quite down a little.But they just screamed louder to drown out the music.I thought these people liked music.The band was visibly bothered by the noise.About 2 dozen people,and myself,moved to just in front of the stage to hear better.And to let the band know there were people listening.
Next up was Thad Cockrell.Incredibly great voice.Still,the crowds were disrespectful.Wasn’t this supposed to be about music?
It got a little better for Rodney Crowell.About half the house started listening.But that was probably because he’s famous.The BottleRockets closed the night and were treated almost the same as Crowell.
I left there,that night,very angry.I thought people in the Americana business were music fans.But they showed almost no interest in the actual music.I got up the next morning and left for home.I couldn’t have finished the week.Eventually I would have lost my temper with these rude people.
I guess Americana music is like sausage.I really like it,but I don’t want to see how it’s made.
@Jason – I’ve been to the last three AMA conferences and found just the opposite. Compared to industry glutted events like SXSW I find the AMA to be more about to be much more about the music. Maybe you attended a show that had an industry party of something.