Ain't that America

Jan. 30, 2015

Nashville, TN.

Review by Vicki Langdon and Butch Worrell of One Heart Photo

Photos by Vicki Langdon and Butch Worrell of One Heart Photo

Americana is the new word for American music today, drawing from the various roots of our current music scene including Country, roots-rock, bluegrass, blues, etc....Well Carlene Carter returning home to Nashville's Ryman Auditorium (Arguably the HOME base for Americana) for a stellar performance, opening the show for John Mellencamp's stellar performance, just has to be Americana in it's purest form. 

Carlene, who literally grew up backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, upheld the family tradition, and put on a set that drew not only drew from from her past but was reinterpreted in true 21'st century “Carter Girl” style.

She opened up with her big early nintie's hit “Every Little Thing”. Then proceeded to put that true “Carter Girl” spell on the audience, intermixing her songs with her tale’s of country music past. Carlene brought her husband Joe Breen out to sing the Kris Kristofferson part of his song “Black Jack David” from the Carter Girl album. 

Being at the Ryman means being back home with family. Her “little” brother John Carter Cash was there. She dedicated the Carter family song “Dixie Darlings” to her cousin Lorrie Carter Bennett (Anita Carter's daughter), very, very appropriately as Lorrie had recently spent so much of her time caring for Dixie Hall, the wife of Tom T. Hall that recently passed away. But that is way things are done here in the Country Music community, you honor the past. Most important you take care of/love each other in the extended family of the old country music, probably the biggest stream feeding the Americana music river.

If you have not listened to her “Carter Girl” release on Rounder Records you need to.

Carlene is the best, please check her schedule at carlenecarter.net.

John Mellencamp is one of the most influential rockers of all time. Hailing from small town America (“Well I was born in a small town”), he personifies the image of roots-rock Americana. Everyone at the Ryman knew it, in fact they were singing it as loud as they could....”Ain't that America, for you and me. Ain't that America, something to see”. He believes in small town/family farmer America with a passion. Coming together with Willie Nelson and Neil Young in 1985 to found Farm Aid, John practices what he preaches in preserving a threatened life for small town America.  

His Plain Spoken Tour is already a success, as it should be. Singing the songs that touch the hearts of generations, he had the audience on their feet, dancing, singing along at the tops of their lungs to song after song, leading them on a musical journey across small town America.

As the song goes “7 has turned 35 (and on to 63), I'm surprised that we're still living”. More than just living, in fact, still lighting fires in the souls of millions.

Say Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

and get thee to the next show.

http://www.mellencamp.com/