One of the great things about this music-writin’ gig is that you get to watch young talents develop into accomplished artists. Take Denitia, whom we’ve been fans of since she was a student, all the way back in the download-and-blog era. She was a unique talent in a hyper-eclectic community; a decade and change later, after several years in New York, she remains so but on a much grander scale. Her warm and enveloping voice can navigate a harmonic narrative like few others, its rich timbre at home in sparse folk and late-night dance music alike. She’s a writer and performer of rare emotive quality, and you have several chances to see her Friday, including the Western AF Music Review (1 p.m. at Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery) and at 9 p.m. amid a stacked bill at AB Hillsboro Village.
You can say the same for another longtime Scene favorite: Knockout cosmic pastoral ensemble William Tyler and the Impossible Truth, whichfeatures some of Nashville’s busiest and most creative instrumentalists. They’ve been on the highways and byways all summer following their live LP Secret Stratosphere, and we’re fired up to see them finely honed and on home turf. Tyler & Co. play a monster lineup at The Blue Room at 10 p.m. Also playing are David Nance and Mowed Sound (9 p.m.), as well as The Watson Twins (8 p.m.), whose new Butch Walker-produced album Holler is a harmony-led highlight of the year. Rounding out the bill with his 7 p.m. set is Peter One, the Ivory Coast-born, Nashville-based country-folk singer whose Come Back to Me is gunning for a spot on your year-end Top 10.
William Tyler and the Impossible Truth at Vinyl Tap
As always, there’s lots to see during the day — one prime pick is Ishkōdé Records’ Eighth Fire Sessions, bringing Native American musicians like Aysanabee to The 5 Spot starting at noon. Another is a long string of players including Amelia K. Spicer and 19 Hand Horse at Bobby’s Idle Hour for Americana on the Row starting at 2 p.m. And you don’t even have to have any kind of credential to see the special AmericanaFest installment of Musicians Corner in Centennial Park, where Buddy Miller, North Mississippi Allstars, the Rodney Crowell Trio and more start playing at 3 p.m.
The Basement — always a sure bet for finding the future of music — hosts Autumn Nicholas, writer of pointed and poignant songs both personal and political, who plays at 8 p.m. Their voice is filled with fluidity and deep feeling that recalls the spine-tingling sensation of hearing Sylvester sing for the first time, while their guitar playing feels like the finessed fretwork of Janis Ian.
At 7 p.m., Dawn Landes and Friends will get together at Riverside Revival to perform songs from the classic ’70s sing-along tome The Liberated Woman’s Songbook — the Ultimate Fake Book-meets-Our Bodies, Ourselves guide that’s shaped generations of listeners and players. We’d be remiss if we didn’t try to hustle off to Eastside Bowl to catch hometown gospel heroes The McCrary Sisters, who will be bringing big Sunday morning joy to this Friday night party at 8:30 p.m. At 10 p.m., Juno Award winner William Prince will bring his windswept storycraft and velvet voice to 3rd and Lindsley. Setting the stage for him with a 9 p.m. set is the legendary Jim Lauderdale, who probably wrote six songs while you were reading the rest of this piece. He’ll be there hot on the heels of Sept. 15’s The Long and Lonesome Letting Go, a new collaborative LP with bluegrass champions The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, which they previewed a little during last year’s AmericanaFest.
Ahead of AmericanaFest, check out our conversations with Adeem the Artist and SistaStrings, our show recommendations and more
