I try my absolute best not to get political on my website, but you know what? Both of these women right here aren’t necessarily pushing their political beliefs, but exposing social issues that get 0 attention from the mainstream media. Oh no my friends, neither of these ladies act like the pompous political blowhards that you find on Conservative or Liberal television. These artists speak with meticulous authority on some serious issues we have in society today.
History. History is yet another accolade that both of these artists have that I heavily respect. I am indeed an ardent student of music history and all other aspects of the business. You share in their personal history of why they believe and practice what they do. See, music is such a wide world of avenues that artists like these are bound to have influences that stem from many corners of a central core.
Adia Victoria is someone I once covered in the Caverns of East Tennessee last year as part of the Bluegrass Underground television series. And before I move any further I have to say that she has grown exponentially as an artist. Her presence on stage at the Ryman tonight was one of the fiercest ambiances I have ever witnessed there.
Her show is really cool for the roller coaster ride she puts you on. She initially comes out in an almost frail and vulnerable state, until she sings one of my favorite songs she does called “Mean Hearted Woman”, which addresses the stereotyping of women with cold hearts. Going back to the source of who exactly made them that way?
Much like Rhiannon Giddens, she names off and exemplifies the long list of music Legends that influenced her and molded her into what she is onstage. This album that she is pulling many of her songs off of does not even come close to the apocalypse that she morphs herself into while closing her set.
I have always been a huge fan of Rhiannon Giddens from way back in like 2006 when she was a member of The Carolina Chocolate Drops, a well known string band from North Carolina that disbanded around 2014 on good terms. She basically tool the history of the banjo from her roots in Africa and juxtaposed it with her formal raising in the genres of old time music and soul and blues, and you got her solo act.
Her song called “Too little, Too Late, Too Bad”, is an awesome upbeat breakup song from the woman’s point of view of being wronged and abused and is an announcement of redemption. This album right here called “You’re The One” is indeed a REALLY good album, and finally one of all of her own material. This album is chocked full of bangers like the song “Wrong Kind Of Right”, a slow waltz like song with a few small hidden meanings.
This album of hers sounds more gritty and has more feeling in my opinion because many of the songs on the album are all hers, as her other solo albums were basically all covers. She shared her Country influence with the traditional sounding song “If You Don’t Know How Sweet It Is”, and cited Dolly Parton as a lifetime influence. She did play the song “Come Love Come” from the Freedom Highway album.
She received quite a few standing ovations tonight during songs like the powerful anthem for civil rights called “Birmingham Sunday” which names off the victims of the bombing of a Birmingham church by the KKK 60 years ago. You know I would like to hope that I don’t know anyone who would not sympathize for that kind of bullshit?
As she commanded the stage of the Mother Church tonight she played one called called “We Could Fly” in her beautiful keys where voice in absolutely flawless in every aspect. I was just absolutely mesmerized by her vocals on this song live. As a parent myself this song truly speaks to me .
One of the last songs she played was called “Hen In The Foxhouse” from her latest album. She poured out all of her best songs upon of us tonight and I think that in the direct future she will be headlining more shows in bigger venues from now on. While part of me wishes the Carolina Chocolate Drops would regroup and play, her solo music is powerful and positive.
I hope that more people can stop for a moment and REALLY consider how society treats certain instances and has done some truly evil things in the past. We must never forget the injustices and tragedies that have been brought about. And I think we need her music as reminders to those things.
