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Photography courtesy of Twangfest
James McMurtry | Photography by Nate-Burrell
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Photography courtesy of Twangfest
Nadine
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Photography courtesy of Twangfest
Black Joe Lewis
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Photography courtesy of Twangfest
The Paranoid Style
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Photography courtesy of Twangfest
The Freedom Affair
For the past quarter century, Twangfest has been the premier destination to hear and learn about the unique musical tradition known as Americana. The four-night festival, June 7–10, returns to Off Broadway (3509 Lemp) starting Wednesday, and the slate is packed with returning favorites and new voices.
The Lineup
“We’re really excited for the 25th anniversary,” says Caron House, a member of the festival’s volunteer crew of managers known as the Twang Gang. “The lineup is as fun and diverse as it’s ever been.”
- Wednesday: Black Joe Lewis shares a bill with The Freedom Affair for what House calls “neo-soul infused Americana.”
- Thursday: House expects a capacity crowd for James McMurtry, a “tried and true troubadour of the Twangfest variety, just an amazing musical storyteller,” with Robbie Fulks and Graham Curry & The Missouri Fury.
- Friday: Beloved locals Nadine reunite for the first time in a while, sharing a bill with Amy LaVere & Will Sexton and BAJA.
- Saturday: The Waco Brothers, veterans of previous Twangfests and Twangfest-sponsored events at South by Southwest, close things out on Saturday along with The Paranoid Style and Town Cars.
The Concept
The great variety of styles and influences is deliberate and a hallmark of Twangfest—and its nonprofit organization dedicated to “preserv[ing] and promot[ing] the unique tradition and culture of Americana music.”
“Some people hear the word ‘twang’ and think it’s just country and Western, and that’s all we’re offering. It can get soulful, bluesy, into the singer-songwriter vein,” says House. “When you think about Americana and roots music, we try to make it as big a tent as possible.”
Music festivals—especially intimate ones such as Twangfest—are a great way to find community. House says coming to Twangfest as an attendee after her move to the city from Houston in 2009 started lots of important relationships and connections that continue for her.
It’s also a great way to learn about bands you haven’t heard of—no algorithm needed. “We have some pretty savvy attendees,” says House. “That’s really the organic nature of it: ‘They played this really cool festival, you should check ‘em out. If you’re enjoying what you’re hearing tonight, you should check ‘em out.’”
The Background
Over the years, Twangfest has been an important line on a lot of big-time musical resumes.
“I think it’s pretty amazing the people that Twangfest has gotten before they got big: the Jason Isbells [Twangfest 2009] of the world, Neko Case [2005], The Avett Brothers [2006] early in their career,” House says. “That’s kind of a triumvirate of artists that we’ve caught on the way up. St. Louis is such a wellspring of so many kinds of music, a crossroads as well—they’re the intersection of so many different styles of music,” she says. “It is something that pulls us together as a city and a region.”
Tickets are available online, either by the show or for a full festival pass. The shows are all ages, with doors at 7 p.m.
