Kitty Wells was dancing somewhere up in heaven last night as Tristen and the girls of Birdcloud swooned the rowdy crowd with a southern spit shine charm that had even the hecklers on two feet and dancing around. If The Ryman is called “The Mother Church of Country Music,” last night Exit/In became the house that Tristen built.
Ranch Ghost started the night of music. We have seen Ranch Ghost play in houses before but never on a stage like Exit/in. While there is no denying the sheer energy of playing in a compact house, hearing and seeing the guys on the big stage was an experience, and playing before audiences with a sound system that has seen the likes of The Ramones and Buddy Holly, this is where these guys belong, so seeing them crammed in a house is a must-see before they become too big to fit their local savage fan base into any local dwelling.
Next came guitar virtuoso and possible standup comedian, if he gets tired of playing guitar anytime soon; William Tyler. His set was a perfect middle ground as it entered late night. It is not often that a single player can stand on stage and play three or four songs without vocals and get a crowd to sit and stand in complete awe.
Ahead of Tristen in the lineup, the incantations of everything sexy and raw about the matron south, the women of Birdcloud graced the stage with guitar in hand, mandolin on chest and harmonica on crotch. This was our first time we have seen the girls in concert, and like the rest of the crowd, we were moved. Their reference to local Nashville stomping grounds, even naming a song after some crazy man at Springwater, in which the girls sing about taking a piss in the shape of Africa outside the venue, gives their tunes a hometown glue that would stick anywhere played. These girls are too dangerous for Bluebird but simply perfect for anywhere else under the sun, whether playing songs in a field or getting drunk in the mud, these girls are powerful and confident, and know how to have a rocking time.
Tristen took the stage like the veteran she has become since joining the ranks of Nashville performers, after moving to Music City from Chicago in 2007. Backed by Buddy Hughen and Jordan Caress, along with drummer Sam Smith, Tristen’s sound has grown to become a force in the Nashville indie music landscape, with a foreseeable future of crossing over into the mainstream. As long as Tristen does not change her sound, that’s fine with us. I want everyone to know about this amazing songbird. She won the Deli’s Poll for this years “Best Nashville Artist” and is sure to win the hearts of fans across the genre boards for years to come. Capriciousness, sorcery, an affinity for banter; Tristen’s music takes listeners on a roller coaster ride from the hollow banks of emotional turmoil like in “Eager for Your Love,” a mixture of country chords with a sweet hardy melody, to songs like “Baby Drugs,” a romp through the ups and downs of loyalty. The songstress seems to be a rebel with a cause coming triumphantly forward in every song. – Dh Wright