By Wil Comstock
MCAU Contributing Writer
Thursday Evening, Analog at the Hutton:
About three weeks before Americana Fest, I pull up the lineup and enter the artists I am not familiar with into YouTube. This year I discovered a new favorite, Australian Mark Wilkinson.
I was looking forward to his set. Mark came to the stage with just his guitar, and when he began to play “Love High” the small audience listened. Using alternate tunings and intricate fingerpicking, he takes a gentle command of the instrument. His vocals are soothing and draw you in. He has the ability to communicate to your heart like James Taylor or Mary Chapin Carpenter. He wrote “Days on the Rooftop” about a mate he went to high school with that got made fun of a lot. One day the classmate climbed on a roof top and was about to jump… I love the ballard “Belong,” a song written during the pandemic. It’s about holding on to what you love, in Wilkinson’s case, music.
How do you sustain your life with all the venues closed and no money coming in? The lyrics seem to cry out “what is going on, I know I’m doing what I should be doing, but this isn’t working out for me.”
Mark closed his set with the soul-searching “All I Ever Wanted.” I’ll leave you with the chorus: “All I ever wanted was to be someone, More than just a shadow from a fading sun, And you tell me I’m here, And you say I’ll survive, But I’m searching for more, To know that I’m alive.”
Tim Baker put on a solid set with his strong vocals and thoughtful lyrics as he alternated between guitar and keys. He got my attention when he said he was from St. Johns, Newfoundland. I’m a big fan of Alan Doyle who hails from that town. Baker said he felt a little naked on stage without his band who were not able to make it. But he did just fine on his own in this intimate setting. I especially enjoyed “All Hands” and “Songbird,” which he san at the investiture of Mary Simon as Governor General of Canada.
It's been a while since I’ve seen Mindy Smith. I had forgotten how down to earth she is. I also enjoy her wry sense of humor. Smith first came on the scene with a cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” in 2003. She has five albums out, the latest titled simply “Mindy Smith.” She had the audience’s full attention as she performed “One Moment More,” a song about her mom who passed when Mindy was 19. “Quiet Town” is a personal favorite, a composition about Nashville before the skyscrapers came. This girl from Long Island, New York, has a pure blue grass voice that melts your heart. This is brought to the forefront on “Come to Jesus,” a song of comfort for the weary.
Pete Mueller and the Kindred Souls are a great bar band. They are upbeat, fun, entertaining, and great musicians. Besides Pete’s original numbers, they excel on covers. “Won’t Back Down” (Tom Petty) and “Working My Way Back to You Babe” (The Four Seasons) brought a smile to many faces. The highpoint for me was when the band left the stage and Pete soloed on a new song, “I Haven’t Learned How to Turn Away.”
The venue began to fill up when Lilli Lewis took the stage with her bass player and drummer. Her style is part jazz, gospel and soul. I love it! Lilli taught us a riff and invited us to sing with her on “When the Rain Comes In.” What an encouraging song! Her rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock” must be heard! Lewis’s mission is to bring people together and spread some love. She surely accomplished this tonight!
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