By Wil Comstock
MCAU Contributing Writer
The Blue Room, Thursday Evening 9/17/2026
Arriving early, we parked at the foot of 7th Avenue and were among the first to arrive at The Blue Room. I’m thinking there must have been a message from AmericanaFest to all of the venues this week to open the doors early, so no one is standing in line in the excessive and oppressive heat. We were able to walk right in! The Blue Room is located at Jack White’s Third Man Records. A unique venue with a tree-lined atrium with tables and chairs, unisex bathrooms, and three small bars. The Blue Room performance area has oriental rugs, taxidermy, and irregular walls. I love this place!
The indie pop retro sound of Hollow Hand was a pleasant surprise. They reminded me of the Kinks, they reminded Chuck of the Who, the women next to me said Lou Reed. All of us were right! From the harmonic “Here Are the Tulips,” the rockers “Kiss the Boot” and “Heavy Metal T-Shirt,” to the closing groove ballad “Someone Else’s Dream,” I was captivated. I felt like I was in on a secret that was about to explode across the globe. This Brighton, England, band led by Max Kinghorn-Mills sounds familiar, yet members are clearly forging their own path. Pick up their new record “Wish Road South!”
I first saw Madison Cunnigham, four years ago when she had a full band. On that tour, she played a Moog Synthesizer accompanied by guitar, bass and drums. They had a rock opera/orchestral sound. Last night, Cunnigham was accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Jesse Chandler, who was responsible for the woodwinds, synthesizers and vocals. Instead of going for a rock sound, each number sounded more like a soundscape. Heavy use of the bass clarinet run through effect boxes, adding an avant-garde slant to the set list. Madison played acoustic guitar with effects, her lyrics, at times, indistinguishably sacrificed for the otherworldliness of the song. I felt as though I had traveled to another region of the planet, or maybe to another world altogether. Not a bad thing in today’s climate. My favorite pieces were “Break the Jaw” and “Golden Gate.” There are only a few more dates left for this tour. Grab a seat while you can!
We sat out the next act, having stood for over two hours. We sat in the atrium and made new friends from Hawaii and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. We exchanged AmericanaFest stories and shared a little about our lives. And before you know it, time for the next act…
The indie southern rock sound of Hiss Glorious Messenger, led by MC Taylor, was easy on the ears, comforting and down home. The lyrics were confident and steady, giving hope for a world in turmoil. The songs that stood out for me were “Passing Clouds” and “Heavy World.” The crowd had thinned out, and only loyal fans remained, cheering on and rocking out to one of their favorite bands.
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