Brandi Carlile Takes the Americana Stage for John Prine’s 80th Birthday Celebration

By Wil Comstock

MCAU Contributing Writer

Northern Lights and Oh Boy Records celebrate John Prine’s 80th! 

Hosted by Brandi Carlile, 9/16/2026

     Miraculously, once again, I was able to grab a front row seat to this glorious event.   This year each artist performed a John Prine song.  Some even had personal stories to tell.

     Several years ago, Brandi Carlile, was one of the guest artists on a cruise ship with Prine.  In her cabin, Brandi’s wife, Catherine, was beside herself trying to quiet their first-born child.  She handed the baby to Brandi.  Remembering what her mother once told her about quieting babies, Brandi made an enclosure, circling the baby with towels to make her feel secure.  She then reached for her curling iron and began doing her hair for John Prine’s encore, a duet about to take place in a few minutes.  Hearing a crash, Brandi turned around to see the baby on the floor, now screaming, with blood all over.  With tears in her eyes, she handed the baby to her wife, saying she had to get downstairs to the show.  When John came backstage, Carlile was waiting with a trembling upper lip and a few tears running down her face.  When John asked if she was okay, she explained what happened.  He replied, “This won’t be the last time you make your wife cry, or the last time you drop the baby.”  Making Brandi smile.  They went on stage and sang the tune, “Angel of Montgomery.”  That was the song Carlile chose to sing today.

     With Chauntee on cello and Monique on violin, the supremely talented Sister Strings delighted us with Prine’s “Caravan of Fools,” for which they received a standing ovation.  Girls! When is your album coming out?

     Emily Scott Robinson did a warm and lively performance on “Spanish Pipeline,” a favorite of mine.  While Olivia Wolf did a little tongue in cheek on “Long Monday.”  Sean McConnell had many in tears on his rendition of “Hello in There.”

     Brandi’s cousins The Carlile Family Band (teenagers Caroline and J Jay) contributed “Summer’s End.” Caroline told us that when she was a little girl, her parents told her to hold one of their hands when getting off an elevator.  When on an elevator at a folk event, Caroline reached up and grabbed a hand. It was John Prine’s!  Her mother snaped a photo!

     Riley Downing did a heartfelt rendition of “The Other Side of Town” with his Missouri working class vocals.  And who could forget Tré Burt’s delivery of “The Late John Garfild’s

     Surprise guest Tommy Prine, John Prine’s son, sang his father’s first breakup song (written when he was just 19), the heartbreaking “Far From Me.” It’s great to see him walking in his father’s footsteps while at the same time carving his own way as a singer-songwriter.

     Thanks to Northern Lights for another great show!

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AmericanaFest: Northern Lights Songwriters Take the Stage with the Help of Brandi Carlile

By Wil Comstock, MCAU Contributing Writer

Wednesday (Sept. 10), Embassy Suites Hotel:

Racing downtown after a meeting, I was sure I would be at the end of a long line waiting to get into the show. You can imagine my amazement when there were only about 20 people ahead of me. 

Surveying those in line, I was surprised to find I was standing next to songwriter extraordinaire, Lisa Aschmann.  Lisa quite literally wrote the book on songwriting, and Hal Leonard published it! It was nice to catch up and fellowship with my friend as we waited for the performers to emerge.

Have you ever been to the Bluebird and seen an exceptional “in the round” or “in the row”?  This is that show on steroids with a whole lot of heart!  Brandi Carlile has a way of building community; she introduces musicians to one another, they become friends, they write together, and they play on each other’s albums.  As Brandi said, “This is what it’s all about, right here on this stage, this is why I do what I do.”

What a joy to watch them cheering each other on. Such was the case when Fancy Hagood performed his new song, “I’m Just a Fool for Your Love.” Brandi watched with her mouth open like a proud older sister.  Killer song. Fancy also played “Dead Set on You” and “Lonely as I Do.” This guy has really grown as a writer and singer over the last few years.

What can I say about Chauntee and Monique Ross (aka SistaStrings)? Adjectives fail me. They are virtuoso instrumentalists, singers, and songwriters. They can play classical, jazz, soul and rock. The result of years of practice and nurturing parents. They had a standing ovation on their first song, “One or a Thousand Times.”  

The beautiful “How Do You Sleep at Night” written with Brandi Clark and Sean McConnell brought me to tears. Crowd favorite “Goodbye” brought the house down again with its funky jazz rhythms and searing vocals. When is their long-awaited album finally going to come out?

Veteran Sean McConnell has written with everyone on the stage. You can tell he’s grappled with the hard questions and wrestled with his demons as you listen to his lyrics. He immediately touches a familiar nerve. He performed two songs from his new album “Skin,” the haunting “Southside of Forever” and “Take it Easy Darlin’” on which SistaStrings add violin, cello and vocals. Sean uses some alternate tunings to get a unique and fresh sound. McConnell had everyone signing on his soulful anthem, “Shine Your Light on Me.” I can’t wait to purchase his new album!

    There were several surprise guests. Brandi Clark came out and introduced a new song she wrote (the folklike “Land of the Free”) after watching the Dylan biopick, “A Complete Unknown.”

 

Monique Ross introduced her daughter, Daelynn, who accompanied herself on guitar to a lovely song that she wrote. This family has talent!

The last surprise guest was the Carlile Family Band with Brandi’s brother, Jay, and his children, JayJ and Caroline. Caroline fronted the group, playing guitar as they harmonized to a number she wrote. These guys can sing; guess it runs in the family!

Carlile gave us a preview of her upcoming album, “Returning to Myself,” with the honest and vulnerable “Turning.” I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album, which will be released on October 24. Everyone on stage joined in on “Letter to my Past” featuring SistaStrings, who added the icing on the cake with their instruments and voices.  

Brandi used to babysit her niece, Caroline (Carlile Family Band), before she became popular. It was hard for her once she started regularly touring; she missed her niece. One birthday, Brandi received a homemade card from 5-year-old Caroline. On the cover she drew an amp and a guitar, and when you opened it, a recording played the child’s voice saying,“I love you, Brandi.” She still has the card!  This was the inspiration for “Caroline, I’m on My Way Back Home to You.” So sweet!  

Nashville’s Theater Bug, a kids theater troop, had the chance to sing for Carlile this week. They learned and sang Carlile’s song, “Wherever is Your Heart.” This was the song that closed the show, with everyone on the stage and in the theater harmonizing as they looked at each other around the room. It can’t get any better than this!  

Footnote: Brandi and Fancy Hagood just performed a benefit concert for Theater Bug at Riverside Revival. The more they give, the more they seem to receive. I sure loved this afternoon’s event.

 

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AmericanaFest: Northern Lights and Universal Put on Spectacular Show at City Winery

Northern Lights / Universal Music Artist in the Round

Thursday Afternoon at City Winery

By MCAU Correspondent Wil Comstock

NASHVILLE — Brandy Clark, an artist in her own right, has had songs recorded by Sheryl Crow, The Band Perry, Reba McEntire, and Darius Rucker to name a few.  In 2014, she won the CMA’s song of the year for  “Follow Your Arrow,” recorded by Kacey Musgraves.  This afternoon, she treated us to her Grammy win for Best Americana Performance of “Dear Insecurity,” transparent and beautiful.  

Brandy said she heard that people die twice, the day they physically die, and the day people stop talking about them. She grew up in a small Washington town where her grandmother lived next door. Her song “She Smoked in the House” was written in tribute to her grandmother.

Arkansas native, Fancy Hagood just returned from his first headlining tour.  He had a bad breakup in the spring and decided he would pour the hurt and everything he had learned into songs.  The result was the heartfelt “It’s That Life” and “Fly Away.” I happened to catch Fancy last year, and I can say that over the last year he has matured as an artist and writer. You’ll be hearing a lot more from him in the future.

Caitlyn Smith has had songs recorded by John Legend, Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, and Garth Brooks.  She also recorded and wrote the theme song “The Card You Gamble” for the drama series “Monarch.”  Caitlyn has three boys, 8, 6, and 9 months, they were the inspiration for her new song “Mother of Three”. My favorite was “Tacoma,” a heart-breaking song about a boyfriend who cheated.

Sean McConnell’s parents were folk singers in Boston when he was growing up. It’s in his blood.  He moved with his family to Georgia when he was 11 years old and started playing guitar and writing songs at that time.  He has had songs covered by Rascal Flatts, Martina McBride, Brothers Osborne, Brad Paisley, and many others.  He explained how he learns all the time from his adopted special needs daughter, Abiella. He wrote “As Long As You Keep Your Heart” for her.  Everyone loved the singalong soul-filled number “Shine Your Light On Me.”

What can I say about SistaStrings?  Yes, they are an incredible violin and cello duo.  They have backed Brandi Carlile, Joni Mitchell, Ed Sheeran, Margo Price and many others.  They have appeared on the Grammys and the Oscars. They also are a great songwriting team with exquisite voices!  Monique told how one evening while on tour with Brandi Carlile she couldn’t sleep.  The line came to her, “How Can You Sleep When You’re Living With Dreams.” She woke her sister, and they finished the song.  My favorite of the afternoon, “The Reckoning,” is a symphonic and vocal masterpiece.   Can’t wait for their album to get finished, I’ve been waiting for over a year!

Brandi Carlile and Tracy Gershon Rock City Winery

 Brandi Carlile and Tracy Gershon present Northern Lights Music

 City Winery, Thursday at 1p.m. (UPDATED)

     I arrived at City Winery 45 minutes early only to find the line extended to the back chain link fence behind the building. I doubted I would get in and pulled up the Americanafest App to see what other shows were at this time. The line started to move quickly and before I knew it, I was inside. I was alone, so I thought I might have a chance at finding a seat near the front. I did. Second seat in, front and center!

     Highlights of the two and a half hour show included Sean McConnell’s “Leave the Light On.”  This gospel drenched number was all the better for having Sista Strings and Brandi join on background vocals. The incredible Sista Strings, besides blowing us away with a classical, jazz, funk instrumental, sang a new song “The Reckoning.” This prayer-like number was written with McConnell.

     Brandi Carlile and the twins (Phil and Tim Hanseroth) started off acapella on “Right On Time,” the title cut on her latest album. Their harmonies make the hair on the back of my neck stand up! She also did an older song from 2007, the comforting, “Downpour.” 

     Newcomer Kish,who is 17 years old, performed “Michelle,” a ballad about a friend who keeps settling for the wrong kind of guy. She explained while driving after she got her driver’s license, she had a moment and had to pull over. She realized she was never going to be a young kid again. This prompted her to write the beautiful “Long Drive”.   

     Brandy Clark was up next. Carlile jokingly said that when she was producing Clark’s album, all of her songs were coming in at 3 ½ minutes. Carlile couldn’t understand how she did that. Clark said when she first came to town, it was drummed in her head that a song over 4 minutes would not get played on the radio. Carlile wasn’t too excited about Brandy’s “Tell Her You Don’t Love Her” until Kish, who was visiting the studio, said she loved the song. That made Carlile think she finally got it. “Tell her you don’t love her, because I do!”  Clark also sang the beautiful “Buried.”

     Last year’s special guest was Tanya Tucker. Carlile said she couldn’t be here this year because she was recovering from neck surgery, and asked us to pray for Tanya. This year’s special guests included Kate York, who sang the rebel rousing “Drive it Till the Wheels Fall Off” and Katie Pruitt, whose ballad “Blood Related” talked about choosing to love your family though the disagreements, something we all can relate to.  

     For the finale, Carlile and all of the songwriters joined in on Queen’s classic “Fat Bottom Girls.”  Way too much fun for one afternoon!

Americana Fest: Brandi Carlile Presents Unforgettable ‘Northern Lights’ at City Winery

By Wil Comstock

MCAU Staff Writer 

     I was pretty excited about the Thursday afternoon show at City Winery.  I knew anything Brandi Carlile was involved with would be good.As I waited for the “Northern Lights” show to begin, I counted eight empty chairs on the stage.  One for Brandi, and the two listed on the show, Sean McConnell and Ashley Ray. I wondered who else would show up.

     Sista Strings: I and everyone else was blown away by sisters, Monique (cello) and Chauntee (violin) Ross.  You may have seen them in the backing band for Allison Russell at the awards show. Their strong sense of melody, harmony and syncopation had me on the edge of my seat and brought me to my feet. They did an instrumental classical composition that lifted us to the heavens and gently brought us back to earth. “Her Name Was Me” was nothing short of genius.  Why don’t these women have an album out yet???

     Marc Scibilia: What a pleasant surprise discovering this native Buffalonian. His timeless intimate voice and unique songs really captured me. I could listen to him all day. On “Summer Clothes,” he tells of finding a former girlfriend’s summer outfits while looking for his winter jacket in the closet, bringing back a flood of memories.

     Sean McConnell:  I had seen Sean once before and was happy to see him again. He is a prolific songwriter. With cuts by Tim McGraw, Meatloaf, Rascal Flatts, Brothers Osborne, and Brad Paisley. His rich vocals and soul-searching lyrics have made him a sought-after addition to any writer’s night.  He opened with “Nothing Anymore” and closed with the thought-provoking “Buy the World for the Price of your Soul” He surprised us by bringing out Garrison Starr to duet on the heart wrenching “Nothing Without You.”

     Ashley Ray:  This young woman is going places and in fact has already had songs cut by Little Big Town, Lori McKenna, and Charles Kelly of Lady A. She introduced “Pauline,” a song about her Kansas-born grandmother, who worked at the ammunitions plant and canned pork 'n' beans at Stokley's to put food on the table for her children. Ashley performed each number with a pure midwestern country voice and strongly crafted lyrics.

     Brandi Carlisle with Tim and Phil Hanseroth (The Twins) kicked off with “The Eye,” the three-part harmony song about the temporary resting place in the eye of the storm. Allison Russell came out to sing the stirring “You’re Not Alone” with Brandi, supported by the Twins, and Sista Strings. Everyone gave a standing ovation when Tanya Tucker appeared on the stage to sing the 2019 Song of the Year she penned with Brandi,“Bring My Flowers No.” Tanya recalled how she gave Dean Dillon the line “Ocean Front Property in Arizona,” which he turned into a George Strait hit. Carlile closed this wonderful event with the tender “Stay Gentle.”