Your musical weekend: Darrell Scott, Bunbury and EmiSunshine. Oh, and Paul McCartney.
Darrell Scott/Carl Anderson
7:45 p.m. May 31 at The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd. $30-$35. 859-447-8166. theburlky.com.
Where do you begin with Darrell Scott?
Maybe start by examining his songwriting. Steeped in folk, country and Americana accents that are in no way trendy, Scott’s music has been recorded by the Dixie Chicks, Keb’ Mo’, Sam Bush and Travis Tritt. But in Kentucky, his compositional legacy is largely defined by “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive,” which became a career-rejuvenating anthem for Pikeville-born country hitmaker Patty Loveless.
Perhaps Scott’s career begins with his musicianship, as he is versed on guitar, banjo, mandolin, accordion, lap steel guitar, pedal steel guitar and more. The ensemble that best displayed his considerable instrumental reach wasn’t even one of his own groups, but rather Band of Joy, the all-star ensemble formed by Robert Plant to cut a 2010 album of the same name. Scott then joined Plant to tour extensively behind the record.
Then again, you could start with the company Scott has kept. Aside from Plant, it has included collaborations with Tim O’Brien, Steve Earle, Guy Clark and Emmylou Harris, among many others. Here’s another thought. You could start with music that is somewhat recent, like the sublime solo recordings “A Crooked Road” (2010) and “Long Ride Home” (2012.)
In the end, though, the music of Darrell Scott begins in Kentucky – specifically in his native London under the tutelage of father/musician Wayne Scott. Scott has made Nashville his home for close to 25 years, but his Kentucky heritage still serves as an unwavering inspiration in his life and songs.
“My parents were the picture of tobacco farming, coal mining people, so I am definitely a son of Kentucky,” Scott told me in an interview prior to a 2010 concert at the Kentucky Theatre. “The only way I could be more so would be if I still lived there.”
Bunbury Music Festival
May 31-June 2 at Sawyer Point Park/Yeatman’s Cove, 705 E. Pete Rose Way in Cincinnati. $79-$189. 513-357-2604. bunburyfestival.com.
Oscar Wilde introduced us to the term “bunburying” at the end of the 19th century. It was used to describe the avoidance of particular social situations, especially when another, more appealing event presented itself.
Now in its eighth year, Cincinnati’s Bunbury Music Festival is a nod to Wilde’s mischievous terminology, enticing you to forsake all of this weekend’s social plans in favor of three days of contemporary rock ‘n’ roll along the Ohio River.
This year’s Bunbury is led by three names of varied lineage. Friday headliner Fall Out Boy is one of the elder acts, with roots reaching back to 2001 and a post-grunge pop sound that fueled hits like 2005’s “Sugar, We’re Going Down” and 2007’s “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race.”
Saturday’s bill will be capped by Greta Van Fleet, the Grammy-winning Michigan band featuring brothers Josh, Jake and Sam Kiszka. With a loud, exuberant quartet sound owing equally to the blues and metal, Greta Van Fleet has been regularly compared – sometimes unfavorably – to Led Zeppelin.
Bringing Bunbury to a close on Sunday will be a curious returnee, The 1975. Why curious? Because the British pop troupe known for such singles as “Chocolate” and “The Sound” played Cincinnati as recently as last month with a sold-out performance at Riverbend Music Center. The 1975 is also a returnee to Bunbury itself, having played the festival previously in 2017.
Gates open for Bunbury at 12 noon on Friday and Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. The music should last until approximately 11 p.m. each evening. For a complete performance schedule go to bunburyfestival.com/schedule-2019.
EmiSunshine/Them Coulee Boys
8 p.m. June 2 at The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd. $15-$20. 859-447-8166. theburlky.com.
What more could you want from a Lexington weekend concert roster that already has Darrell Scott on Friday and Paul McCartney on Saturday? Well, find out by heading to The Burl on Sunday and checking out what all the fuss is about concerning EmiSunshine.
A 14-year-old Tennessee native born Emilie Sunshine Hamilton, the singer, songsmith and guitar/ukulele stylist has earned headlines and an onslaught of online hits for songs revealing a country streak that sidetracks contemporary trends in favor of Appalachian-style tradition. Her singing alone brings to mind the great Iris DeMint.
But the thematic choices in her songs reveal a remarkable maturity and worldliness for an artist in her early teens. Perhaps the best introduction for the uninitiated is “90 Miles,” a song written with stark clarity from the standpoint of an autistic child and sung with a scholarly pre-bluegrass country command.