I’ve said it before, but I think Marymoor Park in Redmond is a fantastic place to see a show or attend a festival. It certainly set the idyllic stage for 2010’s No Depression Festival this year, the plentiful over-policing notwithstanding. The grass was comfy, the crowd friendly and relaxed, the breeze swooping in every so often to alleviate the mildly baking rays.
Sera Cahoone was a honey-voiced country tour de force. Her style was the most recognizably “country” of all the bands performing at this year’s fest, and she wasn’t afraid to pour on the twang. She sang with a quiet urgency, luring you with lyrics torn out of a hastily written-in journal. She performed with emotion and a down-home earthiness that seemed earnest with a pedal steel moaning in the background. She even invited Kim Ruehl, community manager for No Depression, up onstage to tap dance along with Sera’s version of “Rocky Top”, which is apparently Kim’s tap dancing specialty. It was a surprising addition to the show, but quite the crowd-rouser, everyone clapping along to the unexpected hoe-down.
Chuck Prophet, guitar rocker hailing from California, sounded a bit like an odd mix of Tom Petty and Randy Newman, with a pinch of easy Cali surf thrown in. He played a beautiful Fender Telecaster, and wailed out rollicking guitar solos left and right. A friend and musical cohort of Prophet’s, Alejandro Escovedo, was an appropriate and similarly-sounding follow up. A Texas roots-rocker, Escovedo sang country-tinged anthems of love, lust and spirituality, including an emotional tribute to his Ramones-loving son called “Down in the Bowery.” Prophet and Escovedo have been collaborating, writing and playing for longer than I’ve been alive, and their easy onstage presence and tight sets were evidence of that.
Lucinda Williams was a highly anticipated performer at No Depression. She’s been at the forefront of the country folk scene since the late 70s, and greats such as Mary Chapin Carpenter and Tom Petty have covered or performed her songs over the years. Her soulful smoky voice was the perfect accompaniment to the rollicking blues guitar of her stellar three-piece backing band. She had a powerful swagger about her, an “I’m damn well meant to be here” confidence behind that tousled dirty blond hair and those tight pants. Old jams were represented, like “Happy Woman’s Blues,” “Drunken Angels” and “I Lost It,” as well as a few less memorable ones, notably the new track “Buttercup.” She seemed a bit off her lyrical game perhaps, visibly reading lyrics off of a three-ring binder. Regardless, the audience lapped up her alt-country prowess with fervor, cheering and swaying to each song.
The Cave Singers were one of the highlights of the day for me. Delighted to be there, vocalist Pete Quirk spouted “We love you guys, but we love each other more!” They played raw folk-washed numbers, Quirk’s rusty croon wholeheartedly reaching the heights above the crowd. The lush brushwork on the set coupled with their blues-inspired soulful vocals and tambourine-flecked uproarious choruses made for a beautiful set that was emotional and foolhardy.
I had heard songs form the Cave Singers’ ‘09 release Welcome Joy, but seeing them live created another dimension to their music for me. The depth of Quirk’s decidedly quirky voice, the impassioned way in which the band performs and the energy they exude are only appropriately understood when in the presence of the group in the throes of performance. The crowd loved them and it’s easy to see why. Their jaunty, carefree performance was the perfect catalyst for the dancing masses.
The weather was perfect and the positive energy was abound for No Depression 2010 in Redmond’s stunning Marymoor Park. The lineup of bands was a little wanting, but the standouts (Cave Singers and Sera Cahoone) shone as bright as the midday sun. I look forward to next year’s lineup, and will be hoping for a just a little more alt-country, and possibly just a smidge more grit.
