#rachel baiman

[nofatclips-home]

Oscar's Verdict by 10 String Symphony

[sinceileftyoublog]

Willi Carlisle & Golden Shoals Live Show Review: 2/9, Schubas, Chicago

From left to right: Grady Drugg, Willi Carlisle, Sophie Mae Wellington

BY JORDAN MAINZER

For Willie Carlisle and Golden Shoals, playing live is both an opportunity to share the stories behind the songs and the stories behind the band itself. Both the Fayetville, Arkansas singer-songwriter and Nashville-based folk duo work outside the machinations of the mainstream country scene but are intimately aware of it. Their songs, though, have the perfectly classic country mix of truth and legend, tales of living outdoors and the ills of late capitalism seamlessly weaving the rawness of reality with the showmanship of exaggeration. Their show at Schubas on Friday exemplified what they do best.

Carlisle delivered a triumphant set balancing his new album Critterland (Signature Sounds) with back catalog favorites. Accompanied by guitarist Grady Drugg and fiddler Sophie Mae Wellington (who also showed off her flatfoot dancing skills), Carlisle contextualized his songs with his personal history and ethos. When he started playing music, Carlisle traveled the country with his banjo, sleeping in his van or outside, including in Millennium Park and under the Clark Street Bridge. He busked in Mariano Park; like a tried and true flaneur with a flair for the colloquial, on Friday, he referred to Mariano Park what we Chicagoans call it: the Viagra Triangle. To Carlisle, though, these days, a song like "The Van Life" from 2022's Peculiar, Missouri is less biography and more a recognition of, as Carlisle put it, "the failure of the American left," the crisis of the unhoused, and immoral eviction laws.

Carlisle & Wellington

With so much weight behind his songs, it would be easy for Carlisle to fall victim to overexplaining. However, I found his banter essential, just as much a part of the show as the songs themselves. Take a song like "The Great Depression". Carlisle knows that giving a song that title while adopting even a bit of an old-timey aesthetic conjures thoughts of stock market crashes, John Steinbeck, and Woody Guthrie. To hear that it's really about epigenetics, and the passing down of not just generational trauma but the love of song, was revelatory, and made me appreciate it even more as a folk tune. When Carlisle played "The Arrangements" for his father, his father apparently replied, "I didn't know you knew your grandfather that well." Carlisle clarified that both his grandfather and father were good dads, adding a layer of complexity to it all; as a result of our actions, what we pass down, up, or to the side is not always so clear-cut.

During his set, Carlisle mentioned the paradox of "authentic" country music in 2024: After all, those who claim to be authentic are, as he noted, rehashing the very concept of authenticity. What was more important on Friday was a sense of audience or listener inclusion, true to the spirit of the punk music he grew up on or the folk music he's adopted. Hoedown "Boy Howdy, Hot Dog!" and Gospel-style main set closer "Your Heart's a Big Tent" inspired not just singalongs but stomp-alongs. And a show-stopping a capella performance of Critterland closer "The Money Grows on Trees" quieted the crowd to a state of rapture, save for what will be Carlisle's eternal outlaw chorus. ("Oh, hippies, hillbillies, won't you gather 'round? / A good man murdered, a bad man drowned / The cops are all moonshiners now / But the money grows on trees / Yeah, the money grows on trees.") The stories from an area of Northern Arkansas where, according to Carlisle, rumors fly and can rival network TV, may not be, for lack of a better word, authentic. But Carlisle knows, even on mostly true story "Higher Lonesome", that relying on our memory is not always the best way to be an effective troubadour, or even to get at the core veracity of life.

Golden Shoals' Amy Alvey & Mark Kilianski

Golden Shoals' two members came from contrasting backgrounds, and like Carlisle, they apply a punk spirit to folk music. Fiddle player Amy Alvey, from California, met guitarist and banjoist Mark Kilianski, from New Jersey, at Berklee College of Music in 2008. (Kilianski first picked up a guitar so he could learn Limp Bizkit's everlasting dumbass anthem "Break Stuff".) They started playing together in 2013 and touring full-time in 2016. Each member brings their distinct experiences into the Golden Shoals songs they write and sing. Many of the tunes could be country-folk standards, like Kilianski's rollicking "(Who'da Thought) Thinkin' About The Good Times (Could Ever Make You Feel So Bad)" and weary tale of hitchhiker's luck "Coffee in the Morning". Alvey is a rapt observer of place. On the as-yet-unreleased "Everybody's a Somebody", she sang about the "kind of famous" people in Nashville, squinting hard enough to see whether that truly is Orville Peck and Sierra Ferrell sitting at the bar at the American Legion. Another new song detailed the changes permeating Fredericksburg, VA, a city she's never called home but visited many times. The chosen details ranged from evidence of gentrification to "the Bachmans buried their favorite dog," which, yes, is a reference to the family of Daniel Bachman.

Kilianski

Alvey's "Bitter", co-written with Rachel Baiman, came to light after Spotify ghoul/CEO Daniel Ek basically insinuated that working musicians need to release new music every week in order to compete in the market. Though the irony was not lost on Alvey that the song is available to stream on Spotify, the band found a way to pivot: they've now been selling homemade bitters as part of their merch. It seemed like a metaphor for the night's bill. The music that artists like Carlisle and Golden Shoals make may never again be "popular," and it's not more--gulp--authentic because it's not popular. But it adapts within the hell-world, and finds strength in its own spirit and the reception of those who may find some validity in the stories for themselves.

Alvey

[musiconspotify]

Rachel Baiman

Common Nation Of Sorrow (2023) … style and grace …

#RachelBaiman

[songsofprotestpeacerevolution]

'Rust Belt Fields' Rachel Baiman featuring Andrew Marlin and Josh Oliver

[lotsandlotsoftrainss]

Track of the day

[concerthopperblog]

The Best of Americanafest 2023

One thing you learn early on as an Americanafest attendee is that it's a marathon, not a sprint. With almost 300 artists spread across dozens of Nashville venues, it's impossible to see everything you'd like to see, or even a majority of the things you'd like to see. But during Americanafest 2023, we caught over 30 bands across the broad spectrum of Americana, from classic country to Southern rock to traditional string band music. Trying to single out the best of those bands is almost as difficult as deciding which of them to see, but here is our list of the best things we saw at Americanafest 2023.

Best of the Fest- Dom Flemons and Amythyst Kiah There is typically one artist whose performance stands out from the others as the best thing we saw all week. Not this year. On Thursday, Dom Flemons delivered a high-spirited set of traditional black string band music and original songs written in the traditional style. Throughout, Flemons showed off his impressive multi-intrumental talents, playing not only guitar and banjo, but also bones and pipes.

On Saturday, Amythyst Kiah closed down the festival with a set of songs as earnest as her albums. Opening with a blistering rendition of “Black Myself,” Kiah never let up throughout her 45 minute set, converting many of the people seated around us, who hadn't heard of her, into fans. Equally impressive was Kiah's band, who floated into jazzy improvisational moments while Kiah tuned up.

Best History Lesson- Bobby Rush Following Dom Flemons, Americana's best historian, was 89 year old bluesman Bobby Rush. It's one thing to chronicle history. It's another to be history. Bobby Rush was there when much of the history of modern blues was written, from Muddy Waters to B.B. King. Additionally, Rush lived through attempting to make his living as a musician (and before that a comedian) during segregation. His set was a mix of soulful harmonica blues and stories from his long and eventful life. It was in equal part entertaining and inspirational.

Best Reminder That History is Sometimes Ridiculous- J.P. Harris' Dreadful Wind and Rain Someone in line outside 3rd and Lindsley on Saturday night called J.P. Harris “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” and that's a fair comparison. At times, he is a raucous country rocker and at others, like this set, he plays as a duo of banjo and fiddle (from the always excellent Rachel Baiman) on songs that date back as far as the 17th century. Harris kept things light by spotlighting the surreal, and often borderline silly, nature of these traditional folk songs featuring vampires, voodoo pigs, witches, and a firm conviction that every banjo ballad has to end with someone being murdered or executed.

Best Dressed- Della Mae They say you should dress for the job you want. If that's the case, Della Mae has a budding career as professional nappers. On Wednesday night at Basement East, vocalist Celia Woodsmith and bassist Vickie Vaughn showed up in their pajamas, but they certainly weren't sleeping. If you've ever seen Della Mae, you know the kind of kinetic shows they put on and, fashion choices aside, they didn't disappoint on this night.

Best Lemonade From Lemons Moment- Ever More Nest It was early in Ever More Nest's set at the Louisiana Roux to Roots showcase at Vinyl Lounge when the electricity went out. After a brief pause, the band grabbed their instruments, climbed off the stage, encouraged everyone to be as quiet as possible, and delivered a true “unplugged” set that worked perfectly with their laid back style of roots music. It was such a special moment that it was almost a disappointment when the lights came back on and they were able to finish their set as intended.

Best Representation- Queer Cowpoke Roundup For the second year in a row, Cindy Emch of Secret Emchy Society and her friends made sure Americanafest represented all of Americana with the Queer Cowpoke Roundup. Featuring “queer country” artists all day at The Groove, the showcase was a reminder that who you love or what you look like makes no difference in how strong your musical output is. Americanafest has made representation in all its forms a priority in recent years and the Queer Cowpoke Roundup was one of the best examples of that commitment all week.

Best “Love is Love” Set- Wild Ponies Happy Hour Wild Ponies has always been a band that promoted inclusivity, and their set on Friday at Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge was a perfect distillation of this. Not only did they debut what is likely roots music's only “polyamorous love ballad” but also an ode to their journey as new foster parents. If “love is love”, Wild Ponies are the official spokespersons for that movement.

Best “Off-App” Showcase- Femme Noir It's a testament to just how influential Americanafest has become that the 300 or so bands performing “officially” are supplemented by nearly as many performing in unofficial shows at even more venues across Nashville. While waiting for the Wild Ponies' Happy Hour at Dee's, we caught one of these “not on the app” shows in the Femme Noir showcase, featuring one of our favorite artists, Anana Kaye, as well as others ready to remind that, in Americana, women rule the roost.

You can see our full gallery from all four days of Americanafest now at our Facebook page!

[syruckusnow]

By Rachel Baiman

Sometimes I think that the most complicated relationship I have in my life is with my fiddle. I’ve played the fiddle since I was four years old, and she is so tied up in my identity that I often don’t know where I end and she begins. Some days she makes me feel powerful and free, some days she makes me feel idiotic and abused.

[americanahighways]

Song Premiere: Golden Shoals "Bitter"

Song Premiere: Golden Shoals "Bitter" #goldenshoals #bitter #masonwinfree #rachelbaiman #newmusic2023 #americanahighways

Golden Shoals – “Bitter” Americana Highways brings you this premiere of the Golden Shoals’ song “Bitter” scheduled for release on September 13. It was engineered and co-produced by Thomas Bryan Easton. “Bitter” which was co-written by the Golden Shoals’ Amy Alvey and esteemed singer-songwriter Rachel Baiman, was taken from the perspective of a musician contemplating throwing in the towel – a…

[discoverdurhamnc]

Things to Do in Durham this Weekend (Apr 6-9)

Trying out a format tweak. We previously included venue weekend schedules in the multi-day events category, but that didn’t seem quite accurate. So now we’ve separated them. Let us know what you think.

Check out our full Durham events calendar.

If you'd like to add an event to our calendar, submit an event here. Please check with the event owners to see if events change due to weather. Have a great weekend!

Multi-Day Events

Les Misérables at DPAC

Set against the backdrop of 19th century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. This epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history.

Apr 6-9

$39.50+

Rent at Reynolds Theater on Duke’s West Campus

Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, Jonathan Larson's Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

Apr 6-8 at 8:00 p.m.

Apr 9 at 2:00 p.m.

$15

Dino Egg Hunt at the Museum of Life and Science

Bring your junior paleontologist on an excavation adventure as they hunt for colorful dinosaur eggs in exchange for a special “Dino-prize” and explore the Museum’s Dinosaur Trail.

Apr 6-9

$7 (does not include museum admission)

Venue Weekend Schedules

Events at The Carolina Theatre

Sat, Apr 8 at 11:00 a.m. - GYPSY KATHAA

Sat, Apr 8 at 8:00 p.m. - The Monti: The Point of No Return

Events at The Pinhook

Thu, Apr 6 at 8:00 p.m. - Blab School / Maple Stave / Le Weekend

Fri, Apr 7 at 10:00 p.m. - Chaos Mode W/ Lxc / Dj Ethanol / Dj Aaa / Isabel Essence

Sat, Apr 8 at 7:30 p.m. - Rachel Baiman / Viv & Riley

Sat, Apr 8 at 10:00 p.m. - Queer Agenda Dance Party!

Sun, Apr 9 at at 8:00 p.m. - The Inaugural Equalizer Beat Battle

Live Music at Blue Note Grill

Thur, Apr 6 at 7:00 p.m. - The Goodloves

Fri, Apr 7 at 6:00 p.m. - The Duke Street Dogs

Fri, Apr 7 at 9:15 p.m. - The Gabe Stillman Band

Sat, Apr 8 at 7:30 p.m. - Carolyn Wonderland

Events at Boxyard RTP

Thu, Apr 6 at 5:30 p.m. - Songstories Live at Boxyard RTP

Fri, Apr 7 at 5:30 p.m. - LOJO: Log Off, Jam On

Sat, Apr 8 at 11:30 a.m. - Saturdaze: DJ Wicked

Sat, Apr 8 at 5:00 p.m. - Live Music: School of Rock Chapel Hill

Events at Moon Dog Meadery

Fri, Apr 7 at 8:00 p.m. - First Friday Swing Dance Night w/ Nitelife Boogie! 

Sat, Apr 8 at 7:00 p.m. - Red Planet Martian Dreams From Beyond the Iron Curtain

Sun, Apr 9 at 7:00 p.m. - Moon Dog Open Mic

Events at Motorco Music Hall

Fri, Apr 7 at 8:00 p.m. - Tricky Dick Comedy Fundraiser

Sun, Apr 9 at 8:00 p.m. - Mike with With Slauson Malone 1 / Sideshow / Cruzin

Live Music at Sharp 9 Gallery

Fri, Apr 7 at 8:00 p.m. - Jim Ketch Swingtet

Sat, Apr 8 at 8:00 p.m. - Ron Brendle Quartet

$27.55

Events at Arcana

Thu, Apr 6 - Andrew Whiteman and Tarot with Virginia

Fri, Apr 7 - Daniel DeLorenzo and Tarot with Kathleen

Sat, Apr 8 - Tarot with Joy

Sun, Apr 9 - Jason Arrol and Tarot with Rene

Events at Rubies on Five Points

Fri, Apr 7 at 10:00 p.m. - Mamis & The Papis And Party Illegal Present: Moodboard

Sat, Apr 8 at 10:00 p.m. - Big City Lights: Deep Funk And Heavy Soul W/ Brian Burns

Events at The Fruit

Thu, Apr 6 at 7:00 pm. - Hear Me Now: NC Raised Us

Sat, Apr 8 at 8:00 p.m. - Fractured Frames // Purge Of Lilith // Sagen

Improv Comedy at Mettlesome

Fri, Apr 7 at 8:00 p.m. | The Racket - See indie improv teams from around the Triangle show off their stuff.

Fri, Apr 7 at 9:00 p.m. | Hush Hush - Improv inspired by anonymous secrets from the audience.

Sat, Apr 8 at 8:00 p.m. | Improv 101 Grad Show

Sat, Apr 8 at 9:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Golden Age - Improv inspired by an interview with a local artist.

All shows $8

Thursday, Apr 6

Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works

Enjoy fresh vibes on the patio with DJ Deckades. Bring your own vinyl to share or just listen to what the DJ is spinning.

6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Free admission

Boulders & Brews Meetup at Triangle Rock Club - Durham

Show up and climb at TRC Durham, then head over to Hi-Wire for some brews. Don't worry if it's your first time or haven't bouldered before; everyone's welcome.

Your first visit to the gym with the Meetup includes free admission and gear rental, and subsequent visits with the meetup are $15 and include harness rental (outside of meetups, day pass rates of $19 apply and do not include rentals).

6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Duke Wind Symphony: STARS, with guest soloist Alex Sopp, flute at Baldwin Auditorium

A star on the flute, Alex Sopp performs Joel Puckett's "Shadow of Sirius;" other works include "Conga del Fuego Nuevo" by Arturo Márquez and Kevin Day's "A Song for Tomorrow."

7:30 p.m.

Free admission

Yamato: The Drummers Of Japan Hinotori: The Wings Of Phoenix at Page Auditorium

Taiko drumming is a centuries-old tradition in Japanese culture and this ensemble both honors this long tradition and pushes the boundaries of what Taiko drumming can be. The superb athleticism and technique brought to the stage provide an evening of true spectacle.

7:30 p.m.

$35+ ($10 for students)

Live Music in the Taproom at The Glass Jug Beer Lab - Downtown Durham

Glass Jug offers local live music every Thursday at the downtown taproom.

7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Free admission

Trivia Night w/Big Slow Tom at Clouds Brewing Brightleaf Square

Join Clouds Durham for Big Slow Tom's Trivia Night, every Thursday. Win some prizes, drink some beer, and show your smarts.

Enjoy $4 select draft and $5 rotating bartender's choice all night.

7:30 p.m.

Free admission

Friday, Apr 7

Tasting at Ten at Counter Culture Coffee

Every Friday morning at 10 am, Counter Culture Coffee opens their Training Centers to coffee lovers who want to learn more about Counter Culture Coffee’s high-quality, sustainably sourced menu.

10:00 a.m.

Free, but donations accepted

Insomnia: A Spokenword Play at Hayti Heritage Center

One man show by America’s Got Talent Winner Brandon Leake. Also featuring Alexis Lawson, Nick Courmon, Suave the Poet, and Kierra Garrett.

7:00 p.m.

$30+

Ciompi Quartet: A Forest Unfolding at Baldwin Auditorium

A Forest Unfolding is the brainchild of eight writers and composers who were inspired by scientific research into the rich communication and subterranean connectivity between trees. Environmentalists Bill McKibben and Joan Maloof joined forces with novelists Joan Maloof and Richard Powers (Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Overstory) to select a range of prose and poetry on the relationship between people and trees. These words were set to music by composers Eric Moe, Melinda Wagner, Stephen Jaffe and David Kirkland Garner in a linked cycle of recitatives and arias, narrated by Nnenna Freelon.

8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Free admission

Open Mic Stand-Up Comedy at Durty Bull Brewing Company

This weekly event takes place indoors in the Barrel Room, with seating available for nearly 100 people. There's no better way to unwind after a long week than a night of laughter with Ashley & Ebony. Interested in performing? Please contact Ashley and Ebony.

8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

21+

Free admission

Pub Karaoke at West 94th St Pub

Pick it. Sing it. Rock it. Whether you can sing does not matter because you will be a star when you hold the microphone at West 94th Street Pub.

10:00 p.m.

Free admission

Saturday, Apr 8

parkrun Durham at Southern Boundaries Park

A free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event. Walk, jog, run, volunteer, or spectate. It's up to you!

8:00 a.m.

Free admission

Pop-up Egg Hunt at Duke Homestead

Join in for a free pop-up egg hunt at Duke Homestead! Kids will be able to roam the grounds to find hidden eggs, and turn them in for prizes. Get the whole family playing with egg-themed games, as well as traditional historic games, and enjoy a puppet show!

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Free admission

Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works

Free pint with purchase of craft box. Choose from a variety of craft packages available for all ages.

12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Leonard Elschenbroich at Baldwin Auditorium

At 24, Leonard Elschenbroich won the Leonard Bernstein Award and has since been regarded as one of the dazzling, rising stars amongst European cellists.

8:00 p.m.

$35 ($10 for students)

Sunday, Apr 9

Trivia at Navigator Beverage Co.

Hosted by the Triangle’s Trivia team, Hammered Trivia, gather your team and post up to compete for prizes and enjoy an afternoon of great drinks, great friends, and great games.

2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Free admission

Board Game Sundays at Gizmo Brew Works

Bull City Boarders (@bull_city_boarders), Kat + Jeremiah, host Board Game Sundays at Gizmo Brew Works. Join them every Sunday.

Free admission

Running Art Exhibits

The Mind’s Eye: Gallery Members Exhibition at 5 Points Gallery

5 Points Gallery celebrates cleverness in the Year of the Rabbit with their new exhibit called “The Mind’s Eye”.

Runs through Apr 15

Free admission

Damian Stamer/Collaborations: New Paintings at Craven Allen Gallery

Collaborations features both new paintings from Stamer’s continued exploration of home, memory, and place as well as a new body of work created in collaboration with Artificial Intelligence. Instead of his traditional process of using photographs as source material, Stamer used an AI text-to-image generator to compile reference imagery. The resulting oil paintings are visually striking and raise timely questions about our relationship with the digital world.

Runs through May 6

Free admission

Beyond the Surface: Collage, Mixed Media and Textile Works from the Collection at the Nasher

This exhibition includes approximately 40 works, primarily from the Nasher Museum’s collection. With a focus on collage, mixed media and textile works, Beyond the Surface explores how artists bring together disparate materials and ideas to create artworks that engage with all audiences.

Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Runs through May 14

Free admission

Patrimonio | Heritage at John Hope Franklin Center Gallery

A series of drawing interventions on “Llanchama” (Amazonian tree bark) by Peruvian/American artist Renzo Ortega.

Mon-Fri from 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Runs through May 18

Free admission

Exhibit at 21c Museum Hotel

Whitney Stanley: We Just Be in the Vault Gallery

Runs through May 2023

Open 24 hours

Free admission

Spirit in the Land at the Nasher

Spirit in the Land is a contemporary art exhibition that examines today’s urgent ecological concerns from a cultural perspective, demonstrating how intricately our identities and natural environments are intertwined. Through their artwork, 30 artists show us how rooted in the earth our most cherished cultural traditions are, how our relationship to land and water shapes us as individuals and communities

Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Runs through Jul 9

Free admission

Andy Warhol: You Look Good in Pictures at the Nasher

Andy Warhol: You Look Good in Pictures explores the breadth of the artist’s relationship with photography through several distinct bodies of work including screenprints of celebrities, all of which were taken from photographs, a group of Polaroids and black and white snapshots illustrating his social circles, and an early silent film of the curator Henry Geldzahler from 1964.

Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Runs through Aug 27

Free admission

Art of Peru at the Nasher

This gallery features ceramics, textiles, metalwork and carvings produced by ancient cultures across what is known as present-day Peru.

Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Runs through Dec 2

Free admission

[queerpyracy]

I’m watching your back for the hint of a sign But you stand up straight and you hold the line I never had the right to feel the way I do But I could’ve been your lover too

[nofatclips]

(Gimme Some of That) Ol' Atonal Music by Merle Hazard featuring Alison Brown - Video directed by John Moessner

[songsofprotestpeacerevolution]

Rachel Baiman - Thanksgiving 

"Thanksgiving" was inspired by the 2016–17 protests by Native American members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline on their sacred lands. The story hit a cultural crescendo over the 2016 Thanksgiving holiday, as televised images of the US government displacing Native Americans through the use of bulldozers, attack dogs, and water cannons seemed to echo the oppressive history of the holiday itself.

“I was sitting at my parents’ home in Chicago a day or two before Thanksgiving, reading an article about the Dakota Access Pipeline protests and having this overwhelming fury about the situation. I questioned how we could pretend to celebrate the beautiful dinner between the white colonizers and the Indians when there was this blatant disrespect for Indigenous rights going on in the name of fossil fuels and big business.”

Baiman admits that she initially struggled with whether she should be writing a song like this for Thanksgiving. But in the end, finding her own role in the larger story helped crystallize her approach. “Even though I consciously tried to write my own song from a white perspective out of respect for what I don’t know and couldn’t understand, I still question if it’s something I should be singing about,” she says. “There’s always the question of what voices do we want to hear from, about what topics? On the other hand, colonization and genocide are the historical realities that I’m benefiting from, so it also feels wrong to avoid addressing them.”

[iplaycello]

Kaitlyn Raitz and Rachel Baiman // Strong Enough (Sheryl Crow)

[kaitlynraitzphoto]

Molly Tuttle & Rachel Baiman // Madison, Tennessee

Video by Kaitlyn Raitz