Targhee Fest Preview: Greatest Little Festival on Earth

By Aaron Davis (Cover Story for JHWeekly.com)Is it the casual mountain vibe or underwhelming crowd numbers? Or maybe it’s having camping and amenities in close proximity to the venue? No, it’s probably the Teton backdrop and the chance to see premier performers in an intimate setting that makes Grand Targhee your favorite place to see a festival.For fans of the eclectic, Targhee Fest has been the go-to event of the summer for local and regional music. Underlying themes and potential surprises are another staple of the festival that is staging perhaps the best lineup in its eight-year existence. Hopefully you can attend all three days, otherwise, you have some tough decision making ahead.Lucinda laces up the TetonsThere’s not a singing-songwriting woman in rock music more poetic, poignant and precise. She had the Americana goods long before the term was coined, hovering in a folk-country-rock hybrid that was, at least early in her career, balked-at by some industry executives. Too rock for Nashville, too country for L.A.Lucinda Williams is an American treasure with a singular voice that is recognizable at first drawl. Her writing style has often been inspired from the darker side of life, yet wordsmithed in a way that rides a tuneful beauty. Her drowsy, Louisiana patois makes the sting of an open wound bearable, a distinction that has attracted a cultish adoration for three decades. Take a moment to enjoy lines from “Fruits of My Labor,” via the 2003 album, World Without Tears:Traced your scent through the gloom ’til I found these purple flowersI was spent, I was soon smelling you for hoursLavender, lotus blossoms too, water the dirt, flowers last for youBaby, sweet babyTangerines and persimmons, and sugarcane, Grapes and honeydew melon, enough fit for a queenLemon trees don’t make a sound, ’til branches bend and fruit falls to the groundBaby, sweet babyI been tryin’ to enjoy all the fruits of my laborI been cryin’ for you boy, but truth is my saviorBaby, sweet baby if it’s all the sameTake the glory any day over the fameBaby, sweet babyWhile this is the song, and the album, that initially drew me to Williams’ artistry, many fans were introduced to her via Mary Chapin Carpenter. Carpenter recorded “Passionate Kisses” from Williams’ 1988 self-titled album, which earned both ladies a Grammy. For many others, it was Williams’ 1998 breakthrough album, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, which propelled her further into mainstream and earned a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. It contained the single “Still I Long for Your Kiss,” which appeared in the Robert Redford film The Horse Whisperer.Similar to the unsettling path that her career has winded with, Williams’ personal story of bouncing between Austin, Houston, Nashville and L.A., among other locales, has been one of chasing opportunity.“In order for me to stay focused, I’ve always planted myself in a town where there was some sort of music scene,” Lucinda said from her home in L.A. during a power outage. “You know, I didn’t have kids. Music was my priority. It comes down to drive, really. Some people just aren’t willing to get out there and tour, build a following, sleep on couches.”Her 10th studio album, Blessed, was released last year. To my ears, it’s one of her strongest albums on the whole. Subject matter breaks away from requited love and anger-fueled passion into less traveled ground, questioning suicide (“Seeing Black”), a young soldier away from his family (“Soldier’s Song”), and gorgeous love anthems (“Kiss Like Your Kiss” and “Sweet Love”). Williams has gained a reputation for being a perfectionist, and Blessed is no exception. After completion, it was remixed and remastered by Don Was (The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan) until everything felt just right.On the flipside of being particular, as many successful artists are, the deluxe edition of Blessed includes a bonus disc called The Kitchen Tapes. These versions of the same tunes are stripped-down acoustic demos as they were born at her kitchen table, where she does most of her writing.“I recorded those sessions on an amazing little device called a Zoom,” Williams said. “The quality is pretty amazing, and I was using that while I was writing. My manager and husband, Tom [Overby], burned that to a CD, and it was instant gratification. They sounded so good and big right away. We invited band members and friends over to check it out, and everybody thought it was really cool. They started referring to them as The Kitchen Tapes, and so they became a separate entity.”Drummer Butch Norton, bassist David Sutton, and guitarist Doug Pettibone will accompany Williams during her festival-closing set on Sunday. This will be Lucinda’s first appearance in Wyoming.Sizing up the rest of the fest:FRIDAYJoe Pug Not unlike his former day job as a carpenter, which he left just four years ago, simplicity is Joe Pug’s forte. His Dylan-esque phrasing, acoustic guitar fingerpicking and exquisite story-songs have slowly grown across a folk-loving nation. As 30,000 others have, a lot of his material can be downloaded for free at JoePugMusic.com.Brokedown in BakersfieldA collective of acclaimed West Coast artists (that you likely already know) have joined forces in a spirited tribute to the Bakersfield sound. This is California country music made raw and rocking, spiked with twang and sweetened with heartfelt harmonies. The group features Lebo of ALO on pedal steel, Scott Law on Telecaster, singer Nicki Bluhm of Gramblers fame, Tim Bluhm of The Mother Hips on vocals and acoustic guitar, and ALO rhythm section partners Steve Adams and Dave Brogan.Trigger HippyAnother side project super group, Trigger Hippy is composed of Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman, singer/songwriters Jackie Greene and Will Kimbrough, singer Joan Osborne, and bassist Nick Govrik. Good ole American rock ’n’ roll on tap here. A lot of crossover friends with Brokedown in Bakersfield … collaboration?Toots and the MaytalsFew groups have contributed to a specific genre like Toots and the Maytals. Formed in the early ’60s when ska was the in thing, the Jamaica-born group combines gospel, ska, soul, reggae and rock, and it holds the record for No. 1 hits in Jamaica, with a total of 31. At age 67, Frederick “Toots” Hibbert’s voice is reportedly big and brassy as ever.Andy Frasco and The UN [after-show]A Damien Rice-meets-Tom Waits sound, young 20-something Californian, Frasco, is a party blues pianist. Not to be confused with the boogie-woogie N’awlins pianists, Frasco works within a soul-pop framework backed by saxophone, bass, drums, guitar and organ.SATURDAYOne Ton PigOutside of a Ben Winship project, it’s rare that a Teton County band is slotted for Targhee Festival. Having just released its debut, self-titled studio album and keepers of the flame at Bluegrass Tuesdays at the Silver Dollar Bar, sextet One Ton Pig is a great fit. Predominantly featuring the well-penned material of singer/guitarist Michael Batdorf – who also just released his fifth solo album, Weather May Come – the Pig gets fat with harmony laced folk-rockin’ grass to open the day.The Wood BrothersThe Wood Brothers are easily one of my favorite duos in this current renaissance of the duo format. The coincidence of bassist Chris Wood being a member of one of my favorite bands of yesteryear – Medeski, Martin and Wood – has little crossover reference here. The Wood Brothers are straight-up acoustic blues-folk and Americana, highlighted by Oliver Woods’ Van Morrison-like soul.Black Joe Lewis and The HoneybearsImagine a melting pot of Howlin’ Wolf, James Brown, and a rough-and-tumble bluesman who howls away over just three chords while playing the hard-living, woman-chasing card. Seems like a rarity these days. Here you have it, Austin style.Railroad EarthThis sextet of road-tested, acoustic virtuosos played the Targhee Bluegrass Festival last year. Known to hop into its newgrass exploratory vehicles, Railroad Earth takes bluegrass instrumentation to its rocking limits.Chris Robinson BrotherhoodWith the Black Crowes on “indefinite hiatus,” Chris Robinson launched Brotherhood with former Ryan Adams and the Cardinals lead guitarist, Neal Casal. The studio album, Big Moon Ritual, dropped last month with seven lengthy tunes (seven to 12 minutes each), bringing to mind ’70s Grateful Dead. This is likely to get trippy, hippy.Drive-By TruckersThese alt-country Southern rockers played the Mangy Moose back in 2002, with the last visit being 2006 with The Black Crowes. Since then, Jason Isbell went solo and bassist Shonna Tucker left the band. Rest assured, though, as the Truckers put out one of its best releases last year, Go-Go Boots, which rises like smoke from the old Muscle Shoals country-and-soul sound.The Congress [after-show]Truly a genuine bed of Southern R&B, rock, psychedelia, and gospel, Congress lead singer Jonathon Meadows’ soulful phrasing brings to mind the grit of George Lowell or Chris Robinson. This band is likely to be on the main stage next year.SUNDAYTrixie WhitleyBelgium-born vocalist Trixie Whitley has a stunningly smoky voice that will soar up Targhee’s pined ski slope. Get ready for a combo of jazz, rock, dub and downtempo. She has collaborated with Black Dub, Marc Ribot and Robert Plant, among others.Paul ThornA former boxer, Thorn is a singer-songwriter at heart, falling on the blues-rock side of Americana with a Southern twist. His latest, What The Hell Is Goin’ On, is an album of cover songs, where he puts his gritty stamp on tunes familiar and obscure.Josh RitterThere’s damn good reason Paste Magazine put Ritter on its list of 100 Greatest Living Songwriters. The Moscow, Idaho native can pen a narrative song with the best of them, and his Royal City Band is proof that staying together for a decade has its advantages. Check out his sixth album, So Runs the World Away, the title of which comes from a line in the third act of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”JJ Grey and MofroMr. Grey must love the Tetons because he’s been performing in the area every year for the last several. Mofro brings the hard grooving, swampy Florida soul-funk with authority. The expanded seven-piece band now features Greyhound members Andrew Trube (guitar) and Anthony Farrell (organ), as well as Derek Trucks Band bassist Todd Smallie.The Hooligans [after-show]Inspired by the classic era of San Francisco’s improv-driven psychedelic rock scene, this is the project of festival talent buyer, Tom Garnsey. Based in Bozeman, Mont. since 1990 and no strangers to the Trap Bar stage, the band is often joined by legendary keyboardist/producer Bill Payne of Little Feat fame.The 8th Annual Targhee Fest begins at 4 p.m., Friday, at Grand Targhee Resort and continues through Sunday night. Tickets are $55 Friday only, $65 Saturday only, $55 Sunday only, or $169 for a three-day, non-camping pass. Camping and parking is additional. A “Summer of Music” pass is also available for $199, allowing access to any six festival shows of the summer. A free shuttle will run from Driggs and other locations. Visit GrandTarghee.com for detailed information.