Acorn Music Festival: DAY THREE featuring Son Volt
Sunday, Jun. 18 | 2:00pm ET (1:00pm CT)
The Acorn Music Festival celebrates the music and artistry rooted in the traditions of American music.
Headliner
Son Volt
DAY THREE of The Acorn Music Festival features headliner Son Volt! Sunday’s first show starts at 2pm ET, with eight performances leading up to Son Volt’s headlining show.
Jay Farrar founded Son Volt in 1995 after leaving the seminal group Uncle Tupelo. Son Volt’s Electro Melodier offers up a unique blend of folk, country, blues, soul and rock – an electric troubadour with melodies that hit and stick.
Learn more about The Acorn Music Festival
Additional performances:
The Crane Wives • Mario Abney & The Abney Effect • Daniel Villarreal • Grace Thiesen Trio • The Sypian Family Band • Jack Whittle Trio • Down Home • The Resurrection Blues Band
About the Artists:
Son Volt
2020 was not quite what Jay Farrar was expecting for the 25th anniversary of Son Volt, the band he started in 1995 after leaving the seminal group Uncle Tupelo, whose No Depression album helped define the alt-country and Americana genre. The group had just finished an Outlaw Country Cruise when the pandemic hit and sent them into their homes on lockdown.
Instead of a triumphant tour marking the illustrious landmark, Farrar was forced indoors by the pandemic, and his “Reverie” during that time helped define Electro Melodier, Son Volt’s 10th studio album – and third for influential Nashville indie Thirty Tigers. The title, taken from the names of two vintage amplifiers from the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, also describes the disc’s unique blend of folk, country, blues, soul and rock – an electric troubadour with melodies that hit and stick. Social protest songs like “Living in the U.S.A.” and “The Globe,” the former about the promises of this nation gone wrong, the latter referencing the street protests accompanying the Black Lives Matter movement, exist side by side with odes to long-term relationships (specifically his 25-year marriage) in “Diamonds and Cigarettes” and “Lucky Ones.”
Once again accompanied by the current Son Volt line up – keyboardist/steel guitarist Mark Spencer, bassist Andrew Duplantis, guitarist Chris Frame and drummer Mark Patterson – Farrar takes a slight turn from 2019’s politically pointed Union to a series of songs that asks questions rather than demanding answers – think of “Living in the U.S.A.” as Farrar’s version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.,” Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” or Patti Smith’s “People Have the Power,” an anthem to unite the populace.
“I had more time to devote to and concentrate on the writing,” says Farrar about his enforced quarantine. “We were fortunate in that we had just released Union and toured the country, so we were off cycle. It was still a rough year, but as a songwriter, I was able to make the most of it.”
The Crane Wives
Known for harmonies, beaming smiles and high energy melodies that counterbalance cerebral, angsty lyrics, the Crane Wives perform symbiotically like only a band with a tenure of over a decade can. Learn more
Mario Abney & The Abney Effect
Mario Abney is a master trumpeter, singer, songwriter, and bandleader of a well-known Jazz/Soul/Funk/Brass band who has been compared to Miles Davis, Art Blakely, and James Brown. Learn more
Daniel Villarreal
Panamá-born, Chicago-based drummer Daniel Villarreal is one of the busiest players on the Chicago scene. He creates a vibrant and verdant suite of multi-textural psychedelic instrumental folk-funk. Learn more
Grace Thiesen Trio
Grace Theisen is an Americana/Blues artist originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan. She was named “Artist To Watch” by Michigan’s Local Spins media outlet in January of 2022. Learn more
The Sypian Family Band
Hailing from Michigan’s Great Southwest, The Sypian Family Band is an all encompassing original rock and roll outfit. Learn more
Jack Whittle Trio
The Jack Whittle Trio is a deep blend of Blues and Roots that is playful and sincere, improvised but not wandering, informed by the past, but not recreating it. Learn more
Down Home
Down Home is a locally grown band founded in 2021 by Joe Iantorno (vocals/guitar) and Paul Matthews (vocals/piano) on the Indiana/Illinois border. Learn more
The Resurrection Blues Band
The Resurrection Blues Band features Rodney Mills on guitar and vocals, Scott Ovens on drums and seasoned veteran Mike Balmes. Learn more
The Acorn Music Festival takes place inside The Acorn theater.
