Don’t confuse 75th Annual National Folk Festival headliner Dale Watson’s music with today’s country

August 17, 2015 by lsnedeker Leave a comment

Fans of Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash and Sturgill Simpson are in for a treat at this weekend’s 75th annual National Folk Festival in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina. The free outdoor event features performances and demonstrations on seven outdoor stages by more than 300 of the nation’s craftspeople, dancers and musicians, including country music maverick Dale Watson, who is set to perform his unique mix of Texas swing, rockabilly and honky tonk tunes for the first time in the Piedmont, tonight at 8 on the Wrangler Stage stage, Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on the Belk Stage and a Sunday workshop at 2:15 p.m.

But don’t confuse Watson with country music, at least not by today’s standards. “You can easily guess who my influences are listening to my music,” he said in a recent phone interview. “Today’s country influences come from boy bands. They have more in common with Madonna.”

Back in 1995, Watson recorded a song bemoaning the state of modern country music. “I’m too country now for country,” he declared and that hasn’t changed. Listen to his newest album, “Call Me Insane,” and you may find that Watson’s aversion to mainstream country may be even stronger today than it was 20 years ago. Instead he calls his brand of music “Ameripolitan” as opposed to “alt-country” or Americana, which is too broad and doesn’t really mean anything these days except that you are playing music in ‘Merica.

Why do you think the National Folk Festival invited you to perform?

“I think we fit in for the simple reason of the type of music we do. Twenty or 30 years ago they type of music we do would have been called country, but you can’t call us country by today’s standards. You can easily guess who my influences are listening to my music.”

What exactly is “Ameripolitan” music?

“If I am at a truck stop and I say, Ameripolitan, that’s good. I used to say country music and then I would have to qualify what it’s NOT what you’re thinking. And if you say it’s a retro thing then it’s automatically dismissed as old. A good comparison is we’re building a house and we’re using a hammer. Just because we’re not using new tools, doesn’t mean it’s not a new house. But it will probably stand up better. Ameripoltipan is original music with prominent roots that start with Jimmy Rodgers, Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb.”

Why did you want to participate in the 75th annual National Folk Festival?

“I think the folk festival focuses on the musical fabric of our nation and what derived from Africa and other countries. Ameripolitan certainly fits in that because of the roots element. I am not comparing myself to Hank Williams, but my music is a natural extension. We fit because our influences fit.”

Why should festival attendees come out to see you?

“I think the most common comment I get is this reminds me of music my dad listened to and I heard growing up. People like David Letterman like it. We are also attracting a lot of younger fans. I hope people will come and hear us to learn that country music is alive and well as Ameripolitan!”

This isn’t your daddy’s folk festival, organizers say.

“I expect that one look at this schedule will upend the ideas many people have about what a folk festival is,” said Julia Olin, executive director of the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), which is co-producing the Festival with ArtsGreensboro, in a release. “Individual tickets to see all of these great artists would cost thousand of dollars, but this festival is entirely free! Who can resist such an offer?”

ArtsGreensboro President and CEO Tom Philion adds, “The 75^th National Folk Festival’s schedule celebrates the true diversity of America’s heritage, and promises exciting discoveries and fun at every turn.”

The Festival will kick off with the Jeff Little Trio at 5:45 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, at the Wrangler Stage (North Elm Street at Lindsay). At 6:30 p.m., the Opening Parade, sponsored by Bank of America and featuring the North Carolina A&T State University Drumline, the Guilford Courthouse Fife and Drum Corps, performers, and the public, will march from the Wrangler Stage to the Belk Stage on Market Street (between Davie and Church). At 7 p.m., Festival organizers will officially open the Festival. From 7:15 to 10:30 p.m., the Festival’s four lit stages—the Belk Stage, the Wrangler Stage, the Church Street Stage, and the Dance Pavilion—will be in full swing.

Beginning at noon on Saturday, Sept. 12, all seven outdoor stages—plus Center City Park and the North Carolina Folklife Demonstration Area, presented by the N.C. Arts Council and featuring pottery traditions—will provide non-stop entertainment. The Wells Fargo Family Area and the McDonald’s Family Stage will host activities and performers until 5 pm. The North Carolina Traditions Stage, presented by the N.C. Arts Council, and the Lawn Stage, sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, will host performances until 7 p.m. The four lit stages will be up and running until 10 or 10:30 p.m.

All venues will be operating starting at noon on Sunday, Sept. 13. Activities at the N.C. Folklife Demonstration Area will end around 4:40 p.m, with performances on the McDonald’s Family Stage ending at 5 p.m. Final performances on the other stages will end between 5:15 and 6:30 p.m.

Special Fabric of Freedom performances, events, and exhibits showcasing Greensboro’s unique history as a catalyst for social change since the American Revolution will be presented on several stages and at both the Greensboro Historical Museum and the International Civil Rights Center & Museum.

The North Carolina Arts Marketplace, sponsored by PNC Bank, and food and merchandise vendors will open at 5 p.m. on Friday and at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

This also ran on The Huffington Post here.

musicreporterblog

Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass

Don’t confuse 75th Annual National Folk Festival headliner Dale Watson’s music with today’s country

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Share this:

Related

Leave a comment Cancel reply