5/7/2023 0 Comments All these years phil cookTimes where the scarcity of it makes the value of being present appreciate like a rare metal. ![]() ![]() Times where being in a fully present state seems futile in the face of endless distractions. With Libra season upon us, it seems natural to spend some time exploring the duality of the both clarifying and distracting times we are living in. Each time a new friend appeared on the stage, Staples greeted them like they were stepping foot in her own living room, welcoming them into her home on the stage. And as audience members in a room of would-be strangers, we all knew that we had at least one unifying commonality: We love Mavis.Īs her set continued, Staples invited out act after act including Nicole Atkins the Lone Bellow Nick Lowe Elle King North Mississippi Allstars Billy Strings the War and Treaty the Milk Carton Kids Pat Sansone of Wilco and a surprise appearance by now-Nashvillian Sheryl Crow who performed “Touch a Hand, Make a Friend”. Though each special guest delivered a powerful homage to Staples, that moment, on-stage solo and taking in the love around her, that she exhibited the most palpable and uninhibited joy. Each time she returned to the refrain, “all the people who love me”, she extended her hands to the crowd in a motion of gratitude and delight. You could tell that she, and just about every person crammed into those hallowed pews, felt the weight, truth, and exuberance of those words. A grin was plastered across Staples’ face the entire night, but became a little bit wider as she sang the simple lines: “I got friends and I got I got family I got help from all the people who love me” Following her set with Stuart, Staples played her only two solo songs of the night, including 2016’s “Take Us Back”. Accompanied by Stuarts’ Fabulous Superlatives band, the duo sang the anthem in perfect harmony, marking a triumphant start to the Nashville installment of Staples’ 80th Birthday celebration. Stuart, playing Pop Staples’ guitar, shared his memories of the inescapable hit: it was seared into his childhood growing up in the American South. The tone was set for the evening before Staples even took the stage.Īfter the War and Treaty concluded the introductory set with a moving rendition of “Sit Down Servant”, the stage was reset and Staples arrived alongside her first guest, Marty Stuart - or “little brother” - as Staples fondly referred to him, for a take on the Staple Singers classic “Uncloudy Day”. The tie between gospel and protest music proved yet again their strength and synergy. The night began with a collaborative set which featured Luck Family artists Langhorne Slim Nicole Atkins alongside “Howlin” Pelle Almqvist of the Hives Phil Cook with Tamish Waden and Mavis “Swan” Poole and the War and Treaty. Staples’ career has in no way slowed down since her reign with siblings Cleotha, Yvonne, Pervis, and patriarch Pops Staples and she reminded us on the stage of the Mother Church that she’s still here, still mighty, and still singing. A portion of the proceeds from each show will go directly towards extending the Newport Folk Foundation’s support of music education programs in New York, Nashville and Los Angeles. ![]() Presented by the historic Newport Folk Festival, the evening was the second in a three part series of birthday shows celebrating 80 years of Mavis Staples. Just reading the bill of “Mavis Staples and Friends at Ryman Auditorium” invokes a promise of a night of emotion, talent, and inspiration.
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