Category Archives: Special

TMFWP Special — Live From The Helm, Vol. 2

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The Helm . . . our home in Portland, Oregon, USA. Photo by Christopher Sohler

Live From The Helm, Vol. 2

To put the wraps on another year of podcasting from our hometown of Portland, Oregon, USA, we’re excited to share “Live From The Helm, Vol. 2,” our second-annual collection of live performances from the 20 artists and bands who were featured on Episodes #40 through #60 of That Much Further West Podcast in 2015.

Needless to say, we’re grateful to the talented folks who helped make this year’s podcast collection bigger and better than ever, and also to the many friends and fans of the show who listened in and served as a wonderful live audience during our show tapings at The Helm.

We hope this collection of live performances will bring back some great memories from 2015 and build some anticipation for what we’ll have in store for next year. We’re expecting big things for the podcast in 2016 and we hope you’ll come along for the ride.

Below is the list of songs and artists included in this year’s collection for you to enjoy. From all of us to all of you, Happy New Year!

Saving Me, Timber County
Prison Song, Denver
San Andreas Fault, The Earnest Lovers
Ants In The Kitchen, The HIllwilliams
The Fire, Jenny Don’t & The Spurs
It’s Ain’t Gay To Love Jesus, The Git Rights Gospel Revue
Hold You Like A Harness, Hip Hatchet
Love Looks Like A Master, Morgan Geer of Drunken Prayer
Adopt A Highway, Alex Salcido of The Harmed Brothers
Chris Bell, M. Lockwood Porter
Man Of The Year, Purusa
Then And There, Barna Howard
Beer Holder, Bad Assets
You Don’t Have To Treat You That Way, Mike Coykendall
A Life In Progress, Ray Vietti of The Harmed Brothers
The Man I Am Today, Stars of Cascadia
Mutiny, Sassparilla
Your American Past, Indianhead
Ocean Rock And Sand, Moody Little Sister
The Whisper, Jeremy Wilson

 

TMFWP Special: Wildwood Sessions 2015 with Slim Cessna’s Auto Club

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Wide shot: Slim Cessna’s Auto Club . . . that’s Slim, third from the left. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Wildwood Sessions: Slim Cessna

It was our final interview session at the 2015 Wildwood MusicFest & Campout, so we went for broke. We invited all six members of Slim Cessna’s Auto Club to cram into the RV, along with our three hosts, to enjoy a little bit of air conditioning on a hot Saturday afternoon.

Slim and crew obliged, sitting patiently for our interview to end so they could drop some musical knowledge on the team and our listeners. When time came for the performance, Slim pulled out his iPhone and we plugged it into the soundboard to provide a pre-recorded backing track for the band to play along with.

Moments later the entire band, led by Slim, were clapping, chanting and singing along to a song — we never quite got the title — that demonstrated the high power of the collective. Co-host Phil Favorite found the performance so engrossing he couldn’t help but join in with hand claps, and thankfully he managed to go pretty much unnoticed by the band — they were all living in the moment, a hallmark of their live stage performances.

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Men in black: Slim Cessna and his crew on stage at the 2015 Wildwood MusicFest & Campout. Photo by Christopher Sohler

Later that evening, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club set the main festival stage on fire with an intense, mind-blowing performance. It was a show that won’t soon be forgotten by the Wildwood faithful, most of whom were witnessing the Auto Club in action for the first time.

There really isn’t another band we can think of to compare to Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, but we recommend you go see them play live any chance you get. They’ll be at the Muddy Roots Festival in Cookeville, Tennessee, this weekend. Look for more information about the band and their touring schedule at slimcessnasautoclub.com.

TMFWP Special: Wildwood Sessions 2015 with Reverend Deadeye

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Praise the Lord! Reverend Deadeye (left) with Brother Al at the 2015 Wildwood MusicFest & Campout. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Wildwood Sessions: Reverend Deadeye

Blistering heat took its toll on just about everybody on Saturday afternoon at this year’s Willdwood MusicFest & Campout, and just as temperatures in the Oregon valley were reaching triple digits, Reverend Deadeye and his partner Brother Al hit the main stage to entertain the masses.

With a mix of aggressive blues, gospel fury and good old-fashion storytelling, the good reverend lit the place on fire. Fortunately for the podcast team, he had a little something left to share during an interview and performance as the sun began to set on Saturday eve.

We supplied some water and a bit of whiskey as Reverend Deadeye told us about his recent touring exploits and his impressions of the festival. He also shared some information about his art and the influences who have helped shape his musical vision.

And taking a turn on his beat-up (but super cool sounding) resonator guitar, and with Brother Al riding shotgun on tambourine, Reverend Deadeye performed a tune about a former teacher of his called “Wade Wilson.” Mr. Wilson’s fate is cast in the first line of the song, but how he gets there proves well worth the listen.

Be sure to watch for Reverend Deadeye on the road this fall, and get familiar with his records at https://reverenddeadeye.bandcamp.com.

 

 

TMFWP Special: Wildwood Sessions 2015 with Adam Lee & Matt Woods

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Road warriors: Adam Lee and Matt Woods are Bass & Trouble.

Wildwood Sessions: Bass & Trouble

Listeners to That Much Further West Podcast are well aware of our love for Matt Woods, the hard-driving troubadour from Knoxville, Tennessee. We practically wore out his amazing 2014 album “With Love From Brushy Mountain” playing track after track on the show, and have featured him multiple times with guest interviews and performances. That’s why we were super stoked when it was announced that Matt would be performing at this year’s Wildwood MusicFest & Campout in Willamina, Oregon.

But Matt’s appearance at Wildwood was made extra special by the presence of his touring partner, honky-tonk superhero Adam Lee. Known for fronting his band, The Dead Horse Sound Company, and also for his role as Johnny Cash in the Chicago-based musical The Million Dollar Quartet, Adam’s distinctive deep baritone voice and killer showmanship helped entertain crowds during a pair of performances at Wildwood.

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Adam Lee and Matt Woods dropping some podcast love on co-host Phil Favorite at the Wildwood MusicFest & Campout.

The two touring mates have put together an act they call “Bass & Trouble,” and a theme song of the same name that they perform at the end of this interview from the podcast RV. It’s a rollicking fun (if a bit naughty) ditty the two worked out on the road after hooking up for the first of several tours they’ve now done together.

During the interview, we learned how the friends met and decided to take their act on the road, and their plans to head to Europe this fall. So if you’re over there, be sure to check ’em out — these two dudes are the real deal. Before then, be sure to look for Adam in Chicago and learn more about him at www.adamleeband.com.

Meanwhile, Matt will be road-dogging it around the Southeast U.S.A. while gearing up for their European swing. Be sure to check him out at www.therealmattwoods.com.

TMFWP Special: Wildwood Sessions 2015 with Emily Herring

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The bespectacled bad-ass, Emily Herring. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Wildwood Sessions: Emily Herring

Heartbreak has been a part of country music from the beginning, and Emily Herring broke a lot of hearts when she moved from Portland to San Marcos, Texas, a few years back. But the move has been fruitful for Ms. Herring, and for that — and for her occasional visits back to Oregon — Emily’s friends back in Oregon are happy and grateful.

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Emily Herring: purveyor of good ol’ fashioned honky tonk music. Photo by Christopher Sohler.

That’s why we were psyched to see Emily on the bill for this year’s Wildwood MusicFest & Campout. She delighted the crowd at Wildwood with a Saturday afternoon set of original songs, backed by a band made up of old Portland friends, including our own co-host Eric Kotila on drums.

Afterward, she dropped in to the podcast RV to record this interview. Hear how she’s settled into life about 30 miles southwest of Austin, an area that boasts its own classic country music scene where new voices mesh beautifully with old-timers and honky-tonkers.

She also shared a beautiful original song, “The Last of the Houston Honky Tonk Heroes,” a tune about one of the musical Marys that Emily cites as a big influence — fellow bad-ass Mary Cutrufello. Check it out, and be sure to look up more about Emily at www.emilyherring.net.

TMFWP Special: Wildwood Sessions 2015 with Joshua Esterline aka Acousta Noir

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Joshua Esterline, aka Acousta Noir, stirring up a Tempest in the podcast RV at the 2015 Wildwood MusicFest & Campout. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com).

Wildwood Sessions: Acousta Noir

Podcast co-host Eric Kotila likes to call them road dogs — musicians who have the need to hit the road and share their music with folks across the country and overseas. These road dogs always have a special place at the heart of That Much Further West Podcast, and Joshua James Esterline of the one-man band Acousta Noir fits the description perfectly.

Joshua describes his music as “Southern Oregon Dark Acoustic,” and has earned a reputation among his peers as a stand-up guy delivering high-quality, high-energy music with consistency. From his base in Roseburg, Ore., he’s been cranking out quality recordings and taking his music on the road for years now.

After a spring and early summer of traveling both in the states and in Europe, Acousta Noir returned home to deliver a first-ever performance at the Wildwood MusicFest & Campout, but In our interview you’ll learn of Joshua’s deeper ties to the festival. As a carpenter he’s helped expand and improve the festival facilities and as a music fan has soaked up performances by many of his one-man-band friends and heroes.

a1509935161_16This year Acousta Noir fired the festival’s opening salvo — a fantastic set of original music that kicked things off Friday night and had show-goers tapping their feet and clapping along. Before that, Joshua stopped by the podcast RV to chat about life on the road, some of his festival memories and also to share a killer song called “Tempest” from Acousta Noir’s 2014 album “Suffer & Overcome.”

Enjoy the interview and performance and look for Acousta Noir in your local music listings. Joshua’s sure to be coming to a town near you soon. Also, check out Acousta Noir music at https://acoustanoir.bandcamp.com/.

 

TMFWP Special: Wildwood Sessions 2015 with Dustin Hamman of Run On Sentence

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Another beard to envy: Dustin Hamman of Run On Sentence joins the podcast hosts in the RV at the 2015 Wildwood MusicFest & Campout. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com).

Wildwood Sessions: Run On Sentence

Though he had never previously attended the festival, this year’s Wildwood MusicFest & Campout was a homecoming of sorts for Dustin Hamman. The New Mexico-based singer-songwriter has deep ties to Oregon from his days living in Portland, where his band Run On Sentence formed in 2007.

At Wildwood, Hamman surrounded himself with old friends while leading the band through a smoking-hot set on opening night of the festival. He also stuck around all weekend, even taking a turn fronting the festival all-star band that delighted the crowd with a killer set of outlaw country tunes on Sunday afternoon.

runonsentencealbumBut before all that, the soft-spoken Mr. Hamman took a few minutes to join the podcast team in the RV for an interview and performance. In this session we learn of Dustin’s ties to the festival and the Portland music scene as well as his punk rock upbringing in middle America and some of the influences that shaped his songwriting and performing. He also shares a solo acoustic version of the song “Run To You,” from the 2014 album Feelings. It’s an emotional rendition made even more powerful by the aggressive pounding and pulling on his nylon-string guitar.

Enjoy the interview and be sure to check out more of Run On Sentence at their Bandcamp page, https://runonsentence.bandcamp.com.

TMFWP Special: Wildwood Sessions 2015 featuring Willy Tea Taylor

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Willy Tea Taylor performing solo at the 2015 Wildwood MusicFest & Campout. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Wildwood Sessions: Willy Tea Taylor

knuck·le·ball
ˈnəkəlˌbôl/
Baseball
noun: knuckleball; plural noun: knuckleballs; noun: knuckler; plural noun: knucklers
  1. a slow pitch that has virtually no spin and moves erratically, typically made by releasing the ball from between the thumb and the knuckles of the first joints of the index and middle finger.

If you we’re picking a Most Valuable Player at this year’s Wildwood MusicFest & Campout, you could build a very strong case for Willy Tea Taylor, the California-based singer-songwriter who delighted showgoers with not one but two scintillating performances. Our podcast hosts roped Willy Tea into the festival podcast trailer to record this session while he was in between sets: the first a daytime solo performance; the second came later as he was leading his band, The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit.

Of course, Willy Tea isn’t interested in being the MVP, though we think he might settle for the Cy Young Award. Now 39 years old, he still hasn’t given up on his dream of pitching in the major leagues. With his new album, titled “Knuckleball Prime,” due in September, the wonderfully bearded Mr. Taylor explains that pitchers who master the art of the knuckleball can extend their careers well into their 40s. So there’s hope for him yet!

But as a songwriter and performer, Willy Tea has been in his prime for years now and doesn’t seem to be losing a thing. All he needs is his voice, his famous four-string guitar and a story to tell. Here he performs a beautiful new song, “Lazy Third Eye,” that he wrote with friends Jay Cobb Anderson of the band Fruition and Taylor Kingman of The Hilldogs. Enjoy.

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Always a Wildwood Fest favorite, Willy Tea delighted the masses with a Saturday afternoon solo performance. He returned to the stage later that night with his band The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit. Photo by Christopher Sohler.

TMFWP Special: An Evening with Tom VandenAvond

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Buddies and touring mates: Alex Salcido (left) and Tom VandenAvond in The Helm. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Listen to Tom VandenAvond’s performance at The Helm from 3-25-15:

Tom V. in The Helm

Listen to Tom’s interview with the hosts of That Much Further West Podcast:

Interview with Tom V.

Tom VandenAvond is one of our finest modern American troubadours, and a longtime favorite of That Much Further West Podcast. That’s why we were thrilled to have Tom and his touring mate, Alex Salcido of The Harmed Brothers, in for a special house show in The Helm on March 25.

Tom V. was touring the Pacific Northwest promoting his latest CD, “Endtimes,” a record he made with the help of one of the Pac NW’s best bands, Larry and His Flask. With Salcido riding shotgun and adding banjo and other goodies, the house show at The Helm leaned heavily on cuts from “Endtimes” and his two other terrific CDs, 2012’s “Wreck of a Fine Man” (see video below) and 2010’s “You Ought To Know Me By Now.” All three records come highly recommended by the podcast crew.

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Tom V. with support from Marilee Hord and Alex Salcido.

You can almost hear the million road miles he’s covered in his raspy, whiskey-soaked voice as he entertains a small crowd of believers in The Helm. In our interview with the podcast hosts, Tom shared some tales from the road and how he ended up based in his current hometown of Knights Ferry, California, after a long stint in Austin, Texas. He also played a couple of bonus tunes accompanied by Salcido and our local friend Marilee Hord.

Enjoy the recordings and be sure to watch for Tom V. coming through your hometown soon. And follow all his comings and goings at tomvandenavond.com.

TMFWP Special: Catching up with Aaron Lee Tasjan

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Aaron Lee Tasjan, looking slightly less shaggy than he did last month opening for The Mastersons at Mississippi Studios in Portland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listen to Aaron Lee Tasjan’s performance at Mississippi Studios from Feb. 17, 2015:

Aaron Lee Tasjan at Mississippi Studios, 2-17-15

Listen to an interview with Aaron Lee after the show:

Interview with Aaron Lee Tasjan, 2-17-15

Armed with his trusty six-string acoustic, aw-shucks charm and a handful of fantastic songs, 20-something singer/slinger/songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan stepped on the stage at Mississippi Studios in Portland last month ready to kill. And kill he did.

Currently on tour opening for New West recording artists The Mastersons, ALT proved himself as powerful a solo artist as he is fronting a full rockin’ band. His clever songwriting and nimble, innovative guitar work were on full display during a short, seven-song set featuring just one tune from his terrific 2014 EP “Crooked River Burning.”

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ALT, fully bearded and coming to a town near you soon.

A recent move to East Nashville, Tennessee, has led to an inspirational explosion for ALT, who’s been touring all over the states since the start of 2015. Over the coming months, he’ll be putting the finishing touches on his new full-length record, the crowd-funded “In The Blazes.”

After the Portland show, ALT sat down with podcast co-host Phil Favorite for a chat about life on the road, his plans for the rest of 2015, an update on the new record and a recent full-band performance that was taped for the internet at Electric Lady Studios in New York City (see bottom of this post).

At That Much Further West Podcast, we’re expecting big things for this terrific young artist in the years to come. Look for him later this month at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, and on the road with Chuck Mead (of BR549 fame) in the Spring. Meanwhile, we hope you enjoy our crowd bootleg and interview.

Here’s the setlist from Aaron Lee’s performance at Mississippi Studios:

1. Madonnas From America
2. Don’t Walk Away
3. East Nashville Song About A Train
4. Please Forgive Me, Ohio
5. American Tan
6. Living Proof
7. 66 Dollar Blues