Big Ears Festival was in full force on Friday as music fans crisscrossed Knoxville from venue to venue to see their favorite artists perform. Several shows reached capacity including Edgar Meyer and Christian McBride, Joanna Sternberg, Claire Rousay, Ringdown, and Son Rompe Pera.
The rain started in the afternoon and didn’t let up all night. However, that didn’t stop attendees from lining up outside venues to enjoy the Big Ears bill. Many fans waited nearly an hour in the rain to see Laurie Anderson in a line that wrapped around the block of the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. Starting with folk music and ending with techno, day two of Big Ears had many surprises along the way.
Read the Day One Recap
Read the Day Three Recap
Read the Day Four Recap
Sam Amidon
You may have been expecting a straightforward folk show from Sam Amidon, but remember, this is Big Ears. The Vermont native started the set with classic folk fare “Maggie” and “Blue Mountains” before kicking it into high gear with “As I Roved Out.” Amidon shredded on the banjo accompanied by Shahzad Ismaily and Chris Vatalaro. Stage lights flashed as whistles and bells punctuated the pounding drums felt by the crowd as Amidon closed with the line, “Did you ever feel such pain?”
“There’s a rule in Knoxville that if you play songs on the banjo at least one of them has to be on the subject matter of trains,” Amidon joked before playing “1842.” He followed it with a lovely treat—a cover of Arthur Russell’s “Lucky Cloud.” Amidon played “Hop, Skip, and Jump” on the fiddle after sharing that Ornette Coleman composed it for Bruce Hornsby and Bruce shared the story with him at a previous Big Ears.
Folk and electronic artist Beth Orton joined Amidon for a duet of “Spanish Merchant’s Daughter” from his self-titled 2020 album. The married pair followed up with a soulful rendition of “Sugar Baby.” Next, Amidon invited the audience to sing along to the chorus of “Time Has Made a Change,” a fitting moment for a festival driven by the community of musicians and music lovers. He briefly covered Yoko Ono’s “Ask the Elephant” before closing with Palm Sunday (two days before Palm Sunday), a gorgeous rendition of “Wedding Dress,” and “Walkin’ Boss.” Little did we know, it wouldn’t be the last we’d see of Amidon on day two.
André 3000
André Benjamin brought his wind-focused experimental jazz album New Blue Sun to life at the Bijou Theatre on Friday, one of several performances at Big Ears. While he and the band referenced the album, André 3000 explained that each performance was improvised, “This will never happen again.” He explained that the band was reacting to the feelings in the room, “Our antennas are up.” If some of André’s fans were more familiar with his rap career as part of OutKast, he put them at ease saying, “What we’re doing isn’t precious,” and inviting the audience to participate by making noise or even crawling on the floor.
He explained that his interest in flute came from the same place as his interest in rap and described playing outside in parks. A chance meeting with drummer Carlos Niño led André to start jamming together and recording what would eventually become New Blue Sun. André swapped out various flutes throughout weaving a mesmerizing, dynamic performance. Niño complimented the wind instruments with different mallets, shakers, and shell chimes lending a nature setting. The bird calls and barking only added to the sometimes jungle feeling. The accomplished backing band also included keyboardist Surya Botofasina, percussionist Deantoni Parks, and multi-instrumentalist Nate Mercereau.
A single laser beam shot across the stage refracted in a glass of water, a kind of veil between the audience and the magic happening onstage. Behind the band, circular lights changed color and intensity along with the improvised music. The crowd mostly contributed a few hoots and hollers to the performance, except when a theater usher marched up and down the aisles shaking a box of candy. This improvised moment in time with talented musicians seemed to end too soon. André 3000 left the crowd contemplating the power of pursuing your passion project.
Laurie Anderson
Experimental rock pioneer Laurie Anderson packed the Knoxville Civic Auditorium for Let X = X. Accompanied by jazz quartet Sexmob, they put a new spin on work from throughout Anderson’s more than four decades of music.
After opening with “From the Air,” Anderson jumped right into “Let X=X.” As the image of an American flag spinning in a dryer played behind her, Anderson asked who we want to make America great again for, “You and your friends?” She wasted no time diving into her biggest hit 1981’s “O Superman.”
In a cathartic moment, Anderson referenced Yoko Ono’s response to America’s 2016 Presidential election in which she screamed for three minutes. Anderson invited the crowd to think about something upsetting in the world or in their own lives and scream together for ten seconds.
Her set wound through singing, spoken word performances, electronics, and violin. “Junior Dad” even included the voice of her late husband Lou Reed. After closing with “Delusion,” the band returned to the stage for a performance of sorts. Anderson guided the audience through a series of tai chi movements that Reed taught her. Before leaving the stage, Anderson reminded everyone about our mission in this life. “The reason we’re here is to have a very, very good time.”
Sam Amidon and Friends
Six minutes before it started, Big Ears announced a secret show at Jig & Reel featuring Sam Amidon and a cast of talented friends. The tiny room quickly reached capacity as music fans enjoyed an all-star jam session. Joe Henry, Beth Orton, Marc Ribot, Marc Anthony Thompson, and Zsela all joined Sam onstage at various times, swapping instruments and cables. The freewheeling, collaborative set also included a sing-along with the audience inviting us to take part in the musical collective.
Carl Craig
Detroit techno wizard Carl Craig ushered in the weekend Friday night with a DJ set at Mill & Mine. Rather than performing from the stage. Craig’s rig was set up in the middle of the floor in the round. Attendees from all walks of life encircled Craig, grooving and shaking to his electronic music while a disco ball illuminated their faces in bouncing beams. Closing out day two of Big Ears, Craig proved that the dancefloor is the great connector.
Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting history, culture, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of ‘Secret Chicago’ and ‘Chicago Scavenger.’ Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.
