Latest news with #StephenWilsonJr
National Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- National Post
Edmonton Folk Fest Friday: Mars and Venus night with Allison Russell, Stephen Wilson Jr. summons Springsteen
From the female disco incantations of Allison Russell to the muscular King of the Hill twang of Stephen Wilson Jr., the great, diverse hydra of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival began to fully emerge from its misty cave. Article content If folk fest has a hump day, it's Friday — a kind of liminal space between just getting going and that free-range, kaleidoscopic fractal wonderland of 13 hours a day of proper weekend programming. Article content Article content Hopefully you didn't burn out yet! Article content Walking around the fully-open grounds, you start to get into that random vibe of knowing around every pack of plastic-plate noshers and volunteer blue monster T-shirts something wonderful is happening for someone on any of six active session clamshells, striped green and white for peace, prosperity and unity. Article content But as local singer-songwriter Everett LaRoi noted early Friday night wandering about with no goals or expectations, it's like a radio dial where you can just stop wherever it pleases. Article content Being a bit of a D&D dork wizard-lured me to Acoustic Alchemy jam on Stage 2 at 6 p.m., plus Shaela Miller gave off a good impression using the folk fest rare words 'Depeche Mode' and 'New Order' in her bio. Article content Hosted by Manitoba's deep folk roots Dry Bones — banjo-picker and emcee Leonard Podoluk's late dad co-founded EFMF's elder sister in Winnipeg — handsome Aussie barefooter Kim Churchill was back from last year with a slight trim, mesmerizing guitar duo Ryley Walker and Bill MacKay filling up the stage. Article content Those two pulled me closest, an acoustic double windstorm of delightfully avant-garde jazz somewhere along the echo border of Django Reinhardt and John Fahey, though if anything of all things their finger-plucking interplay reminded me of the way The Stanley Brothers' voices wove around each other into a single vibration. Article content Dry Bones did a nice Bill Bourne tribute — good to see he's being kept alive in song — while Churchill told a cute story about how his high school career counsellor advised him not to live in a camper van and play music for a living. Whoops! Article content Article content As for gothy tattooed mother-of-two Miller of Lethbridge, her country songs has a nice grit, and her banter was ceaselessly funny in a kind of a 'what the hell am I doing here?' way, talking about losing her phone in the bar the night before, as well as important fashion tips. Article content 'If my skirts aren't short and sexy enough, I just stuff them up my belt!' she explained. Article content Calvin Vollrath had a cosy little fiddle and step-dancing session over at Stage 7 at the same time, but after being disappointed headline-riffer Jesse Welles only had small T-shirts left in the grass-floored merch tent, I popped over to another buffet session over at Stage 6, where Aysanabee, AHI, Julianna Riolino and Jennifer Castle dug into their various inspirations, Aysanabee pulling Lala Noel up to help him sing instead of letting her have supper, haha!
Scotsman
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Stephen Wilson Jr, Glasgow review: 'lyrics that offer a collective shoulder to lean on'
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Just eight months on from his awe-inspiring Glasgow debut at King Tut's, Stephen Wilson Jr made his return to Scotland's biggest city on Wednesday to headline a sold out show at the Barrowland Ballroom. A former microbiologist and youth boxer, the growth of the Southern Indiana songwriter's profile over the last 12 months has been remarkable. A reflection of the emotive power of his remarkable debut album Søn Of Dad, the pre-show queue appeared endless, with the visibly excited crowd jostling to get the perfect spot to catch his mammoth two-hour set. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad From the opening trifecta of Calico Creek, Billy and Cuckoo all the way through to the intimate encore of Gary, his ability to connect with his audience via evocative storytelling left the crowd an open invitation to confront their own emotions in the safety of strangers. The crowd shine their phone torches as Stephen Wilson Jr plays Father's Søn at the Barrowlands Ballroom in Glasgow on 25 June | Davis Hepburn It's hard to believe the cap-wearing frontman has recorded just one full-length album. Opting to concentrate on songwriting full-time in late 2016, Wilson Jr's mixture of raw country and grunge is fresh, compelling and completely authentic. Coupled with contemplative lyricism, its an almost unbeatable blend. There was even room for some classic covers too. As the old adage goes, a good cover is always best when the artist makes the song their own, and his double hit of Ben E King's Stand By Me followed by Nirvana's Something In The Way felt totally original, with each classic track dipped in Wilson Jr's special brand of emotive introspection.
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Several Edmonton Folk Music Festival newcomers to take 2025 main stage
Ray Mitch & The Coal Miners and Stephen Wilson Jr. will make their first Edmonton Folk Music Festival appearance by taking the event's main stage this summer. The festival on Wednesday announced its full artist list and main-stage schedule for Aug. 7-10 in Gallagher Park. Several main-stage performers are returning guests – like Serena Ryder, Aysanabee, Allison Russell and Danielle Ponder – but organizers say 60 per cent of artists are new to Edmonton. 'Finding that balance of diversity and range with returning and new artists is always a challenge and this year I'm very pleased with where we landed,' producer Terry Wickham said in a press release. The lineup also includes the Blackburn Brothers, Charlie Cunningham, Jupiter & Okwess, Madi Diaz, Monophonics, Secondhand Dreamcar and Taj Mahal. The full list is available online. Only two main-stage performers had been revealed previously: The Roots and Mt. Joy, who will close Saturday and Sunday night, respectively. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Organizers said prices were not raised from last year's $234 for an adult weekend pass or $109-$115 for a single-day pass.
Irish Daily Star
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Star
NFL Draft national anthem performance slammed as 'worst of all time' by TV viewers
NFL fans have already been left raging ahead of the 2025 Draft after witnessing a national anthem described as the "worst of all time". The wait is almost over for more than 250 collegiate athletes to begin finding out where they will be playing from next season but the event's grand opening left viewers with a sour taste in the mouth. Taking place at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin , it was down to American country rock artist Stephen Wilson Jr to get the festivities underway. The NFL had already faced backlash over its decision to hand the gig to Wilson Jr, with many claiming to have never heard of him before, while others questioned why the draft even needs a national anthem in the first place. Once he started performing on Thursday evening, however, the NFL would come under more fire . Read More Related Articles Rory McIlroy's mansion owned with Erica Stoll pictured, golf course next door Read More Related Articles Sheryl Swoopes shows early allegiances as Bueckers joins Clark in WNBA As he began belting out The Star Spangled Banner, those watching from home quickly took to social media to voice their disappointment at the performance, with many accusing him of putting no effort into his national anthem rendition despite the grand occasion. "Why it sound like this dude doesn't give a flying f*** about the national anthem," one person slammed on X (formerly Twitter). "Is the guy that's singing the national anthem on draft trying to be Chris Stapleton?? LMAOO" teased another. A third person wrote: "What a horrible version of the national anthem", while a fourth posted: "This gotta be the worst national anthem performance ever." A fith user added: "Worst rendition of the national anthem I've ever heard." The microbiologist-turned-musician , however, recently pulled out of performing at the charity festival Hogs for the Cause in New Orleans after announcing that his mother was in the ICU and "fighting" to stay alive following an ATV accident. Wilson Jr took to social media to release a statement on the situation, in which he revealed that his mom was life-lined from a cornfield before undergoing surgery the following day. "I love her dearly & I can not leave her at this moment," the statement read. "... We are praying for a full recovery for her. thank you for understanding." He is yet to provide an update on his mother's condition but wrote on Thursday that he was '"honored" to perform the national anthem at the Draft, which was last year performed by Caleb Carroll. Unfortunately, the majority of fans haven't shared his same sentiments. The first round of the NFL Draft, or 32 picks, will be held on Thursday, with the second and third rounds set to be completed on Friday. Rounds four, five, six and seven will then be held on Saturday.
The Independent
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Indiana artist Stephen Wilson Jr sings ‘Deathcab for Country' songs in Music Box session
Indiana -born, Nashville -based artist Stephen Wilson Jr dropped by the Music Box studio to perform 'Kid' and 'Billy', both from his extraordinary 2023 album søn of dad. Wilson Jr, who describes his sound as 'Death Cab for Country' is currently in the middle of his sold-out US tour, and will return to the UK and Ireland this summer for shows in Belfast, Dublin, Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol, Brighton and London. Stay tuned to Independent TV for more Music Box featuring the latest acts breaking through, available across desktop, mobile and connected TV, as well as our YouTube channel.
