Twangfest
Jovita’s, Thursday, March 17
The best-attended party of the day had to be this showcase sponsored by two groups from St. Louis – Twangfest, the alt.country music festival held every June, and noncommercial radio station KDHX. South First Mexican eatery Jovita’s was surely as crowded as it’s ever been – so crowded in fact that by the time the headliner, Calexico, hit the stage, it was nearly impossible to get in or out of the place, and the party had spilled into the parking lot and down to the creek behind it. Of course having as great and varied a lineup as anyone else was offering all week was the real attraction, and the bands didn’t disappoint. Early afternoon found North Carolina-based singers Caitlin Cary (ex-Whiskeytown) and Thad Cockrell sharing the stage and debuting material from their upcoming duets album. Cockrell’s tenor was made for singing country, and it went remarkably well with Cary’s on some hardcore honky-tonk and smartly played country rock. Those who haven’t yet seen Steve Wynn & the Miracle Three might find this hard to believe, but in this writer’s opinion, they’re the best rock band in town this week. Their 40 minutes featured a couple of tunes from Wynn’s days in the Dream Syndicate, but his newer work is fiery, raucous, and curiously psychedelic. The set closer, “Amphetamine,” is a perfect example of how Wynn and band weave snakey guitars and a whip-smart beat into a devilish roar. The Bottle Rockets followed with a crowd-pleasing set of some of their best-known songs, including gleeful take of Doug Sahm’s “I’m Not That Kat Anymore.” Calexico was all over the musical map, the constant being that the sun seemed to shine throughout everything they did. No surprise really, since they mostly travel the dusty roads of the American Southwest. Their spot-on take of Love’s “Alone Again Or” killed. It was a magical moment and a near perfect way to end a spectacular day of music.
This article appears in March 18 • 2005.