Gavin Summit
Boulder, Colorado, August 18-21
The seventh annual Gavin Summit, put on by the radio trade magazine The Gavin Report, once again brought together radio programmers and members of the music industry for a long weekend of schmoozing and almost nonstop music. Focusing on the Adult Alternative (think KGSR) and Americana radio formats, this year’s Summit was first and foremost about what defines any music conference: artists plugging new releases. While not nearly as intense a musical experience as something like South by Southwest, Summit organizers nevertheless tried to get as many performances as possible into one weekend. Perhaps most memorable was an exhilarating and mirthful mid-morning appearance by Randy Newman after a panel discussion in a hotel ballroom. Later that afternoon, Kris Kristofferson taped a segment of nationally syndicated radio program World Café, backed by Stephen Bruton on guitar and mandolin. A similarly rustic sound was conjured the following day by a relatively new British quintet Wood, whose sound recalled the folksy side of the Jayhawks. Austin’s Trish Murphy and her new band rocked an afternoon cocktail party that same day, followed by Kim Richey, who still possesses an edge to her sound despite the mellow ramblings of her latest CD. Seattle’s Souvenirs, a band tailor-made for a Friday night at any Texas honky-tonk, was the most impressive new group of the event. Their combination of country, rockabilly, and Western swing had an authenticity many aspire to but few rarely achieve. Nighttime showcases were held at Tulages, a funky bar with a good sound system, and the venerable Fox Theatre, where Summit headliners Melissa Etheridge, Counting Crows, and Big Head Todd & the Monsters performed. Other highlights of the weekend included Jim Lauderdale, Blue Mountain, and Austin’s Ray Wylie Hubbard. Better known for his songwriting prowess than as a performer, Lauderdale wailed through a strong set of both old and new songs, assisted by members of Monte Warden’s band. The always feral Blue Mountain, now a foursome, performed songs from their upcoming CD, and revealed themselves as being in full-on rock mode rather than the rootsy style they’ve adhered to in the past. Hubbard put on a fiery show, backed by a full band that included Lisa Mednick on vocals and accordion and Tony Gilkyson (formerly of X) on guitar. Aging soulman Wilson Pickett’s performance was less than satisfying; his vocals were hoarse and his showboating, yet talented, band, while initially fun to watch, grew tiresome with their relentless party-down antics. The weekend’s surprises included Milwaukee-based singer-songwriter Willy Porter, whose dexterity with a guitar was jaw-dropping, while his songs had bite and striking melodies, and young British folkies Equation, whose fiddle and jangly guitars worked well with the attractive voice of frontwoman Kathryn Roberts. As in the past, music did seem to matter for most of the Summit’s attendees, a rare occurrence these days for a gathering of music-business and radio professionals.This article appears in September 3 • 1999.