Amy Ray (solo, sort of) + shufflin’ off near Buffalo

Cat’s Cradle Presents:
Amy Ray
with Heather McEntire
Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, 9:00pm – $15
Motorco
723 Rigsbee Ave
Durham, NC 27701

The two coldest and loneliest winters I ever spent were in Rochester, NY in the early 90’s. I looked for warmth anywhere and everywhere while my summer clothes never saw the light of day. In defiance, I taught myself to ice skate, drive in the snow, stack the perfect fireplace, and made achingly lonely mix tapes for all my friends back home in Tennessee. My job at the University of Rochester came complete with two interns, Melissa and Colleen, both from Buffalo. Their sure-fire tonic for the chill was the Indigo Girls “Southland in the Springtime” (Nomads Indians Saints, 1990). I was 42, they were 20. It blew me away and after I stopped crying, I went out into the frozen north and bought Rites of Passage, Indigo Girls, and Strange Fire.  Melissa Muenzner Dolan (who now lives in Cary and gets to experience true springtime in the South) and I have stayed in touch all these years. Coincidentally, she was on my holiday thank you project for this very reason.  When I told Indigo Girl Amy Ray that story, she double blessed it with a throaty laugh and a “that’s cool, that’s cool!”

Amy Ray has carved out a respectable and meaningful solo career on her own. (And, yes, the Indigo Girls are still together and touring this year.) For her new album Goodnight Tender (Daemon Records) recorded at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville (due out 1/28/14) she cherry-picked a band that includes some locally familiar players: Phil and Brad Cook (Megafaun), Heather McEntire (Mount Moriah), Terry Lonergan (Hiss Golden Messenger  and MC Taylor), and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver). Then just for measure, and because she could, invited Susan Tedeschi, Kelly Hogan (Neko Case), and Hannah Thomas to add some harmonies. With another handful of musicians from Asheville and Charlotte, the result is rooted in old-time country, while lyrically new all at the same time. And it’s definitely Southern.  I haven’t stopped listening to Goodnight Tender since Thursday. It’s that good. There’s just something about melodic banjo and mournful fiddle that gets me right where I live. Not to mention lyrics like “Give me a moon to keep my fears at bay. Give me a dog that don’t run away. Give me a love that don’t fade. Oh, let me walk in decency.” – “Hunters Prayer”

Cat’s Cradle owner Frank Heath has long been a part of Amy’s life in music.  “I love Amy!” says Frank.  “Glenn Boothe (Local 506) and I were just talking about how we wished all performers were as on top of their shows and careers as Amy.  Even from the first time the Indigo Girls played at the Cradle back in the 80’s, Amy and Emily’s involvement in the preparation for their shows had a huge effect on the promotions and turnouts. And they’ve always played benefits, been involved in helping out younger artists, etc. on and on — more than just about anybody out there.“

Without Frank, I would not have just spent a Wednesday night talking with Amy Ray about playing in Chapel Hill and Durham back in the beginning, her very first song, writing melodies, who she kissed on New Year’s Eve, her new album, and her brand new daughter.

Read the entire Q&A with Amy Ray …

…and then check out this YouTube trailer for Goodnight Tender

Writing about Rochester and remembering all those mix tapes sent me on a revisit of what I was listening to back in 1992 … freezing cold … knee deep in snow fall … marriage falling apart … lonely as hell … happy ears :

Out of the Cradle (Lindsay Buckingham)
Automatic for the People (R.E.M.)
Unplugged (Eric Clapton)
Harvest Moon (Neil Young)
Blind Melon (Blind Melon)
Kiko (Los Lobos)
Ingenue (k.d. Lang)
New Miserable Experience (The Gin Blossoms)
The Extremist (Joe Satriani)
#1 Record/Radio City (Big Star)
Rites of Passage (Indigo Girls)
Doo Bop (Miles Davis)
Television (Television)