JACKSON, Wyo. — With the onslaught of incredible concert opportunities this summer from national acts, it can be easy to lose consciousness of the creativity in our own backyard, and in the rural corners of Wyoming. Timely with the change of seasons, Jackson Hole Community Radio, KHOL 89.1 FM, has handpicked three original acts for a Wyoming Artist Showcase at the Virginian Saloon this Saturday featuring Pleasure People (Casper), The Boom and The Bust (Pinedale) and Aaron Davis (Hoback).
Evan Ballew, KHOL’s Music Director and host of “Intermountain Best” — a radio show that highlights artists from Wyoming and surrounding states — has melded his own musical discoveries with an aim at connection and pride of what surrounds us, both within and outside the Teton County line.
“Intermountain Best has been essential to curate this bill,” Ballew said. “Jackson’s music scene is strong for its size, but there are so many fantastic musicians and songwriters in other areas that probably wouldn’t get airplay in Jackson otherwise. The regional talent runs deep and fits cohesively with the sound of Jackson. In Wyoming, where city culture is less prevalent, the history and landscape play a role in the foundation of local songwriters. For the showcase at the Virginian, I wanted to focus on fresh voices and unique storytelling — not just your standard night of music.”
From solo to sextet lineups, alt-folk act Pleasure People will present their music as an acoustic duo with singer-songwriter/guitarist Nick Cantine and bandmate Julia Rottmann on vocals, ukulele and banjolele. Listen for elements of two-steppin’ Americana and bluegrass interspersed with quiet musings on dark family matters, skid-mounted love and half-haunted houses with “emotional, eerie, mysterious and subversive” vibes. KHOL’s interview with the band can be heard here.
The Boom & The Bust, the project of Michelle Humber and Nate Curry, will stage a trio with drummer Sean Francis. Scratching out a living as a librarian and oil field worker by day, they fill their nights with songwriting, harmony and rearing their two daughters. Falling under the Americana blanket, their music intertwines the poetry inspired by Nate’s long drives in the Wind River Mountains and the twang Michelle comes by honestly, having been born and raised in the foothills of Northwest Georgia. Released this year, Embers is their first album, containing both new tunes and songs that have been burning for years. KHOL’s interview with the band can be heard here.
Kentucky native and Hoback-based Aaron Davis (vocals, guitar, resonator, banjo, lap steel, harmonica) will stage a trio with longtime collaborators Seadar Rose (vocals, guitar) and David Bundy (bass, harmony vocals) — his bandmates in Screen Door Porch (SDP) and Aaron Davis & the Mystery Machine. He’ll debut new music from a forthcoming release and a few deeper cuts from his studio releases, including a co-write duet with Rose.
Ballew highlighted the importance of bringing regional artists to a local audience.
“It’s easy to underestimate the importance of staying grounded,” he said. “Often times, Jackson feels like an island in the Cowboy state, far from the next town with a music scene. We exist in a snow globe of sorts. A pretty epic one albeit, but rarely does it feel like there’s any sort of cultural infusion besides transient seasonal workers coming and going. I would consider this showcase a gentle reminder to the folks from Jackson that ‘real’ Wyoming stories are no different from ours. We’re aiming to make Wyoming musicians feel more connected and take pride in where they’re from and where they are now. Hopefully listeners can relate.”
KHOL 89.1 FM Jackson Hole Community Radio Presents Pleasure People, The Boom and The Bust, and Aaron Davis trio at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday Sept. 20 at the Virginian Saloon. Free. KHOL.org.
