By Jennifer Duncan-Rankin, John Flannagan, Matt Rankin and Nat Tracey-Miller • Introduction by John Flannagan and Matt Rankin
ASHLEY CAPPS INTERVIEW / FREE SHOWS GUIDE • BLANK’S BIG BIG EARS FESTIVAL GUIDE • 10 HELPFUL TIPS
After a COVID-induced interruption that forced the cancellation of the 2020 edition and delayed its reintroduction until now, arguably the planet’s most sonically expansive and adventurous music festival finally is poised to make its long-awaited return to music venues and art spaces across downtown Knoxville. Big Ears once again will take place over a four-day stretch, this time March 24-27, and will feature some of the world’s best avant-garde music, film and art.
For those of us who have been conditioned to crave yearly the cultural benefits that this enriching event provides, its resurrection is more than welcome. In fact, after the social and live-performance vacuum of the last two years, it is safe to say that Big Ears is the one singular occasion that we at BLANK have been looking forward to the most. That it’s here now … well, we are having difficulty containing our excitement.
Seeing as to how this publication’s range of coverage includes sports and that we as a nation currently are being gripped by the diversion that is March Madness, please allow us to use a basketball analogy to describe the Big Ears festival experience.
Much like the NCAA Tournament, these four days play like the tourney’s opening rounds in that many surprise contenders will announce themselves and – in true tournament fashion – may ultimately upset the headliners you thought would remain as favorites throughout the course of the weekend.
It is in that spirit of openness and discovery that we encourage newbies and repeat visitors alike to diverge from their pre-festival schedules, resolve any fears of missing out and fully take the plunge into anything and everything that Big Ears offers you. If you don’t make it in to see Sparks or Patti Smith, worry not; there is something equally amazing occurring at the same time, and we can assure you that it will be just as satisfying. On that note, the following is a rather exhaustive selection of performances that we are anticipating the most, organized chronologically by date and time.
Thursday, March 24
75 Dollar Bill
A New York City duo that will be one of the first acts to grace one of the many downtown Knoxville stages during Big Ears, 75 Dollar Bill can best be described as Appalachian jazz fusion, with very precise and technical rhythms – almost like the prog-rock of yesteryear. The pair has released three albums to date; its most recent, 2019’s “I Was Real,” is on the excellent Thin Wrist label. – John Flannagan
Balύn
Northern Europeans and American northerners overwhelmingly have informed the conventional hegemony of dreampop, but the genre has absorbed more diverse influences in recent years. Take, for example, Balύn, a Brooklyn-based indie collective whose melodies evoke a far more temperate latitude than that of New York. Originally calling San Juan, Puerto Rico, home, the band’s members refer to their musical style as “dreambow,” a mashup of dreampop and dembow, the rhythmic pulse of raggaeton.
What does that notional description translate to in practice? Think of a funkier, more-worldly version of Cocteau Twins featuring breathy vocals akin to those of Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino. Bright synths, electronic embellishments and skittering beats mingle with traditional instrumentation and percussion, forming a warm, layered and joyful final product. You shouldn’t, but if you miss the group’s performance Thursday afternoon at the Tennessee Theatre, you can check it out the following evening at Jackson Terminal. – Matt Rankin
Patti Smith
Patti Smith has lived multiple lives in the art world: punk rocker, poet, memoirist and acclaimed photographer. She’s a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a National Book Award winner and her 1975 debut “Horses” is widely considered one of the greatest albums of all time. She recently celebrated her 75th birthday with a pair of triumphant shows in New York City.
The revered Godmother of Punk performs twice at Big Ears: Words and Music, an acoustic storytelling affair in the vein of “Springsteen on Broadway” at the Mill & Mine at 6:30 on Thursday, and a Friday night headlining set with her band at the Tennessee Theatre at 7:30. – Nat Tracey-Miller
Preservation Hall Brass & East Tennessee Bluegrass Association
The resident brass section of the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band will collaborate with a stellar trio of East Tennessee’s best bluegrass players (including friend-to-BLANK Evie Andrus) at the Jig & Reel, combining brass with fiddle, banjo and upright bass. This will be the first of many shows by divisions of Preservation Hall over the course of the four-day festival. – JF
Bill Callahan
For over three decades now, as the band Smog up until 2007’s “Woke on a Whaleheart” when he dropped the pseudonym and ever since, Callahan has made an art of creating music that can perfectly capture emotion in the rawest but most relatable of ways. It’s as if he’s reached such a comfortable relationship with sorrow that he’s no longer afraid of it and is able to use it to illuminate the more joyful aspects of the human experience. With his simple yet resonant and trustworthy baritone, listening to his music is like sitting in the early summer dusk as you think about that one that just didn’t work out for no good reason but still lingers in the dark corners of your memory. It hurts they aren’t here now, but the magic you shared together is worth the pain.
His most recent work, released at the end of last year at a dead time for the industry, snuck in under the radar, but it pairs him with fellow Drag City artist and Big Ears alum Bonnie “Prince” Billy. A dream of an album, “Blind Date Party” is full of fun surprises, featuring the artists covering each other and others and appearances by previous festival performers such as George Xylouris (Xylouris White) and Sir Richard Bishop. It also contains the folkiest version of Steely Dan’s “Deacon Blues” ever recorded. Though it seems one of the more intimate venues would be more appropriate than the Mill & Mine for Callahan’s vibe, this still promises to be one of the highlight performances of the weekend. – Jennifer Duncan-Rankin
Sparks
Arguably the most fun group on the Big Ears bill in ’22 is the brotherly duo that makes up Sparks. Anytime Ron (keyboards) and Russell (vocals) Mael take to a stage, the audience can expect an energetic array of arty synth-pop tunes with which to get down. Famously branded as your favorite band’s favorite band, the group has influenced a wide-ranging list of artists (Joy Division/New Order, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Beck and Björk, to name just a few). They’re also known for having been on the cutting edge of new musical trends; for example, they collaborated with electronic composer Giorgio Moroder on two albums before he was a household name stateside. Sparks will be the “cool” show to be at on the first evening of Big Ears, but be prepared to get to the Tennessee Theatre early in order to secure entry. – JF
mssv
It took three years, but Big Ears attendees finally get to see this Mike Watt project! Announced for the COVID-doomed 2020 iteration of the festival, this power trio is all garage-y instrumentation with some Nick Cave elements thrown in for good measure. Mike Baggeta, who called Knoxville home for years, leads the charge with his reverb-toned guitar assault. The caveat here is that this show, sandwiched between Sparks and Low, throws major wrenches into planning Thursday’s itinerary. But this is what Big Ears is all about, folks; you must choose wisely when making decisions about who to see and when. – JF
LOW
While watching beloved locals Tim and Susan Lee deliver their penultimate Scruffy City performance at the Pilot Light late last month, it suddenly occurred to me how to explain LOW to Big Ears attendees from Knoxville who may be unfamiliar with the Minnesotan duo: They’re a lot like BARK, just with a ravenous appetite for super-experimental sonic palates instead of Mississippi Delta blues. After all, both groups comprise creative couples who favor capitalized stylization; feature a guitar-and-drums setup with the wives keeping the pace; and showcase an arresting yet intrinsically harmonious vocal assault.
But while BARK’s quieter moments and LOW’s early material might share some crossover, the latter’s last pair of albums were maximal, blown-out efforts quite unlike anything they – or anyone else, for that matter – have produced before, the quality and artistry of each virtually unparalleled in modern alternative music. Recent performances have witnessed the duo playing in full last year’s “HEY WHAT,” BLANK’s (we like capitalization, too) favorite album of 2021, so expect that and a few other select tracks to dominate Thursday’s late-night set at the Mill & Mine. – MR
ICE
Yet another performance I’m as stoked to see as any at Big Ears this year is ICE. If you’re familiar with local internet radio station Rawkous (rawkous.com), then you may have heard this East Tennessean artist’s show on the station prior to yours truly taking over her slot when she bowed out to concentrate on her architecture gig. Each of those programs was two hours of electronic bliss in which she blended the sounds of the club with original elements spanning many genres. Her show was a favorite of mine, and I tried to fill the void of electronic music that she left – albeit without the same prowess she displayed in broadcasting original mixes. This late-night set will round out a fantastic first day for me and nicely set the Pilot Light stage for Horcerer. – JF
Horcerer
What would happen if Skinny Puppy and Judas Priest teamed to write a rock opera? This Knoxville-based trio comprising scene veterans William Tugwell on the electronics, Mike Mullin on guitar and vocalist Adam Deal answer this question in the most glorious of ways. The instrumentation alone is enough to pull off a fun show, but the sometimes brooding, sometimes hilarious lyricism makes this group even more rewarding to take in. They commit 100 percent to their live shows, and Deal’s stage presence is nothing short of mesmerizing. This late-night performance at the Pilot Light is guaranteed not to disappoint. – JDR
Friday, March 25
Dos Santos
This Latin-tinged, Chicago-based quintet most likely will be my first stop on day two. The melting pot of flavors representing Mexico, Panama and Puerto Rico will kick out freeform jams that are sure to have an early afternoon crowd dancing at Jackson Terminal. Dos Santos are not your typical rock band, as you probably might expect from a Big Ears artist. Instead, they blend a variety of musical stylings, including psych, jazz and punk, into their repertoire. Buckle up because the day is just beginning. – JF
Arooj Aftab
Almost a year on since its release, singer/composer Aftab’s third effort, “Vulture Prince,” still resonates strongly, captivating in its beauty and heartbreaking in its austerity. Inspired by her younger brother’s death, rising xenophobia and pandemic isolation, the album is both an exploration of love and loss and a search for catharsis amid chaos and uncertainty. Though often plaintive, the music itself is resolute, moving and positively life-affirming. Gyan Riley and Maeve Gilchrist, two players who aided in its creation, will be present in Knoxville over Big Ears weekend, which suggests that a live collaboration might be in the works for Friday afternoon at the Tennessee Theatre. – MR
Harriet Tubman
One of our favorite aspects of Big Ears is the technical complexity of a lot of the music that is on display. Whether it is presented by a solo performer or by an orchestra doesn’t matter a lick to us at BLANK. But whenever a guitar virtuoso is involved, the performance often ratchets up to another level. Harriet Tubman’s early afternoon set will be one of these shows that encompasses King Crimson’s timing with insanely well-crafted compositions, and we’ll all be more musically enriched for having seen it. – JF
Jeff Parker & The New Breed
The midday slots on Friday are completely loaded. This show at 4:00 at The Standard is the first of these, and it will feature smooth, precise, guitar-driven arrangements delivered in a laid-back style. Parker has played with many alums of the festival, including Steve Gunn, Bill Callahan and Tortoise, the latter of which he was a longtime member. He is as comfortable mining indie rock as he is exploring jazz scales, so expect the potential for crossover. – JF
Caroline Shaw & Sō Percussion
Shaw is both critically and commercially viable, being the youngest-ever winner of the Pulitzer Prize for music and having earned multiple Grammy awards while even lending a hand to Ye on occasion. It’s an impressive resume for the young composer/violinist/vocalist, whose performance at the Tennessee should include varied instrumentation and effuse ample creativity. – JF
Damon Locks’ Black Monument Ensemble
Running concurrently with the two previous programs is this fun-sounding offering at the Mill & Mine. After arriving early in Knoxville to generously serve a weeklong residency at The Bottom, this will be the ensemble’s second official show of the festival. The collective weaves several genres of urban music into its compositions and radiates a Sun Ra-type energy. This is yet another Chicago artist who will be in town this weekend, which – in addition to the Caribbean/New Orleans connections – seems to be a common theme this year. – JF
L’Rain
Through this point into Big Ears weekend, it looks as though most of my time will be spent seeing shows at The Standard. L’Rain will be the next of these on Friday, presumably performing songs off last years “Fatigue,” which showcases excellent production and frontwoman Taja Cheek’s ability to construct hypnotic, shimmering pieces from loops, samples and organic instrumentation. Her songwriting chops are excellent, and the incorporation of horns and strings makes for a uniquely smooth sound. The artist currently is on tour with Animal Collective, which checks out given that both projects explore similar sonic territory. – JF
Sons of Kemet
No rest for the weary as Friday evening kicks off with a highly anticipated set from Sons of Kemet. From late-night tastemakers in 2019 to primetime players this year, the Shabaka Hutchings-led ensemble returns to the Mill & Mine as a featured entrée instead of just a delectable dessert, featuring saxophone, clarinet and a heaping spoonful of Caribbean percussion. Both the musicianship and pace of their play promise to be blistering hot during this dinnertime set. – JF
Frank Hurricane
If you’re looking for some blues-and-folk fusion, then the Pilot Light has you covered at 8 p.m. Hurricane has steadily released albums since 2010, sticking with the tried-and-true formula of honest songwriting with a hint of Appalachian blues. A standout track of his that is sure to be a hit with locals is “Sneedville Blues,” which shouts out the titular Tennessee town along with the Holston River. – JF
Shodekeh
We don’t get much hip-hop at Big Ears, but what we do get usually comes from the underground and always hits all the pleasure centers. Shodekeh delivers a groundbreaking, innovative blend of beatboxing with an array of vocalizations including throat singing, the result of which pushes the traditional boundaries of the genre. – JF
Pedrito Martinez Group
Back to The Standard I go for Havana-born Pedrito Martinez and company, whose traditional Afro-Cuban folk songs have earned them loads of accolades and legions of fans. This should be a lot of fun. – JF
Animal Collective
Animal Collective’s last Knoxville stop – nearly five years ago at the Mill & Mine, where they’ll again appear on Friday night – witnessed the venerable indie outfit operating within a creatively fertile zone. Perched behind custom-built, lighted pods, each musician’s contribution was masterful and integral to establishing the group’s patented miasma of sound. All of what they performed that evening was known material, but the songs were rendered so differently from the recorded versions that each track took on a new life.
This year’s “Time Skiffs” was borne of the same experimentative spirit (and during an extended workshopping session conducted just a couple hours west of the Scruffy City), and it features an inspired energy lacking in an official release since the uneven yet underrated “Centipede Hz” almost a decade ago. (2018’s trippy visual album “Tangerine Reef” is a more recent and comparative touchstone.) Regardless of what AC delivers at Big Ears, rest assured that it will capture the imagination of everyone in attendance. – MR
Kim Gordon
Gordon, the first lady of alternative rock as evidenced by her four-plus decades spent navigating the music industry, brings her solo act to the Tennessee Theatre for a headlining gig on Friday night. She manned the bass and co-handled vocal duties for Sonic Youth for 30 years until the band’s dissolution in 2011. Since then, she’s racked up acting credits, collaborated with several people on multiple music projects and released a stellar solo effort to critical acclaim. It’s fitting that, after performing with Bill Nace as Body/Head in 2014 after a four-year pause for the festival, Gordon again will be playing Big Ears following a hiatus, albeit one forced by the pandemic. – JF
Mdou Moctar
Moctar was my personal favorite musical discovery during said pandemic, although the self-taught guitar virtuoso has been releasing music since 2013. Hailing from Niger, Moctar expresses in his music the desire for simple pleasures, such as clean water and basic healthcare, that many in the Western world often take for granted. His singing about these important topics sometimes may get lost in translation, but there is no mistaking the fiery urgency in the Tuareg’s hypnotic playing style, which features elements of blues, classic rock and lots and lots of killer shredding. This is a huge get for Knoxville, so get there early for this one! – JF
DANA
Rounding out day two of Big Ears is this punk outfit out of Ohio. Led by frontwoman Madeline Jackson (vocals and theremin), DANA isn’t your typical punk band in that there’s more than meets the eye given their unique time signatures and the unusual choice in instrumentation. Still, there’s a solid DIY punk edge to their brash, noisy fare, and Jackson modulated howls sound like the next coming of Karen O. They are a perfect fit for the Pilot Light, and this will be a fun closer to the second day of action at Big Ears 2022. – JF
Saturday, March 26
Mary Lattimore
Los Angeles-based harpist Mary Lattimore returns to Knoxville after making her Big Ears debut in 2019. Her 2020 Ghostly release “Silver Ladders” was produced in collaboration with Slowdive guitarist Neil Halstead. With her trusty delay and loop pedals, she crafts spiraling webs of arpeggios which drift off into soft chordal pads and static-drenched decay. On Saturday morning at the Tennessee Theatre, Lattimore performs with guitarist William Tyler, premiering their live soundtrack for archival documentary “Electric Appalachia.” She returns on Sunday with a solo harp presentation at St. John’s Cathedral. – NTM
John Zorn
Big Ears is positioning New York composer John Zorn as this year’s artist-in-residence with an incredible nine performances centered at the Bijou. An all-star cast of Zorn’s collaborators will be on hand to interpret compositions ranging from jazz (Zorn himself heads up two performances by the New Masada Quartet on Sunday evening) to vocal music (Songs for Petra Haden on Saturday afternoon) to Zorn’s organ improvisations (The Hermetic Organ at St. John’s on Saturday evening). Luminaries such as Bill Frisell, John Medeski, Gyan Riley and Kenny Wollesen also feature heavily in the weekend’s proceedings. – NTM
Yasmin Williams
Any carefully curated festival of this quality always will present some brutal scheduling conflicts; as such, it will be super tough to pass on the Petra Haden/John Zorn collaboration at the Bijou during this same time frame on Saturday afternoon. But how often does one get the opportunity to experience one of the best young fingerpickers in the world performing in a downtown church dating back to the 1840s? Well, Big Ears is a yearly occurrence, so … I’m sorry, I digress.
Williams’ technical proficiency is stunning, but factor in her innate knack for melody, her compositional prowess and a warm, inviting guitar tone, and what you have is an effervescent, uplifting whole that is custom-made for Big Ears patrons. Most live footage seems to feature just Williams and a guitar (which is plenty), but I did find an absolutely gorgeous session she performed with William Tyler late last year. Given his inclusion in the lineup and the festival’s proclivity for collaborative surprises, it would not be shocking to see him supply accompaniment during this set. – MR
Cassandra Jenkins
An expert songsmith with a penchant for melodic hooks and dreamy instrumentation, Jenkins’ slot at the Standard should make for a wonderfully soulful digestif following Saturday’s early afternoon fare. It won’t be simply a stopgap show, however; the musician’s material exudes both stately grandeur and shimmering beauty, its emotionality enhanced by her literary and world-wise lyrical style that finds profundity in the mundanities of everyday life.
While Jenkins’ 2017 debut was remarkably confident, her sophomore album, “An Overview on Phenomenal Nature,” was a breakthrough effort that justifiably nestled itself into dozens of critics’ best-of lists last year. And while the arrangement and production of its seven tracks was meticulously nuanced, attendees should take heart in the knowledge that Jenkins is as equally adept in a live setting as she is in a studio environment. This low-key performance could be one of the best you’ll see all weekend. – MR
Sarah Davachi
Los Angeles-via-Calgary artist Sarah Davachi has become a major player on the ambient scene in recent years, and she will showcase her considerable talents across two days at Big Ears. Her Saturday afternoon performance at St. John’s covers the sprawling pipe-organ textures of 2020’s double LP “Cantus, Descant.” Sunday’s set at Old City PAC is an electroacoustic affair incorporating a variety of keyboards as heard on last fall’s remarkable “Antiphonals.” – NTM
Moses Sumney
Enigmatic songwriter Moses Sumney brings his genre-defying indie rock to the Tennessee Theatre on Saturday evening. His 2020 sophomore album “grae” was lauded as one of the best records of the year, filled with musings on modern masculinity and Sumney’s riveting falsetto. In recent years, he has collaborated with the likes of Bon Iver, Solange and James Blake, in the process carving out a reputation as one of the most exciting artists working today.
Sumney recently made his directorial debut with “Blackalachia,” an hour-long concert film which features the artist and his band backdropped by the Blue Ridge Mountains near his adopted home of Asheville, North Carolina. Festivalgoers can catch the movie at noon on Saturday at Old City PAC prior to Sumney’s headlining performance that evening. – NTM
Alex Leach Band
Bluegrass, Americana and other old-timey bands aren’t hard to come by in this neck of the woods, so it can be hard to stand out among the crowd of banjos and mandolins. Campbell County’s own Alex Leach and his band of talented musicians have done an outstanding job of creating music that is easy to relate to in this modern world while still sounding timeless. The instrumentation alone is enough to put them among acts such as Billy Strings or another group on the Mountain Home label like Lonesome River Band, but it’s their songwriting that really sets them apart. Tracks such as “Take the Long Way Home” from last year’s “I’m Happiest When I’m Moving” does a great job of creating the simple, homey feeling that roots music tends to evoke while using language that’s much more relatable. – JDR
Annette Peacock
Annette Peacock makes her long-awaited Big Ears debut at the Tennessee Theatre on Saturday evening. The reclusive composer got her start with a run of collaborations with former husband Paul Bley, immortalized on ECM Records. Her series of solo records across the 1970s and ‘80s span art-pop, claustrophobic free jazz and visionary synthesizer experiments. Her rare live appearance at Big Ears promises original work for both piano and electronics. – NTM
Patti
There are plenty of chances over Big Ears weekend to get lost in sparse, 45-minute-long drones that demand the utmost attention and concentration of its listeners. Thankfully, though, there also are opportunities for those of us who just aren’t capable of keeping such a commitment to a singular note. Brooklyn-by-way-of-Oakland punk trio Patti provides for some danceable yet witty rock ‘n’ roll. With music that might recall Mike Watt or Ian MacKaye, most of their songs clock in at a respectable three minutes or so, but they are jam-packed with energy. This allows for a full performance that provides a good time without overstaying its welcome. Catch them at Pilot Light, where they will fit right in. – JDR
Sunday, March 27
Bonny Light Horseman
Flying a bit under the radar of this year’s lineup is this alt-folk supergroup comprising Anais Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson and Josh Kaufman. While the former is a standout solo artist and playwright, the latter two are considered indie-rock royalty, having been key figures in some of the most impactful groups of the past two decades.
In addition to being the frontman and core progenitor of Fruit Bats, Johnson has appeared in such heavyweights as Califone, Vetiver and The Shins. Kaufman is unique in that he is a full-timer in Muzz, another collective of star performers, as well as having been a studio player with – among others – The National, The War on Drugs, Hiss Golden Messenger, Josh Ritter and even Taylor Swift. His production credits are just as impressive and varied, too.
Together, the three form a cohesive unit, intuitively building upon each other’s individual contributions to edify the band’s total sound, as evidenced by its lone yield, a self-titled release in 2020. That effort is a patient, painstakingly crafted album featuring beautiful, skillful instrumentation and delicately sweet harmonies. The acoustically rich environs of the Tennessee Theatre should provide an excellent template for the trio to present these tracks and others. – MR
Circus No. 9
East Tennessee has been spoiled with a steady supply of talented musicians to keep it entertained, and Circus No. 9 is a fine example of what locals have access to nearly every night of the week. On mandolin and vocals, Tom Cassell is an excellent representation of what ETSU’s bluegrass program has produced. He’s joined by award-winning banjo player Matthew Davis, as well as local legend Vince Ilagan on bass. Together they create jazz-tinged folk music that is both unique and refreshing. Make sure to stop by Jig & Reel over the weekend to take in this performance that is sure to be a fun, thrilling take on otherwise familiar sounds. – JDR
Sudan Archives
A heady mix of self-taught violin, looped electronics and lyrics filled with personal revelations and cosmic imagery defines the genre-defying compositions of Cincinnati-born Brittney Denise Parks. While each track is an artfully constructed, layered gem, no two are remotely alike in terms of style, mood or even the instrumentation employed. During a Sudan Archives live show, it is common for an audience to experience a range of emotions, as quiet, meditative pieces transition to funky, psychedelic rave-ups, which give way to solemn passages featuring classical dirges. This late afternoon set should be one of Sunday’s clear highlights. – MR
Che Chen
Queens-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Che Chen has manned the guitar as half of duo 75 Dollar Bill since 2012. Bringing a mind that’s open to improvisation and a talent for creating artful soundscapes that weave and layer multiple sonic textures, Chen creates music that is both challenging and full of excitement. With violin in hand, he takes listeners on a journey that is frequently cool and stark but which periodically swings toward warmth and joy. This will not be one of those performances for which you mentally check out and simply relax. No, it will be one that you’ll come out the other side of feeling you’ve been on a strange trip, which is what this festival does best. – JDR
Yves Tumor
While 2020’s “Heaven to a Tortured Mind” saw the former Knoxvillian eschewing the impersonal industrial noise that dominated their earlier output in favor of livelier, more melodic fare, last year’s EP “The Asymptotical World” found the artist further embracing the spotlight by reveling in a surprisingly approachable cosmopolitan soundscape sculpted by diverse influences ranging from R&B and alternative to IDM and classic rock. Still, a brooding, dystopian undercurrent surges through Tumor’s work, imbuing it with nervous sexual energy and a vague sense of danger.
It’s unclear whether the musician has performed here in the past. A disappointing last-minute cancellation marred what had shaped up to be a triumphant hometown return to conclude Big Ears 2019, the festival’s last iteration before now. However, gifted the same finale slot this year, they finally are poised to make a splash in local waters. Only the denouement of John Zorn with New Masada Quartet coincides with this show, so expect a packed house at the Mill & Mine Sunday night to close things out in style. – MR
Discover daily recaps and pictures right here at www.blank.news each day throughout the festival.
ASHLEY CAPPS INTERVIEW / FREE ENGAGEMENTS GUIDE • BLANK’S BIG BIG EARS FESTIVAL GUIDE • 10 HELPFUL TIPS
