Rubarth & Barker & Speace

Well, folks, tonight I will be returning to the Scene of the Crime, i.e., Lucinda’s summer 2016 show at a practicing, non-desacralized church, Union Chapel of London. This for the Nash-based trio Applewood Road, whom I saw last night in Stroud, jet-lagged yet staunch. When I walked in the room (also a church, with nice non-Baptist bar service in a corner), Lu’s “Protection” was playing on the house soundtrack! The girls, through their tour manager Andy Washington, later took credit for that selection! More LW ensued. What holy Sabbaths these Brits keep.

As paulfromlosangeles knows, Applewood Road is Nashvillians Amber Rubarth and Amy Speace + Aussie-native, England transplant Emily Barker. Paul, I, and a few dozen others heard their harmonic stuff outdoors during fall Americana Conference in Nash, Paul sprawled in shade in front of makeshift stage outside east Nashville’s Groove Record Store, me standing in sun some distance back.

Turns out TM Washington (whom I had met vis-a-vis Amy LaVere) served as swag man in Stroud; before the evening was out, he had sold me one Amber Rubarth album, one Amy Speace album, and one Emily Barker album. I already had the Applewood Road maiden debut. What’s more, Andy W said he would have front pew space tonight in London, reserved! And get this:he’s the same guy had been chief security man at Lu’s show here this year! What a jack of all trades, what a good guy to know.

Each woman did four songs by way of opener: Barker, Speace, Rubarth was the order. The two Americans had a lot to say about the election prior to introducing songs. Barker worked the gospel/blues spectrum; Speace self-identified as a folkie and mentioned Seeger and Judy Collins |(for whom she has opened, and who recorded one of her songs; Rubarth was lovely pop/alt country-tinged, previewed her upcoming February release.

I thought they were going to play the eponymous album in sequence for awhile in main set; they got most of it in eventually, plus a great REM cover (“Losing My Religion”) which Amber put on one of her records. A capella cover of something near end. Much banter and guitar trade-offs.

Amber had played a fest in Bristol this summer on bill with Lu, but I had already gone home, darn it.

Emily just cut a record in Memphis, where I met her earlier this year.

I can supplement this in a few hours time, just might.