Original image by There Stands the Glass.
One of the men responsible for the Waldo Folk initiative playfully chided me when I entered Waldo Tap Room on Wednesday, July 9. His enterprise has been presenting concerts for about a year, but the gig by Sam Lewis was the first of the events I’d attended.
I explained that his bookings simply haven’t been to my taste. Even so, my increasingly conspicuous abstention was getting in my craw. That’s why I paid $30 for a looky-loo at the showcase for the Nashville based Lewis.
My longtime friend cited a Chris Stapleton quip in which the country star insists Lewis is “a modern Townes Van Zandt” in his introduction to Lewis. The outlandishness of the assertion makes me wonder if it’s Van Zandt or Lewis that Stapleton had never heard.
Lewis’ music bears a much closer resemblance to that of the esteemed Southern singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester. Like Winchester, Lewis is a mellow Southern gentleman. Lewis’ placid songs about domestic concerns pleased the near-capacity audience of more than 50.
That audience- and the top-notch waitstaff and bartender- were silent throughout the first set. The only extraneous ambient sounds were the rattle of an ice machine and noise from diners next door. Such closemouthed consideration is a rarity in Kansas City.
The vibe was delectable, but Lewis’ homey music isn’t for me. The monthly listings at this site reflect my preference for a form of unsettling folk exemplified by Bonnie “Prince” Billy. So, Waldo Folk friend, you’d see a lot more of me if you began catering to my aberrant inclinations.