Thanks to all the great bands and fans who came to our “It’s All Gravy” showcase at the Americana Conference in Nashville this past fall. I spent long hours perfecting my recipe for poutine gravy, and the results spoke for themselves (clean plates!). Simple food done well is always harder than it looks.
We look forward to making this an official showcase during 2019’s Americana Music Conference. This will be in addition to our annual Bands ‘n Boil event, a live music festival every spring featuring free boiled crawfish. Just yesterday I was inspecting the 80-quart boiler and gas burner, which waits patiently in storage. The thought of seafood boiling in cayenne pepper is enough to sustain me through Nashville’s dreary early winter weather.
Speaking of winter, Runner of the Woods will be Montreal, Canada this February for the Folk Alliance International Conference. Our showcase schedule is currently being finalized, but let me say the following — as a former resident of this city, I am well acquainted with Quebec’s brutal winters. Unfortunately, this means I’m well aware that one forgets just how intense the cold weather can be. Unless you’ve experienced a February in Montreal within the past year, your memory has likely glossed over the worst of it. Speaking from experience, your recollection of the cold fails to do it justice. I’ll never forget shivering uncontrollably in my best New York coat, a few short years after leaving. I was a New Yorker then and had grown soft. Now I’m a Nashville guy and I anticipate a reckoning.
We’re looking at a February or March release for our first single in 2019. Entitled “Acadiana Girls”, it features some of Nashville’s top musicians: Billy Contreras (fiddle), Stephen Daly (gutiar), Eric Frey (bass), and Zoltan Tobak (drums). Even the rough mix sounds fantastic. We plan to shoot a video as well, to coordinate the publicity push.
In the meantime, stay warm and read our Fish Blog.
