Son Volt Delivers a Reality Check
After watching the sun come up early Saturday morning, it was crystal clear that Saturday was going to be another long, music-filled day at ROTHBURY. And since everyone was up late dancing at Tripolee and taking swigs of Jägermeister at the camp site, by dawn, it seemed like a little morning buzz might be just the right thing to get ready for Son Volt's mid-afternoon set. A little rain didn't hurt either, since this wasn't exactly going to be the most cheerful jam session of all. Quite the opposite, Son Volt got everybody to stop eating Rothburies for a time and fed them a dose of reality instead.
The Down Drawl
If you've never heard of Son Volt, there are a few things you should know before getting lost in the Alternative/Country escape: The two frontmen of the revolutionary sound of Uncle Tupelo, Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy, had a falling out in '94 - as some bands do - and went their separate ways. Tweedy went on to create a little known phenomenon called Wilco, while Farrar hung back in the shadows, vocalizing topics of slightly more importance than lost puppies and broken hearts. It was then that, Farrar laid the foundation for Son Volt, a group known for their melancholy performances, laced with stern-toned songs about politics, terrorism and tragedy.
There is always some light at the end of the tunnel, but if you were in no mood for a Red Bull and a smile, you were right there with Son Volt, sipping from your silver flask and nodding your head along to Farrar's truthful poetry.
A Taste of "Cocaine and Ashes"
Son Volt sampled a few tracks from their upcoming album, American Central Dust, which is due out this week. A highlight of the Son Volt show was the gift of "Cocaine and Ashes," a track that was dedicated to and inspired by Rolling Stone Keith Richard's experience in cutting and blowing lines of his father's ashes mixed with cocaine.
The piano strikes and the first verse starts, "I've had strychnine / I thought I was dead / I snorted my father and I'm still alive / I did it because that's how it is done / I'm the same as everyone - just kinda lucky / Body and soul / Cocaine and Ashes." Farrar explained that he'd related to Richard's consuming the loss of his father in that way, which was the basis for the song. The words are so powerful, and when paired with the generous helping of melodic piano, it reaches you deep down, leaving you in search of something to identify.
Farrar's honesty and despair really hit the crowd hard on that cloudy afternoon. But, the change of pace was an educational experience that really made listeners appreciate the nakedness, purity and darker side of Son Volt.
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