Tonight, we’re focusing on the unsung heroes of any live show and often my favorites, the support, or more commonly called the opening acts. Everybody starts somewhere, and great music shows often start with an appetizer to help get you in the mood and to introduce you to a new flavor a new sound and maybe a new favorite. What would Thanksgiving dinner be without a pile of appetizers, what would Jeopardy be without Wheel of Fortune. I digress...but you get the idea.
Opening acts are not always music on music sometimes you need a smile on your face before the band strikes up, that’s part of what we do and we highlight that in a segment on “Live At The Linda” called “In Other Words” tonight we start off with comic Liz Glazer who joined us a few months back. In other words here’s Liz Glazer live at The Linda.
J.D. Wilkes is an American musician, visual artist, author, filmmaker and self-proclaimed "southern surrealist.” He is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist (notably on harmonica and banjo), having recorded with such artists as Merle Haggard, John Carter Cash, Mike Patton, and Hank Williams III.
Wilkes is perhaps best known as the founder of the legendary Shack Shakers, a southern gothic rock and blues band formed in the mid-90s. Fans of his work with legendary Shack Shakers include Stephen King, Robert Plant and former Dead Kennedys front man Jello Biafra. Rolling Stone named Wilkes as the “best front man” at the 2015 Americana Music Association Festival for his performance with Shack Shakers. J.D. has toured with the likes of Robert Plant and the Black Keys, and in 2015 he opened for Charlie Parr here at The Linda. Without further ado here is J.D. Wilkes.
Tom West is a singer-songwriter with a distinctive, androgynous vocal style and propensity to write catchy, tender folk songs often embellished with ambitious arrangements and cinematic flair. Following a COVID enforced touring hiatus during which he returned to Australia through most of 2020 & 2021, West will be returning to the road less travelled: with tour dates in November set to celebrate his releases over the previous few tumultuous years as well as re-introduce fans to a newly imagined acoustic version of his hugely popular song “Easy, Love.” Let’s listen to Tom West, who opened for Emily Wolfe in 2020, live at The Linda.
Molly Durnin is a powerful singer-guitarist with an engaging stage presence. She has been performing non-stop as a full-time musician for nine years, making her a rarity among female artists. She has garnered accolades as a singer-songwriter due to the breadth and depth of her writing, and she has paid her dues as a cover artist at countless venues and watering holes across the U.S. Molly opened for The Waterboys in March 2013, from her opening set here is Molly Durnin.
Thanks again for tuning in tonight for “Live At The Linda,” recorded live at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio. Join us here next week for a preview of E.R.I.E., who will be returning to The Linda stage on Saturday, December 11th. We’ll also travel back to 2010 with a set from Crash Test Dummies.
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