We’ve shared previous stories about the magic of singer-songwriter Afton Wolfe and his generous spirit, which encourages collaboration and performing music for its most authentic purposes. Wolfe once again shared an introspective diary of his time at Americanafest in Nashville from September 17 to 21, 2024. With the recent loss of contemporaries Tom Mason and Mary Sack, Wolfe summoned the strength to prevail in Nashville and further spread his songwriting gospel. Wolfe is featured on the upcoming David Olney Tribute that New West Records releases on Oct 18th and features Lucinda Williams, Jim Lauderdale, Dave Alvin, Steve Earle, and more.
From before it even started, there were constant reminders of loss. Tom Mason’s name on the Magnolia Roads poster promoting her Wednesday show Let the Music Play On: A Tribute to Mary Sack at Mary’s and Tom’s favorite live music bar, The 5 Spot, was posted on mine and others’ social media accounts. They were already printed by the time Tom went into hospice, in a skewed stack in my wife’s backseat as she drove around Nashville, hanging them up.
I’ve sobbed repeatedly about Mary Sack, in public and private. I could do more, and I will. But I’ll keep it brief. In case you somehow didn’t know Mary, she was a true original, and the following adjectives should be taken as mere infinitesimal understatements of each: generous, energetic, intelligent, hilarious, loyal, principled, wise, and kind. She was a philanthropist, friend to all, and amplifier of the beauty in this world most sincerely and honestly imaginable. She also managed some of the greatest and most respected artists (David Olney, Scott Miller, Noel McKay, Irene Kelley, and more). She organized the annual Get Behind the Mule Tribute to Tom Waits and Benefit for Second Harvest of Middle Tennessee AND curated and managed the Music for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, AND did the same for the Southern Festival of Books! And if you think she wouldn’t have the time to drop everything and shoot you a house concert contact in Jessup, Maryland, you’d be exactly wrong.
Tom Mason is a legend of kindness, positivity, talent and creativity. People who talk about being brave with art aspire to Tom Mason. He was a master true thespian performing Shakespeare outside with brilliant original Music that he composed in tribute to the craft of the Bard, an incredible guitarist in a town with the best, and he was the best-damned trombone player I’ve ever seen. Tom was a little of a guru and a little of a shaman, and he had a fair dose of rock star in him, but most of all, Tom Mason is the greatest pirate ever to plunder the gold and jewels of this great song we call Life, in my humble opinion.
Those are the loudest bells ringing in my ear. Their loss is so gigantic. That is why I’m really only going to discuss that particular show in great detail. The other shows were each truly remarkable in their own ways, with some incredible moments I’ll try to mention here quickly, even if cursorily.
I played in Delgado Guitars’ Music Maker Stage during Kevin Daniels’ day party there, where I sang a song with my friend Courtney Santana. I played 1888 Media’s badass day party with so many cool acts, like Hannah Fairlight destroying a power trio set and this Norwegian duo called Ask Carol that genuinely blew my mind, all before Twisted Pine closed it out with a transcendental half-hour. And that’s not to mention the beautiful songsmiths like Malena Cadiz, Hannah Connolly, Nick Taylor and Anna Tivel, who all deserve mentions. I also played a really special set with my father-in-law, LH Halliburton, and his ensemble they’re calling The Carnival at The Bowery Vault.
And, just so I’m clear, I could write another 2000 words about that special night, with my wife and family and friends there, and the Music hitting me in the soul. And one of the coolest things that ever happened to me on a stage happened Saturday night, when I sang a verse of “Hallelujah” on the same stage just moments before Julie Christensen would take a verse of the same on Leonard Cohen’s birthday. Thanks to Hub of Love, Whit Hubner, and Kristen Englenz for backing me up on “So Long, Marianne” and “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye.”
But I must dwell on the first scheduled appearance, which was initially a tribute to Mary, with many of her friends on the bill. Accordingly, Tom was initially booked to play it, as I mentioned that Mary was a friend to all. Tom had been very close to Mary, regularly appearing in all three of the annual events that Mary curated because the coolest people do the coolest stuff, and they do it together. Anana Kaye, Megan Palmer, Irakli Gabriel, Charlie Chamberlain, Daniel Seymour and Chris Benelli played an enchanting set where Tom was slated to play. I cried a couple of times, but I lost it when Megan sang “Nothing But Love,” one of the sweetest truest songs you’ll ever hear. I’d seen Tom sing that many times, and it was like everyone in the room fell in love with him at the same time every time. And he accepted it so gently.
Luckily, I got to play before them so that my eyes wouldn’t be even more reddened while I performed. First, I was a part of Tommy Womack’s band, along with Ryan Demeniuk, Seth Fox, and Daniel Seymour. Mary used to manage Tommy, and he’s one of my favorite lyricists worldwide. I got to play some of his favorite songs because I talked my band of great musicians into playing with him. That was a blast. Then, Tommy exited, and the remaining four of us did a special set to honor Mary and Tom. I started it with the only song of mine I’d play at this particular show. I wrote it over the course of Mary’s battle with cancer. I never told her about it, and I refused to finish it, hoping maybe some magic might further suspend things. After all, she’d beaten it so many times, having been given a good year and a half less than she ended up fighting. She was fucking Mary Sack.
Who could ask for more time?
Who deserves it, if not you?
If not you, then we’re all doomed.
Winter comes for every leaf.
After that song, titled “Winter Comes for Mary,” which I culled down from a few dozen verses, all essentially saying the same thing, to two, I played another song that reminded me of loss and her but also reminded me how lucky I am. I played a song written by the great David Olney, who, as mentioned, was managed by Mary Sack up until his death in 2020. His death was right before everything locked down, and for a while, I entertained the thought that the world was ending because he’d died. I can’t say I’ve let go of that theory entirely yet. The song, though, is called “Titanic,” and not only is a brilliant song about the infamous luxury cruise ship written from the perspective of the iceberg, but it’s also just a powerful, emotional, heavy-hitting triumph of a song. I’m also incredibly fortunate that my song performance will be part of Can’t Steal My Fire: Songs of David Olney, for which my inclusion is due wholly to my friend Daniel Seymour’s effortless manifestation of the magnanimous.
After “Titanic,” and since Mary and I had worked on the Get Behind the Mule event together, and because Tom had been a part of several of them – giving some of the most memorable performances of the event’s 18-year history, I decided I’d have some alumni of the event on to each do a Tom Waits song. A “min-Mule” I called it – since while writing it out, Mary would always refer to it fully as Get Behind the Mule Tribute to Tom Waits and Benefit for Second Harvest of Middle Tennessee, it had long ago been referred to in our conversations as “Mule.”
So, for my mini-Mule, and since it is my set goddamit, I started with “Come on Up to the House,” an impossible sing-along for those not cursed with my pack-a-day voice, but bound to lift a spirit, which needed to happen after two songs about pretty heavy shit. Then, my wonderful friend Sally Jaye sang “Old Shoes and Picture Postcards” with me. Like I told Sally, I remembered her playing that when she’d done the Mule, and it was stunning, as she always is, and was on Wednesday at The 5 Spot.
Then, my friend Ryan Case played “(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night.” Being the Country Music connoisseur and historian that he is, he did the song in a similar style to Jerry Jeff Walker, who I was not aware had covered that song until Ryan showed that to me many years ago. It’s a wonder we’re still friends because I was at that age and level of fandom where it hurt my feelings that someone could introduce me to something new related to Mr. Waits. Yet our friendship has persisted, a testament to Ryan Case and his temperance and tolerance.
After that, Claudia Nygaard did a stunning rendition of “Hold On,” where she changed the lyrics, apropos of the event. She sang:
When there’s nothing left to keep you here.
and when you’ve lost two friends that you hold dear,
you’ve got to hold on. Hold on. Baby, you’ve got to hold on.
Take my hand.
I’m standing right here.
You’ve got to hold on.
After that, another of my favorite alumni of the Mule, the powerful Linda McCrae, came up. With her banjo, she led us in a rousing and moving version of “Jesus Gonna Be Here.” A couple of years ago, at The Mule, Linda played that song, and for some reason (I don’t remember exactly how it happened or if I was even there to witness that), Mary was playing percussion with a drumstick or something on the bottom of a beer bucket. Just a classic Mary at the Mule moment, with her sequined dress and her pink jacket, given to her by Allison Gower, that read “GET BEHIND MARY” on the back. Linda painted that picture.
The Mule has always closed, by request (see: decree) of Mary, for at least the last 15 years or so, and pretty consistently, with “Always Keep a Diamond in Your Mind.” This deepest of deep cuts was only part of Solomon Burke’s beautiful masterpiece “Don’t Give Up on Me,” until Tom’s version popped up a few years later, and only as a bonus track to the rerelease of Orphans, which was a collection of deep cuts already. But the hero who has carried this tradition is Randy Russell of East Nashville OGs East Kin (and before that BALLHOG! (which might be putting something back together? ). Could it be? (Is there room for both? (What will come of EK?))) so many questions))))).
But it’s true. You have to keep a diamond in your mind. There’s too much suffering. There’s too much loss. When you come across it, you do what you can to help. But it’s nothing short of a fucking miracle (lots of fucking miracles, really) each day we survive this Life. Winter Comes for Every Leaf, but there’s also Nothing But Love that’s worth anything in the end. I’m grateful for the brief time I got to spend loving Mary Sack and Tom Mason, and I’m grateful for Emily Hanson and Magnolia Roads for bringing us all together to Love them through Music Wednesday.
2 Responses
Beautiful Aston.
Sorry Afton auto incorrectly miss-corrected