Fester Hagood's Mojo Confessional Songwriters Showcase Levi Lowrey, Jefferson Ross and Special Guest Mark van Allen Potluck at 6 pm Sunday, August 14, 2022

Fester Hagood organizes what he calls "Fester Hagood's Mojo Confessional Songwriters Showcase." It builds on Mark Wilmot's "Mojo's Sunday Afternoon Songwriters' Revival" which brought two singer/songwriters to No. 3 Railroad Street each month. We look forward to hearing both new and familiar voices and stories about their songs under Fester's direction. Please read about both series of concerts, and about Fester, on the Songwriters page. This evening, Fester brings us Levi Lowrey of Yesterday's Wine, Jefferson Ross and Special Guest Mark van Allen. Scott Baston of Moonshine Still was booked, but was unable to attend at the last minute and Jefferson agreed to take Scott's place on very short notice. Thanks Jefferson! Levi Lowrey A singer-songwriter from Dacula, Levi has performed extensively as a solo artist and headliner. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Lowrey's great-great grandfather was fiddler Gid Tanner who had a celebrated band, the Skillet Lickers. During that era, Gid Tanner eclipsed or stood shoulder-to-shoulder in popularity with the now-legendary Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. Levi recalls his grandparents taking him to jam sessions every Friday night at the "Chicken House" on Gid Tanner's farm. It was just that — a converted chicken house — in which local musicians gathered for joy, relief and companionship. "That was the beginning of music," he says. "Before you had records being sold and the commercialization of music, it was primarily a get-together. That was the reason for it. It always belonged in a community. I feel we've lost sight of that. Now it's about record sales and touring and concerts and things of that nature. I don't get quite as much fulfillment from that as I do sitting around on the front porch playing with a bunch of guys." In reviving this classic music on his two-disc Roots and Branches album, Levi Lowrey — a commanding fiddler and guitarist in his own right - is backed by the current edition of the Skillet Lickers, a self-regenerating assemblage of virtuosi that includes Phil Tanner, Russ Tanner, Fleet Stanley, Larry Nash and Joel Aderhold. Roots and Branches spotlights Lowrey’s astounding skills as a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, bandleader and producer. Of the 10 songs here, the Dacula native wrote or co-wrote eight, each a cinematically luminous glimpse of adult life. "I try to make my lyrics as relatable as possible," he says. "Obviously, I'm one man going through my own set of failures and successes, my own story. But the core of these emotions are experienced by everyone. I'm not afraid of being human." Levi Lowrey websites: Facebook Patreon Levi also performs with Wyatt Durrette as the duo Yesterday's Wine. According to the Yesterday's Wine website, the group captivates and charms their audience in any venue. Music festivals and songwriter rounds across the country have been buzzing about the brilliant shows delivered by the two. Wyatt and Levi are each acclaimed singer-songwriters in their own right, brought together by their craft and love for sharing music. Wyatt and Levi collaborated in the past, lending their talents in co-writing on the Zac Brown Band song "Colder Weather" which spent two weeks at #1. Levi and Wyatt also contributed in writing on the GRAMMY award winning ZBB song "The Wind." Individually, Wyatt has multiple CMA Awards including CMA Song of the Year for "Beautiful Crazy" by Luke Combs and 14 #1 songs. Levi has performed extensively with acts including Mumford and Sons, Kid Rock and Alabama. Performing together as Yesterday’s Wine, the pair epitomize the magic in story-telling through song. Jefferson Ross Southern folk artist, Jefferson Ross, is a songwriter, singer, guitar slinger and painter weaving stories for the ears and the eyes. Based in The Peach State, Jefferson travels throughout the U.S. and Europe performing his original music and displays his art at festivals and galleries across the South. For years, Jefferson lived in Nashville playing for a number of recording artists including, Canada’s Entertainer of the Decade, Terri Clark, and sharing the stage with Country Music greats such as George Strait, Toby Keith, Reba and Vince Gill. He worked as a staff writer for a number of publishers on Music Row including Curb Music, one of the top music publishers in the world. In 2010 he returned to live in Georgia with his wife and daughter and maintains a home and office in Nashville as well. An evening with Jefferson Ross is a homespun southern experience that you’re unlikely to forget. Jefferson is a painter as well. "My music portraits are all painted in various shades of blue. My thinking is, whether an artist is Caucasian, African-American, Native American or whatever….it's all about the blues..the integrity of the music…not skin color. I have a soft spot for Delta icons like Mississippi John Hurt, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and so on but I also love the blues that lives in Country and Folk and Gospel Music. Legends like Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Johnny Cash show up in my art from time to time. Jefferson Ross websites: jeffersonross.com Facebook Apple Music Mark van Allen Mark is well known for Pedal Steel, Lap Steel, Dobro, guitar and bad jokes. He has been a member of Sugarland, John Berry, Jan Smith, Blueground Undergrass, Kristin Markiton, South 70, Jimmy Herring Band, many more. Also extensive theatre, recording and touring experience. He is the owner/ engineer of Music Farm Recording Studios. Mark van Allen websites: Facebook Bandmix Fester Hagood was one of the songwriters invited by Mark Wilmot for the songwriters series. He played and talked on Sunday afternoons May 20 2018 with Jefferson Ross, August 18 2018 with Levi Lowrey and June 16 2019 with Varney Watson. The last one had great music and commentary, of course, but probably enhanced by the contents of the Mason jar that Mark sometimes brought for both the audience and the performers. Fester Hagood has been a staple of the Classic City's music scene for over a decade. Hagood began writing music at the age of 16 and has been performing as a solo act in the Athens bar scene since early 2000. In 2015, Fester produced the Redstone Ramblers CD, "Graveyard Gospel." He hosted The Tuesday Night Confessional at The Nowhere Bar in Athens from 2013 onwards which was the inpsiration for Mark's Songwriters Revival. Fester is one of the pillars of original music in the Athens Area and an especially good citizen. Fester's websites include Facebook, Reverbnation and Fester Hagood's Tues Night Confessors Potluck before the music! Suggested Donation of $10 We hope this will be an outdoor event. If it has to be moved inside, the suggested donation will be $20 with a 45-person capacity. Masks are requested for inside events Modified 11 August 2022 by Glenn Galau   |   Web Design by Glenn Galau