OLIVIA WEST

'Concerts & Crafts at Charlie Daniels Park'

Saturday September 17, 2022

@ Charlie Daniels Park in Mount Juliet, TN

Tennessee is aptly nicknamed “The Volunteer State,” and that moniker is solidified all around its capital city of Nashville and the surrounding areas of Middle Tennessee through tremendous volunteer efforts that happen day in and day out. 

One of those surrounding areas that’s been extremely blessed is located just about 20 miles outside of downtown Nashville in the booming Wilson County town of Mount Juliet thanks the heartfelt efforts of Give A Little Christmas.

Born out of the heart of music journalist veteran Krys Midgett and her longtime friendship with the late Glenn Douglas Tubb, Give A Little Christmas’ efforts have benefited between 150-500 of Wilson County’s underprivileged families each year since its inception, saving Christmas in emergency situations as they become Santa’s head elves for the community.

Throughout the year, Give A Little Christmas hosts toy drives, wrapping parties, and community wide fundraising events that offer fun for the whole family, and that’s exactly what brought us to Charlie Daniels Park this past weekend as they hosted a concert and craft fair to benefit their organization as the Christmas season is now quickly approaching.

Outlined on the perimeter by nearly two dozen craft vendor booths, the Roasted Coconut food truck, and the delicious Salvo’s Pizza, Olivia West took the stage for her headlining performance following earlier sets from the hippie rock infused jam band Incognito Cartel, and her own bluegrass band The Compass Rose, who opened the evening’s festivities delighting the early arrivers with a mix of original material as well as some covers that included a mud-stomping version of Little Big Town’s “Little White Church.”

Flanked by Ken Newell on dobro and fiancé Paul Hedges on acoustic guitar, West stood center stage as she opened her show with Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” by request from her nephew, effectively using the song as an immediate introduction to her know how around her voice as she slowed its pace to give the familiar melody a haunting overtone that fit snuggly alongside her natural built-in bluesy growl.

After a fun turn at bantering back and forth between Olivia and Paul in a who wore it better type of discussion – Dolly or Collective Soul – they drove into a perfectly combined version of “Shine” that contained elements of both versions, as well as adding just enough unique touches into the mix to give it a decisive Olivia West feel. 

“This is one that me and Krys wrote,” Olivia began pointing out Give A Little Christmas’ Krys Midgett to cheers from the crowd. “We both lost our dad’s when we were young and this is about all those men who stepped up to help raise us and steer us lost girls into becoming good adults through all their advice,” she finished as the poignant lyrics and stellar instrumentation of “Let It Kill You” pulled the crowd to the edge of their seats as West pumped heart into the song through her emotionally fueled vocal.

Looking at each other with the love in their eyes that only an engaged couple can have, Olivia and Paul got lost in one another during their duet performance of “Shallow,” before West reassumed her lead position with “Let It Go.”

By bending the dobro and overall bluegrass flavor into the flare of back-to-back Chris Stapleton covers, “Broken Halos” and “Tennessee Whiskey,” each song refreshingly recalled the era of when Stapleton was a member of popular bluegrass group The Steel Drivers.

Fully nailing her bluesy country aura, West then delighted the crowd by channeling her inner Bonnie Raitt on “Love Me Like A Man,” before the trio was joined on stage by their close friend Thom Smith, who took over for Paul for the next two songs, giving him the spotlight on “In Color” and “The Joker.”

As Smith gratefully thanked the audience for their applause, and Olivia and her crew for letting him play some songs with them, West then continued right where she left off with her cover of Bonnie Raitt  by delving into the bluesy rock tones of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon,” before closing out the night with “Turn the Page.” 

For more information on Give A Little Christmas, including their upcoming guitar giveaway in partnership with Shiloh Music Center, please visit them at: https://givealittlenashville.com/

FULL SET LIST

1) Jolene (Dolly Parton cover)

2) Shine (Dolly Parton/Collective Soul cover)

3) Let It Kill You

4) Shallow (Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper cover)

5) Let It Go (Idina Menzel cover)

6) Broken Halos (Chris Stapleton cover)

7) Tennessee Whiskey (Chris Stapleton/George Jones cover)

8) Love Me Like A Man (Bonnie Raitt cover)

9) In Color (Jamey Johnson cover)

10) The Joker (Steve Miller Band cover)

11) Rhiannon (Fleetwood Mac cover)

12) Turn The Page (Bob Seger cover)

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