As I travelled to this evening’s show through the Lincolnshire countryside, the consequences of this long, hot summer were visible as far as the eye could see. In place of the “green and pleasant land” so eloquently described in William Blake’s poem, Jerusalem was nothing but a barren landscape, almost totally bereft of life, highlighted by the multi-shades of brown that carpeted the ground renowned as the bread-basket of the country. It is abundantly clear that it will take a dramatic and lengthy change in the weather before things even begin to resemble any semblance of normality, despite the somewhat perverse irony that the bulk of my journey this evening was made through the thunder and rain.
The irony being, of course, that as I arrived at my destination of the Town Hall, Kirton in Lindsey, Lincolnshire’s premier Americana venue, the headline act this evening is one of Nashville’s finest bluegrass exponents, Thunder and Rain. The band, founded by singer-songwriter and guitarist Erinn Peet Lukes in Colorado back in 2013, have gone on to release four studio albums and share the stage with some of the genre’s biggest names, such as Peter Rowan, The Kruger Brothers, and Billy Strings. The enforced hiatus in 2020 due to the global pandemic saw Lukes relocate to Nashville, bringing about a change in band lineup, with fiddle player Amelia Ransom along with Laura Rey on banjo, both proving a perfect fit, bringing a renewed focus on tight harmony and a more traditional acoustic sound. The trio instantly clicked, as is evident on their newest album, Storybook Season, which came out in October of 2024, and tonight sees the addition of the newest member, double bass player and vocalist Amanda Accardi, who joined back in February.
Technically, this was the band’s second visit to this halcyon venue, having first appeared back in March of 2019, albeit with a much different lineup, with Lukes immediately recalling the delightful Town Square on her arrival. However, any thoughts that this new version of Thunder and Rain was purely a group of musicians put together to support Lukes were very quickly dismissed as the quartet opened with Two Ships, a song that first appeared on the 2020 album Passing In The Night, displaying all of the band’s collective unity. The first of what would be surprisingly just three tracks from the most recent album followed, with Omaha offering the first example of the band’s pristine harmonies, each voice complementing the other, underpinning what this new version of Thunder and Rain is all about, bringing the best out of each other to deliver an extraordinary high level of musicality.
A problem with Accardi’s double bass required a few minutes of expert tweaking from the sound engineer Steve Everett, prompting a slight change to the intended setlist. With the sad Passing of Dolly Parton happening just a couple of days earlier, it was of little surprise that the band had been planning their own tribute to an artist that had been such an inspiration, though in truth it wasn’t meant to be performed until the encore. However, having amused the audience with stories of driving around Ireland and England in a van, the remaining trio decided to change things up, delivering a beautiful version of Wild Flowers, a song that Parton wrote for the Trio album she made with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris.
Double bass problem sorted, it was time for the band to deliver two brand new numbers back to back, initially with Evaporate, followed by Clover, where Ransom’s fiddle-playing offered up a distinct Celtic flavour. Next up was the second of what would be four cover versions during the first set, with the traditional bluegrass tune High on the Mountain Top originally written by the legendary Ola Belle Reed, which again highlighted the quality of musicianship on show, and on this track in particular, the guitar playing from Lukes. Whether it was supplying a driving rhythmic pulse or occasionally throwing in some fiery solo runs, the playing was constantly mesmerising, and in a band where fiddle and banjo can often take the spotlight, Lukes’ prowess on her instrument was an equal match.
Western Auto Sign, the second song of this evening’s set from their most recent album, followed before the band performed two songs from the pen of the great singer-songwriter John Hartford. The first, Long Hot Summer Days, saw Ransom take lead vocals before Accardi stepped up to the microphone to lead the quartet on Hartford’s most famous composition, Gentle On My Mind, which allowed all four musicians to take a turn in the spotlight and display their musical dexterity. It was their vocal interplay that took centre stage on Wendigos Wanderin’, the third and final song from Storybook Sessions, their voices weaving in and around each other, propelling the listening experience to a new level, before the band closed their first set with Run With You.
Following the interval that saw all four musicians manning the merchandise table, taking the time to talk to many of the audience, the band returned to the stage, opening the second set with Nobody’s Darling, the third and final track this evening from the Passing In The Night album. From there, the quartet dug back to their 2017 album Start Believing for a delightful rendition of Once I Was, before the middle part of the set temporarily turned the spotlight back on the individuals. First up was banjo player Ray with a self-penned number entitled Back To The Classic City, a song influenced by the city of Georgia, nicknamed the ‘Classic City’ due to its rich history, distinct architecture, and vibrant culture, all rooted in and around the city’s university. It was here that Ray really stretched out, left hand covering the full length of the fretboard whilst the rapid fingerpicking with the right helped build and maintain the intensity within this wonderful number.
During the first set, Lukes had mentioned her love of murder ballads, and during the second set the band returned to the topic with a cover of Gillian Welch’s wonderful Caleb Meyer, before Accardi stepped forward to take the lead on the timeless classic Walking After Midnight, a song written by Alan Block and Don Hecht that provided Patsy Cline with her first major hit. Next, it was time for Ransom to return to the spotlight, performing one of her own songs, Red Bird, a song inspired by the cardinal bird common to North America. Throughout the evening’s performance, Ransom had continuously impressed with her fluid and inventive fiddle playing, regularly drawing gasps of delight at her fiery solos, but with this song she effortlessly shifted through the gears, taking the show to a whole new level, increasing the tempo and the temperature in the hall simultaneously without at any point losing the sweetness of the melody. It was a jaw-dropping performance that had many in the room unable to contain their appreciation, hollering and whooping long before the final sparks flew from her instrument.
The band closed their set with a fascinating rendition of R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion, Lukes’ guitar duelling with Ray’s banjo during the solo break. A thunderous ovation demanding an encore followed, to which the band, who hadn’t even had time to set down their instruments, were more than happy to oblige, much to the delight of the local congregation.
Across whole swaths of England, the grass may be a burnt shade of brown at the moment, but here at the Town Hall, Kirton in Lindsey, tonight the grass was mostly definitely a perfect shade of blue.
