A picture-perfect afternoon in Ann Arbor made for a glorious start to the Sonic Lunch concert series with Kate Peterson and Lindsay Lou.
Sonic Lunch with Lindsay Lou and Kate Peterson
Given that Ann Arbor is a hot mess of road construction, we enjoyed a delightful four-mile walk to Liberty Plaza for the Sonic Lunch kickoff. This long-running free music series is made possible through the generosity of Bank Of Ann Arbor. On this gorgeous afternoon, we were there to capture two artists who may approach their songwriting in different ways, yet share a deep desire to craft compelling stories into songs.
Kate Peterson
We love Kate Peterson. Frequent flyers on Life In Michigan will know this and might start to think, “Oh no! Another Kate love fest post!” Buckle up, friends, it’s love fest time.
Bathed in sunlight, Kate shared her boundless gift of music with us. What makes her music so moving goes beyond the arpeggiated chords and heartbeat rhythm of a hand upon the body of the guitar. The magic lies in her resonant voice, rich and warm, and in the stories peeking out from within each lyrical line. As I listened, soaking up the brilliant sun, the sky seemed to shine harder. It was as if the collective attention of the audience, held tight by the lush melodies and buoyant harmonies, caused the world to become that much lighter, free, and easy.
To stay sharp and give old favorites a new twist, Kate employed a harmonica for the achingly beautiful song of loss, “Said and Done.” Another new addition to Kate’s repertoire is keyboards. She shared a soulful cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and played one of her newer songs, “Type Delete.” She ended her shimmering summer set with a crowd sing-along to “Heavy” (originally written by Birdtalker).
Lindsay Lou
She may be in Nashville now, but Lindsay Lou will always be a Michigander to us. Starting her career on an open mic in Lansing, she soon became a bright and burning light playing bluegrass and Americana with the Flatbellys. Her most recent album, Queen of Time (2023), rings with the deep roots of American music born in Appalachia. Lindsay and her band, consisting of Mimi Naja (mandolin), Kyle Tuttle (banjo), and Emma Rose (upright bass / guitar), made for a perfect Sonic Lunch.
As Lindsay opened with the song “Freedom,” which she co-wrote with fellow Michigander, Billy Strings, you were immediately transported to the land that gave birth to American roots music. The chorus ringing out in four-part harmony was guaranteed to raise the hairs on your arms.
With the sweet voices still echoing, Lindsay took us to the “River Jordan,” written by another Michigander, May Erlewine. The buoyancy of this song, accentuated by Lindsay’s voice and the splashing notes and chords, made the warm breeze feel soft and embracing.
In addition to her own songs, Lindsay shared those of her bandmates and friends. They played “Bus Fare,” written by Mimi Naja, “We Are Having A Good Time Now,” by Emma Rose’s Sound of Honey, and last but not least, “Not Quite Spring,” by Kyle Tuttle. Each tune added to the ebullience of the afternoon at Sonic Lunch, but I got a real kick out of the inspiration for Kyle’s tune, which came from a Bob Ross (of Joy Of Painting fame) painting of the same name.
Sadly, we had a long walk home and more adventures for the evening, so we missed the last portion of Lindsay Lou’s set. Nonetheless, Sonic Lunch proved once again to be a wonderful way to enjoy great music in Ann Arbor.
Pictures
We got a few more photos of Lindsay Lou and Kate Peterson
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