Kelsey Waldon, Leah Blevins Shine At The Grove
Eastern and Western Kentucky collided for the epic show in Glasgow
Behind a children’s fun center and adjourning parking lot in Glasgow sits one of the Kentucky’s most picturesque music venues, but due to it’s treetop canopy unassuming passersby are often none the wiser.
That’s because at The Grove the trees are just as much a main attraction as the music playing under them. The mulched enclave is lined with picnic tables flanked by “The Treehouse,” a 2,000 sq. ft. viewing deck with it’s own bar that gives concert goers ample viewpoints and an abundance of shade for one of the most relaxing live music experiences around, as I experienced firsthand when I attended my maiden show there on July 5 featuring Kentuckians Kelsey Waldon and Leah Blevins.
But before I get to that, I wanted to touch on just how baffling the music venue and drinkery’s concept and evolution is, because just over five years ago the idea wasn’t even on the radar of Jason Kuykendall — owner of The Grove and it’s partnering Ralphie’s Fun Center. It was only after Gov. Andy Beshear ordered businesses close at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that an outdoor music venue was even considered, but before that vision could even start to become a reality the space for it — then a swath of overgrown weeds and vines — needed to be eradicated.
With nothing but time on their hands due to the lingering shutdowns, cleanup and construction quickly commenced, with The Grove’s first show coming just seven months later in October when award-winning fiddler Michael Cleveland christened it’s stage. Since then the venue has hosted the likes of Chris Knight, Dan Tyminski, Sam Bush, Drivin N Cryin, Nappy Roots, The Del McCoury Band, John Moreland, Town Mountain, The Infamous Stringdusters and more captivating crowds there since.
Grove public relations and marketing director Candace Barbee has done a great job securing wonderful music, continuing to develop the venue and being persistent in trying to get me out there — the latter for GOOD reason. I’m so happy the stars finally aligned and I was able to make it out this past weekend, because all the resounding praise I’ve heard about the place doesn’t begin to do justice to just how cool it is to see in person.
There’s literally not a bad seat in the house in terms of both viewing angles and shady spots to settle in. With space for over 400 people it’s also got room to support solid crowds and the bands big enough to bring them in, a rarity for most Kentucky cities not named Louisville or Lexington. And although the audience was on the lighter (albeit highly attentive) side, the music Saturday remained top notch.
Fresh off the release of her album Every Ghost two weeks prior, Kelsey Waldon and her backing band The Muleskinners — Jason "Junior" Tutwiler (guitar), Blakeley Burger (fiddle), Cooper Dickerson (pedal steel), Evan Kesel (drums), Erik Mendez (bass) — delivered a catalog-spanning set that collectively showed off just how much her music has been central to country and Kentucky music over the past decade. From the steel-heavy honky tonk of The Goldmine and I’ve Got A Way to the hazy confessionals of White Noise / White Lines and haunting country soul of her latest effort, Waldon was shooting off proverbial fireworks with each passing tune that left the intimate crowd gathered to watch in a constant state of awe.
Having been introduced to Waldon in 2016 with I’ve Got A Way, my favorite moments from her performance included renditions from that record like “Dirty Old Town,” “All By Myself” and “False King” — the latter a banger that felt eerily relevant given our country’s current political moment, particularly with the lines “You can't place a crown on the head of a clown / And then a'hope he turns out to be a king.” “Backwater Blues” — a narrative tale about her time growing up along the Ohio River bottoms — and fan favorite “Kentucky, 1988” were other standouts along with a pair of old-timey remixes pulled from 2024’s There’s Always A Song — Bill Monroe’s “Uncle Pen” (featuring a fiery fiddle from Burger) and "the Bailes Brothers’ “Traveling the Highway Home.” Adding to the timeless songs, the show was capped off by a cover of Hazel Dickens “Ramblin’ Woman” — which also ends Every Ghost on a high note as well.
Opening the show for the Western Kentucky native Waldon was Eastern Kentucky’s Leah Blevins. Hailing from Keith Whitley’s hometown of Sandy Hook (but living in Nashville for the past 10+ years), the singer wields a drawl just as distinctive as the legendary voice that preceded her. Performing as a trio complimented by acoustic guitar and fiddle, Blevins’ voice acted as its own instrument as she guided it along on ballads like “First Time Feeling,” “Believe” and “Little Bird.”
Much like Waldon, Blevins also paid homage to the music that came before her with the Townes Van Zandt inspired original “Highway Kind” and a cover of Deana Carter’s transformative “Strawberry Wine” that perfectly portrayed her appreciation for the past as she continues carving out her own path moving forward. On that note, an appearance of Blevins’ latest release “Hundred Different Sides” also offered promise about what’s (hopefully) soon to come from Blevins after signing a publishing and management deal with Major Bob Music — who also represent Garth Brooks, Zach Top and Treaty Oak Revival — in May 2024.
No matter what happens, we’ll be cheering you on the entire way Leah (and Kelsey)! Saturday was yet another reminder of the importance of supporting our local Kentucky artists and venues because without us, a lot of what they do wouldn’t be sustainable. With that in mind, here’s some other great shows you can catch at The Grove this concert season:
Upcoming Shows At The Grove
July 11: The Stolen Faces (Grateful Dead cover band)
July 12: Sister Sadie w/Sydney Adams
July 13: Larry Keel
Aug. 8: Low Water Bridge Band w/Tony Logue
Sept. 6: Town Mountain w/Grayson Jenkins
Sept. 7: Shadowgrass
Sept. 12: Nicholas Jamerson w/Emily Jamerson
*Stay tuned for more show announcements soon! View the full schedule here.
