Margo Price put a powerful final cap on her “All American Made” tour at the Jefferson Theater at a sold-out concert April 28. As it was the last show before her return to her home state of Tennessee, Price made it obvious from the second she walked on stage in a bright red pantsuit that this performance was going to be bold.
Through her old-school tunes, Price was able to transform the Jefferson into a 1960s country hall for the evening. The stage setup catered to the usual country theme — simplistic, with just a few string lights to add ambiance. Appearance aside, the entire atmosphere of the theater was altered by Price’s classic, sharp yet smooth vocals. Even her sarcastic stage banter reflected that classic, high-pitched Dolly Parton-esque voice.
On two different occasions, Price was able to prove her musical dynamism by ditching the front stage mic to take over the background drum kit. Both of these performances couldn't help but feel like female power moves, considering how rarely one sees a girl rocking out on a drum set. Seeing Price wham on the drums while the rest of her band sat in awe proved this musician’s spunk.
Adding to this female power dynamic, Price filled her stage banter with feminist quotes. Paying tribute to Marilyn Monroe, Price introduced her song “Don’t Say It” with the quote, “Well behaved women rarely make history.”
In the closing minutes of the show, Price welcomed her opener Aaron Lee Tasjan back on stage for a duo performance of the Tom Petty classic “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” The two artists voices’ intertwined naturally to create the perfect ending to a seriously well-constructed concert and tour.
Though her live performance begs otherwise, Price is a moderately new artist, having dived into the music industry in 2016 with her debut album “Midwest Farmer's Daughter.” At 20, she began her musical career in Nashville, Tenn., performing with her husband Jeremy Ivey. Between the years 2015 and 2016, Price went from teaching children’s dance at the local YMCA to performing live on Saturday Night Live, all thanks to the incredible popularity of “Midwest Farmer's Daughter.” The album made the Top 10 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart and was named an “amazingly vivid songcraft” by the Rolling Stones. Swimming in success, Price’s name has only continued to grow in the country music industry.
Her sophomore album, “All American Made,” deviates from her debut in terms of meaning. Tackling issues ranging from the gender pay gap to poverty, this is one of the most socially conscious records to hit the country music sphere. The majority of the songs on the album were written while Price was touring across America, which is clearly reflected in the record’s rustic Midwestern zeal. Songs like “All American Made,” which features a sample of Donald Trump's voice, explore the current political atmosphere of our country through a melancholic blues-like tone. This album clearly displays that Price is actually trying to create socially conscious music rather than just bland music for the soul reason of making money.
In “All American Made,” Price finds the ideal middle ground between jaunty old-school country and mellowed rhythmic blues. Her performance at the Jefferson was incredibly dynamic, flowing from upbeat rhythmic tunes to more melancholic songs such as “Learning to Lose” which features renowned country artist Willie Nelson. This dynamism made for an incredibly captivating performance that left the audience wanting more.
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