A pandemic can’t stop Ashleigh Flynn & The Riveters from sharing the magic of the Oregon Country Fair in the band’s second full-length release, Live from The Blue Moon. As originally broadcast from the annual mid-summer art and music festival in July 2019, the record captures a set for the ages with the six-piece lineup leaving it all on the stage.
Eight of the twelve tracks breathe live, improvisational energy into already high-octane numbers from the band’s inaugural 2018 studio release, described by Fervor Coulee as “an amazingly creative and original juxtaposition of rock, country, vigor, and sass.” Two others dig further back into front-woman Flynn’s solo discography, reimagining those songs in an electrified context. Rounding out the dozen are two covers, including an exuberant, set-closing rendition of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ “American Girl” that left two KRVM radio hosts momentarily speechless, then laughingly wondering what in the world had just transpired over the course of the previous 45 minutes.
Attending the Oregon Country Fair has become a tradition of Flynn’s for over a decade, and she hopes this release will spread some joy in the absence of spring and summer festivals for the second year in a row.
The band remains optimistic about the future of live music, with plans to perform at High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, CA, July1-4 and The Sawtooth Valley Gathering in Stanley, ID August 5-8. Portlanders can also catch Ashleigh Flynn & The Riveters, along with a rotating cast of special guests, every third Thursday at the Riveters Roadhouse hosted by Alberta Street Pub.
Live from the Blue Moon Track Listing | Listen on Soundcloud
How the West Was Won
Fly Away
Too Close to the Sun
The Sound of Bells
Cold Black Line
Deep River Hollow
You Will Remember
Big Hat, No Cattle
Tiger by the Tail
Shrouded Sun
This Love
American Girl
Flynn’s five female bandmates on The Blue Moon Stage include LA-based electric guitarist Nancy Luca who honed her style and skill playing with Tom Petty and Bo Diddley, Jenny Conlee of the Decemberists on accordion, and highly-regarded Portland musicians Carmen Paradise on bass, Jolie Clausen on drums and Samantha “Mama Sam” Montanaro on backing vocals.
