Going Country: Dancing Rabbit's fall lineup bringing five acts

Sep. 23—Five acclaimed musical artists are coming to McAlester for the fall edition of the Dancing Rabbit Music Festival — including four on the outdoor stage and another for an After Hours show.

It's set for Nov. 11 in downtown McAlester, with the music set to start between 2 and 3 p.m. and then extend into the night

Artists for Dancing Rabbit's Nov. 11 edition include Drayton Farley, The Lowest Pair, Jesse Daniel, and Ri Wolf on the outdoor stage. For the fall edition, the outdoor stage will be set up on Choctaw Avenue, in the parking lot behind the Icehouse, the same location as for last year's fall show, headlined by John Fullbright.

Following the outside performances, Robert Ellis is presenting an After Hours show at Spaceship Earth Coffee to cap the event. Once again, all of the shows will be presented free to the public by the Dancing Rabbit Music Association, along with its sponsors, volunteers and supporters.

Most of the artists for the fall show have their wheelhouse in the Americana/country music genre— although they approach it from different directions.

"It's 100 percent how many different kinds of country music can I throw into a show," said Dancing Rabbit Music Festival President Blake Lynch.

All of the outdoor performances will be with full bands, Lynch said. Ellis, the After Hours solo performer at Spaceship Earth, plays so many instruments during his shows that "It looks like a band setup," Lynch said.

He thinks the fall edition will offer something for every sort of country music fan.

"It's going to be a wild ride of a show," said Lynch. "It makes me excited about country music again."

With music set to start in the afternoon, outdoor vendors including food trucks will be in place and several large television sets will be set up so those attending the festival can keep track of college football games.

No pit passes will be in place for those wanting to get up front for the fall show, Lynch said. "We'll have fire pits out if they're needed," he said.

Different styles of country music by the artists performing during the fall edition of the Dancing Rabbit Music Festival include:

—Drayton Farley — His 2023 album "Twenty on High" is the Alabama singer and songwriter's third album. It's the first to feature a full band, with his first two albums being solo excursions.

Produced by Jason Isbell's 400 Unit guitarist, Sadler Vaden, the album also includes contributions from 400 Unit drummer Chad Gamble and bassist Jima Hart. Standout tracks include the album's first single, "Norfolk Blues," as well as the album's opening track, "Stop the Clock" and "The Alabama Moon."

"He literally has a song that says "Keep Country Sad," Lynch said, describing how Farley carries the torch for country music.

—The Lowest Pair — A banjo duo consisting of Kendl Winter originally from Arkansas, and Palmer T. Lee, of Minnesota, they're joined by other musicians on their most recent album "The Perfect Plan."

It's produced by Mike Mogis, of Bright Eyes. In addition to playing dual banjos, Winter and Lee both sing lead and harmony vocals, with Winter singing lead on songs such as "Couple of Jerks" and Lee taking the lead on "Fall On My Knees."

"It's almost bluegrass with our duo, "The Lowest Pair," Lynch said. "It's super compelling music that puts me in a fall mood."

—Jesse Daniel —Daniel, the most hard-core country music performer on the bill, has produced some acclaimed albums, such as "Beyond These Walls" and "Rollin' On," with one of his best-known songs being "Clayton Was a Cowboy."

He was born and grew up in the California hill country and sometimes played in punk bands before turning his attention to country music.

While some have described his music as bringing back the Bakersfield sound of artists such as Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, Daniel has said he doesn't want to limit his music to any individual style.

Daniel is a 2018 winner of the NEXTie Award, presented by Event Santa Cruz.

"He's about as pure country as we can get, since George Straight is not coming to town anytime soon," Lynch said.

—Ri Wolf — While Daniel is deep into country music, some of Wolf's song's hit on western themes, such as his song, "Two Wild Horses."

A singer and songwriter from South Texas, Wolf has won plaudits for his album "Elemental" and his EP, "Strawberry Fields."

—Robert Ellis — Known as the Texas Piano Man, Ellis delves into a variety of styles, at times sounding country, jazzy and even adding some Beatles-style harmonies to some of his recordings.

His "Ode to Larry McMurtry" is a homage to the famed Texas novelist, the author of "Lonesome Dove" and other bestsellers.