One of the joys in working as a music critic over the past 20 years is the chance to become friends with some of the artists that I have come across, and to get the chance to watch their career progress. One of those artists who has become a special friend is none other than Iowa’s Midwestern songbird, aka Sara Routh, who we profiled in our Women in Entertainment series.
I have had the privilege of booking Routh at several venues in Los Angeles, including the Viper Room, the Derby, Genghis Cohen and the Burbank Film Festival. She has always delivered, and her recent stop at Missoula’s Stage 112 as part of her Black Sheep Tour was no different.
On the road since March 17, Routh arrived in Missoula on day 15 of her tour, the next to last leg of her journey. We had the privilege of hosting her, her tour mate Rae Davis, and Chad Taylor, a local Iowa blogger who was documenting the tour. You can check out that blog here.
After getting them settled at our apartment, we headed downtown to grab some dinner, opting for MacKenzie River Pizza on Front Street, where we all grubbed out on some very delicious food before heading over to the venue for sound check. Upon arriving at the venue, we found out that they would not be performing on the stage, but on a small riser in the lounge.
After sound check, we took Routh out for a walk around Missoula, ending up at Grizzly Liquor so that she could take home a bottle of our local whiskey from Montgomery Distillery. Once back at the venue, we learned that Davis had met a female comic named Sara Reynolds and had invited her to open the show.
It being “First Friday,” the venue convinced them to postpone their show until 9 p.m. so that more people would be available, and as the appointed time arrived, that advice proved sound. Reynolds turned in a good set with a few great laughs, and then it was time for Davis to perform. Davis definitely has a way with words, and her music reflected her musical journey. She has a great voice that comes from deep within, and her skills on her baby Martin were likewise good. She turned in a set of about an hour that kept the locals listening and buying drinks, which was a good thing since they were being paid a cut of the bar.
Finally it was time for the star of the show. I was impressed with the maturity in Routh since the last time we had seen her perform, more than three years ago. Her new material, while different from some of her earlier stuff, still reflects the small town Midwestern girl who has spent some time in the big city and in another land, and the lessons she has learned along the way. She honored us by singing one of the first songs she wrote in LA, “Hills of Gold,” the very song that made us fall in love with her music. She continued with her calvacade of hits spanning the whole time we have known her, including one of our favorites, “Drinking with the Devil.” The time went by far too fast, and once again we knew that we had been in the presence of greatness, even if the world does not yet know it.
We got up early the next morning and took them to Paul’s Pancake Parlor for a hearty breakfast before they headed off to Denver for the last show of the tour. All too soon our brief visit was over, leaving behind more great memories of time spent with one of our favorite indie artists. Thanks for your friendship and your music. We love and appreciate both gifts.
For more on Routh, check out her webpage and Facebook, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.