SBS 348: Miss Tess // Nate Gibson & the Stardazers
Doors: 6pm; Show 7pm
Fri, August 22, 2025
Miss Tess is one of those singular artists who deserve all the superlatives and accolades one could hoist upon a rare talent such as hers. This unassuming chanteuse is, as they say in the business, a true “triple threat” – a superb songwriter and adept multi-instrumentalist with an extraordinary voice that can sing the birds from the trees.
Her music takes root and draws from an era when country music, contrary to popular belief, was downright sophisticated, and filled with instrumentalists who were every bit as hip musically as their jazz counterparts – stretching back to a time when Western swing bands and jazz bands played a lot of the same material – albeit with a different accent, informed by their physical location. Location has a lot to do with the new Miss Tess album, but I’ll get to that in a minute. I would like to stress here that Miss Tess is not necessarily a “country” artist per se, although if she were invited to play the Grand Ole Opry, she would not be out of place, and would no doubt be very well received. Country Soul might be a better descriptor if I was forced to label it, but her music also has elements of rhythm and blues, jazz, country blues, rock n’ roll – but never manufactured to re-create a particular sound or era. I’m tempted to call this new Miss Tess album “easy listening” except she’d probably slap me. But damn, it really is so easy to listen to: laid back, soulful, funky, and addictive … much like the place it was recorded in and inspired by.
The new Miss Tess album – Cher Rêve – out Feb 7, 2025 is the product of an on-going love affair with the culturally rich region of South Louisiana known as Acadiana, or more specifically, the magical little city of Lafayette. If New Orleans is the “Big Easy,” then Lafayette is certainly the “Little Easier.” It is hard to describe this sleepy little town unless you’ve been here and experienced its infectious atmosphere for yourself. It may not be for everyone, but if you are of a certain disposition, it could affect you in ways you might not have imagined – it might even change your life.
I sometimes think of Lafayette as a cultural vortex with a magnetic pull that attracts like-minded souls. If you are longing for community, (music or otherwise), you’ll likely find it here. Relaxed, warm and welcoming, folks here are unafraid to show affection for one another, and are there for each other when times get tough. Cajun and Creole music, mostly sung in French, permeates the air, and hardwood floors are filled with excellent dancers of all ages and ethnicities. Each successive generation passes the time-honored traditions down to the next, preserving the cuisine, music, and language. Even in times of great strife and uncertainty, Lafayette somehow always manages to provide a soft landing.
Miss Tess lives and works in Nashville these days but is a recurrent visitor to Lafayette. She has played our clubs and is a frequent guest at the beloved Blackpot Festival and Cook Off, held every year on the last weekend of October since its inception in 2006. She has made many lifelong friends and fans in Lafayette since she first started visiting here back in 2010, and many of them are among the finest musicians South Louisiana has to offer. The same can be said for her uber-talented musical partner, the ubiquitous Thomas Bryan Eaton – guitar mastermind and producer extraordinaire. Thomas is an exceptional musician and has been a key element in Miss Tess’s touring band for many years. He is a wizard in the studio and a highly sympathetic musical collaborator. Thomas and Tess met onstage in New York City back in 2010, and they both visited Lafayette that same year, attending Blackpot for the first time. They’ve been coming back as often as possible ever since.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Much like Starday Records, whose slogan was “Preserving Our Nation’s Musical Heritage,” so too is Nate Gibson. Gibson’s book, The Starday Story: The House That Country Music Built, won the 2012 Belmont Book Award for Best Book on Country Music and his music has been released on Bear Family Records (Germany), Swelltune Records, Goofin’ Records (Finland), and Cow Island Music. Gibson’s latest release, Nate Gibson & the Stars of Starday, features him duetting with 14 country music stars since the 1950s and 60s, accompanied by Country Music Hall of Famer Marty Stuart and members of his Fabulous Superlatives band, and was selected by Country Music People magazine as one of the “Top 10 Country Music Albums of 2019.”
As a performer, Gibson has entertained at many national and international festivals including the New England Shake-Up, the Screamin’ Festival (Spain), Green Bay’s Rockin’ ’50s Fest, Viva Las Vegas, Montreal’s Red Hot & Blue Rockabilly Weekend (Canada), Helsinki Rockabilly Week (Finland), the Fryeburg Fair, Symco Weekender, Viking Cruises (Sweden-Finland), Ruuhijärvi Rockabilly Festival (Finland), the Indianapolis Road Rockets Rumble, and many others. Information about each Nate Gibson album is below and you can listen to and purchase any album by clicking on the album cover below, visiting nategibson.bandcamp.com, or buying directly from your favorite local record shop!
You may also like the following events from The Sh*tty Barn:
Also check out other
Music events in Spring Green,
Entertainment events in Spring Green.
