Nashville singer-songwriter Stephanie Chapman wore her producer hat at Friday’s “Oh Sister!” show, but she did so much more, as she pulled off her the second annual celebration of Bob Dylan’s birthday (a day early this year) at 3rd & Lindsley.
Last year, Chapman chose the release party for her solo album Under an August Sky to throw a Dylan tribute. The independently-released album marked her return to recording after stepping out of the spotlight for a while.
“I’m talking real independent, not even a publicist on the side,” she said. “I did it for me as a songwriter to find my songwriting voice again after raising three kids.” As she considered a release date, she chose May 24, Bob Dylan’s birthday.
She said, “It was emotional for me. I love Bob Dylan’s music. That’s what my dad played for me growing up, and that’s probably why I write songs. I decided to do a combination album release party and Dylan tribute. Each one gave me permission to do the other.” She says she was proud of the album but wanted to “put [it] out softly.” She says she told herself, “It’s my album release party. I can do what I want: We’re singing Bob Dylan songs.”
The first year Chapman called on friends she had met in the music business over the years. Her husband Nathan Chapman, a producer and writer, worked with Taylor Swift in her early career and has gone on to work with many big Nashville artists who had become friends.
“That was like a rocket ship-type experience when we were still fairly young,” says Chapman. “We knew a lot of label people, managers, and artists, as we got thrust into Nashville’s professional music scene—and that was the whole journey.” Those professional connections led to many saying yes to performing that first year.
“I also have seen so much behind the scenes, touring, meetings, watching people,” said Chapman.
I’ve seen a lot behind the scenes, and I have developed a real great sensitivity to what to ask for.”
As she considered the Dylan show, she says, “My presumption is that even big Nashville-based artists all started out somewhere here with their pals.” She believed that they most naturally miss gathering and jamming with musician friends. “I know we don’t do that enough of that, and when I go to a friend’s show, I want to be up there with them—Let me at it—so it did not feel intimidating to make that opportunity to ask,” she said.
Once she started inviting performers this year, after 3rd and Lindsley reached out about doing another Dylan tribute show, Chapman says, her women friends quickly responded, saying “I’ll do it!” She decided it would be an all-girl show.
Chapman admits she felt the pressure to spearhead the project and to act as cheerleader, but adds, “There is a spiritual thing that happens when you just go for something you want, and I have found happily that other people want the same thing.”
The artists on the show roster spanned a range of Nashville music—country, folk, Americana, and indie musicians. Chapman enjoyed the challenge of matching the blend of artists to particular songs. “I know my back catalog of Dylan, and I am a closet producer/circus ringleader,” she said, “so I usually thought of an artist and then, right away, a song.” A few of the performers had a particular song in mind, but she enjoyed the matching process for those who weren’t as familiar with the catalog.
The combination of Chapman’s familiarity with Dylan and with the artists led to magic on stage. Chapman opened with “Like a Rolling Stone,” then served as emcee throughout the evening, providing harmony vocals throughout the night as well. The setlist varied between some of the more familiar songs and deeper cuts. Lindsey Marassa performed “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.” Kat Luna’s rendition of “To Make You Feel My Love,” with the band adding horns, was an ideal match of artist to song. Songs drawn from deeper cuts included Peytan Porter’s delivery of “What’s a Sweetheart Like You,” with just keyboards backing her.
Chapman noted that “Bob wrote so many words” and suggested Carolyn Dawn Johnson would probably get the award for learning the most lyrics when she performed “Things Have Changed.”
For this year’s show, rather than drawing from local studio musicians, Chapman went with her gut feeling after hearing the band Paperview, composed of Cooper Eltringham, son of Sheryl Crow drummer Fred Eltringham; Kolbe and Max Rees; Zy Kent; and Justin Whittaker. The high-energy young musicians opened the night with original songs, ending with Dylan’s “If Not for You.”
During the evening, Chapman recognized the band for “having to learn 186 Dylan songs.” Nothing about their performance, though, suggested they hadn’t been playing his music for years. Another treat was veteran session player Dan Dugmore’s accompaniment on pedal steel.
An acoustic portion was added midway through the night, inviting listeners to Dylan’s Greenwich Village days. Anna Rae, who played young Elsa in Frozen on Broadway, sang “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” with Chapman singing harmony. Folk singer Stella Prince, hailing from Woodstock, NY, suggested audience close their eyes and travel back in time, imagining hearing “Don’t Think Twice” for the first time.
Before Emmy Hitson’s performance of “Forever Young,” with only the pedal steel accompanying her guitar, cast members brought out a birthday cake, singing “Happy Birthday” to Dunmore’s wife Mary Elizabeth, the Rees twins (who turned 21 on Friday), and Bob Dylan himself.
After the acoustic set, the band returned to the stage. Chapman performed “My Back Pages,” which many think of as “Younger Than That Now,” with Siobhan Maher Kennedy singing harmony. Throughout the rest of the show, the individual performers switched out leads and harmony. Emily West sang “Tight Connection to My Heart.” Brandon knocked it out of the ballpark with “Serve Somebody.”
As one highlight of the evening, songwriting icon Matreca Berg sang “Not Dark Yet,” adding harmonica to the mix. She returned later to play harmonica breaks with Harper O’Neil on the classic “Knocking on Heaven’s Door.”
As an added bonus, when Kent, the bass player, broke a string, Chapman and Rae stepped up and performed a stunning rendition of “Farewell Angelina” while a new bass was found and tuned.
The evening closed with a fresh performance by The Boykinz, four sisters from Atlanta. Each member carried part of the vocal lead on a blend of Dylan’s “All the Tired Horses,” leading into their new single “Fell in Love with A Cowboy” from their upcoming album project. The sisters’ four-part harmony and stage presence are taking them soon to America’s Got Talent. As the show closed, Chapman suggested to the audience that one day, they’ll be able to say, “We remember seeing The Boykinz on a tiny stage in Nashville.”
After celebrating a successful night, Chapman is likely thinking of how to top this year’s show next year. Meanwhile, members of the audience will have a new list of performers on their radar.
All photos by Nathan Chapman
