Event Review: Mile of Music 2023 in Appleton, Wisconsin
Even seeing a small sliver of the hundreds of artists at this four-day multi-venue festival added up to an epic weekend of music.
Crys Matthews at Mondo! Wine Bar & Retail. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
Mile of Music in Appleton Wisconsin is a festival of staggering proportions. The event, celebrating its 10th iteration in 2023, doesn’t feel like it when you’re walking around the city, nor attending an individual show. It doesn’t even quite hit you when you’re combing through the lineup beforehand making a wishlist and piecing together an itinerary (though that is something of a feat, even with their comprehensive app. I admit I had ChatGPT pitch in on planning my schedule!).
For me, its scope truly hit home while writing this article. Having felt like I’d packed my days with an impressive number of shows, I added them all up and compared them with the overall festival stats. I managed to see 18 acts in 22 sets at 14 venues. Not bad, huh? Well, the festival comprises 200-plus acts, 700-plus shows, and 40-plus venues. That means I hit less than 10% of the acts, 3% of the shows and 35% of the venues. Damn.
Only a portion of the artists are Americana (thank GAWD or my task would’ve been even more daunting), but even filtering my choices that way, I had myriad choices, and several of them are acts I’ve been waiting to hear live for months or even years. As I put together a dream schedule, I was struck by how many of the names on my list were artists of color, queer acts or women. As we know all too well, Americana (especially the country side of it) has lagged embarrassingly on giving these groups a platform and chances to grow, especially at festivals. So I was quite impressed that without really trying, I’d put together a really diverse show list. It speaks to Mile of Music’s inclusionary booking that doesn’t feel at all like tokenism.
Despite having studied the map and Googled directions between venues (everything really is roughly within a square mile), it was hard to predict how this festival, which can draw upwards of 80,000 visitors in the course of its four days, would feel. Although the schedule didn’t include any big arena acts, there were definitely some well-known and buzzed-about artists. Would it be chaotic, crowded, confusing? All we could do was dive in and see for ourselves.
Day One
First impressions as we drove in Thursday afternoon were interesting: The streets were quiet, almost sleepy. A trickle of folks with instruments slung on their backs were checking into the Hilton Appleton Paper Valley—one of the epicenters of the festival—and signage about the event were plastered all over the small city, but other than that it didn’t feel like I’d stepped into the middle of a massive festival.
Alisa Amador at Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Photo credit: Randal Hicks.
My official festival opener was Alisa Amador. Her astoundingly beautiful set in lovely Lawrence Memorial Chapel (which despite the quiet-seeming streets, was nearly full) was a magical way to begin my adventure. The Boston-born artist, a child of Latin folk singers (her mother is from Puerto Rico and dad New Mexico) and the 2022 NPR TIny Desk Concert winner, opened with “Pasajeres” in Spanish. Her bilingual solo set with electric guitar wove together elements of folk, jazz and funk. “I don’t know what genre my music is,” she mused between songs, “and I’ve realized it doesn’t matter.”
Crys Matthews at Mondo! Wine Bar & Retail. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
Next up for me was Crys Matthews at Mondo! Wine Bar & Retail, a small cozy venue that took its listening room status seriously: “Quiet please, artists at work” signs were prominently placed on stage, and the emcee made a point of it too. I was excited to see this artist live and was not disappointed. The social-justice-focused songwriter, born in North Carolina (child of a preacher) and now based in Tennessee, opened with “Exactly Where You Are,” a hopeful, welcoming song about finding empathy and common ground, with the refrain “no us and them, just me and you.” That was followed by the award-winning “Changemakers,” the title song from her most recent album.
Matthews talked about Tennessee’s recent anti-LGBTQ legislation and how even her love songs feel political now. “So my sets just keep getting gayer,” she said before launching into “Oklahoma Sunrise.” Between the social justice protest songs and queer love ballads, I lost count of how many times I swallowed back a lump in my throat.
Nikki Morgan at Mondo! Wine Bar & Retail. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
I stayed at Mondo to see another North Carolina artist I’ve been wanting to see for a while: Nikki Morgan. She came into her own as an artist during a decade spent in Chicago before moving back to her home state. Her giggly Southern charm in her stage patter (she described herself as a “second generation preacher kid” since her grandfathers were bishops) contrasted with intense, eloquent and occasionally sweary vocals.
Between clever, emotional, observant and surprisingly gritty relationship songs, Morgan talked about having speech problems growing up and how it made her work even harder to express herself with words. Her way with lyrics is striking, such as the pitch-perfect line “Learning to love is such a fragile art.” Her sound, generally a contemporary folk style, took some intriguing detours, like a Sun Studio-era early rock ’n’ roll feel in one original, and what she described as “really weird tuning” in another that resulted in a haunting Radiohead-esque feel to the song.
A block over from Mondo, I next caught one of my local Twin Cities faves, folk singer-songwriter Luke Callen, at D2 Sports Pub. He and his stalwart band (drummer Chris Gray, guitarist James Patrick Horigan and bass player Lauren Anderson) battled a long journey (they’d gotten off track and only arrived 30 minutes before the set), a freak rainstorm (the patio venue did have partial cover, so it was more distracting than anything), and sound system issues that never fully went away.
Nevertheless, they managed to deliver a great set. Luke’s songs and style are incredibly versatile, so they can always be tailored to the occasion, whether it’s an intimate listening room or a loud sports bar like D2. I was glad to hear “Some Reason,” an unreleased single off his upcoming album that can currently only be found in a field recording on YouTube.
Whitehorse at The 513. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
After dinner it was over to The 513, an event space mainly used for weddings and business parties with temporary modifications that made it a great seated music venue. Toronto husband-and-wife duo Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet aka Whitehorse was another act I’ve been hoping to see since hearing their most recent album, I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying.
Whitehorse’s sound dips into folk, rock and psychedelic Americana at various times, but the new album dug into classic country sounds. Between songs they explained how they never considered themselves a country band, but that during lockdown (especially after John Prine’s death) they took a deep dive into country records. Doucet used bouts of insomnia to write country songs on voice memos at 3am, and McClelland became inspired by that to write some of her own. Even playing without their full band, they brought a ton of energy, gorgeous harmonies, and seriously impressive lead guitar from Doucet, along with quirky stage banter that cracked the audience up.
Paisley Fields at D2 Sports Pub. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
I headed back to D2 next to see Paisley Fields. Originally from Iowa and now New York City-based, Fields (he adopted the stage name about five years ago; before that it was his band name) has connections to the drag world and it shows. He’s fond of over-the-top attire such as the pink harness and sparkly gold cowboy hat he wore at D2. Like queer pop-punk rockers Pansy Division, Fields isn’t afraid of poignant songs about uniquely gay struggles but also leans into joyfully silly material. “I’m gonna do a song about gay sex,” he said, before launching into “Ride Me Cowboy.” After the chorus (which ends “Look deep in my eyes, put your hands on my thighs / And ride, ride, ride”), he added, “I never said it was subtle.”
This radiantly radical act is a joy to watch, and the set got even more special when another New York artist I was eagerly anticipating seeing at Mile of Music, Mya Byrne, joined in for a couple songs, including their recent duet “Burn This Statehouse Down” which they co-wrote in response to Tennesdee’s anti-drag legislation.
Day Two
The streets of Appleton were much busier on Friday (and remained that way for the rest of the festival), but still didn’t feel overwhelming. Thanks to the number of simultaneous shows, the venues I visited never felt overcrowded.
Mike Munson (r) and Mikkel Beckmen (l) at Mondo! Wine Bar & Retail. Photo credit: Randal Hicks.
After my long first day of travel and shows, it was a struggle to even get out for a noon show. But once I got to Mondo, the electric fingerstyle country blues guitar of Mike Munson (with expert washboard backup from Twin Cities mainstay Mikkel Beckmen) was like a double espresso that jumpstarted my energy and enthusiasm for the day. Munson, a fellow Minnesotan, had performed in the second and third Mile of Music events, but this was his first one in years.
Although I generally prefer music with lyrics and singing, one of his instrumental songs was a surprise highlight for me. “Rosehill” starts soft and jazzy, building intensity as it goes. Munson explained it was a “meditation on one of my favorite spots in Mississippi, Rosehill Road.” He complimented but gently egged on the listening crowd; “You’re doing such a good job of not talking; you can let out a sigh if you need to.” It was enough to loosen them up so when he mused, “I don’t know whether to chill or rock,” the audience response was definitive: “Rock!” Munson obliged with a blistering blues rocker.
Luke Callen at Chadwick’s Bar. Photo credit: Randal Hicks.
My first artist double-dip was next: I went to see Luke Callen again, this time at Chadwick's Bar. This venue had a nice layout and great sound and a more attentive crowd than the night before, which made a huge difference in band energy and cohesion.
Humbird (captured at Houdini Plaza Main Stage). Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
Coincidentally, the next act on my itinerary was Callen’s partner Siri Undlin aka Humbird at Jones Park. This outdoor venue had a huge stage facing an open field, a striking contrast to the smaller spaces I’d been frequenting for most of the festival. Undlin has not only played at Mile of Music before but many other times in Appleton. “We keep coming back here because this is a great music town and people are so supportive,” she said.
Humbird has a number of micro-love songs about 20-30 seconds long, and they performed one of them, slowed way down (it was still less than a minute). “This is our fourth show in two days and we’re just having fun now, trying new things and making different choices,” Undlin explained. “No set is the same; I’m sure that’s true of a lot of the bands here. That’s what makes it special.”
One of her songs’ lyrics celebrated our own shared “music town” of Minneapolis, with references to the cross streets of the 331 Club and a line about Mikkel (the washboardist I’d seen earlier with Mike Munson) playing there with someone new on a Sunday afternoon. (Mikkel very frequently appears with different artists, at the 331 and many other Twin Cities venues.) Another highlight was Humbird’s new single “Help Me Willie Nelson.” (“Not a joke,” she said in the intro. “I really do need Willie Nelson to help me, and I’m reaching out the best way I know how!”)
Mya Byrne at Copper Rock Coffee Company. Photo credit: Carol Roth.
Next I was back to a listening room to see Mya Byrne at Copper Rock Coffee Company. This was another Mile booking that wowed me—it really feels like they’ve got their finger on the pulse of who’s exciting in Americana right now. This New York City singer-songwriter (another preacher’s kid!) has a sweet appealing voice, a versatile guitar style and a country sound laced with folk and blues. The songs she shared in this solo acoustic set, punctuated by goofy stage patter, were mostly romantic or introspective (one exception being the foreboding “Smoke and Bones” about climate disaster).
Byrne doesn’t get too political or talk much about her identity onstage, she said, reminding us that as a trans person and lesbian, just walking down the street in public is a political act. Highlights of the set included the gorgeous “Autumn Sun” and the point where she sat down in playful protest until they lowered the lights to make the room “more vibey,” making the audience laugh by picking out a Christmas song on her guitar.
Mae Simpson at Emmett’s Bar and Grill. Photo credit: Brandon Lenzmeier.
For a complete change of pace, I next caught Mae Simpson on the outdoor stage at Emmett’s Bar and Grill. One of the charms of a festival like this is that you can walk a couple minutes and go from a listening room to a party atmosphere complete with beer tents and food trucks. Simpson and her band were the perfect act to draw people in with their infectiously joyful funk/soul sound, her charm and powerful vocals, and the band’s musical showmanship. Their new tune “Minnehaha Mama” had just dropped that day, Simpson noted, making the set an unofficial single release celebration show.
The new track, which opens with some Prince-esque falsetto crooning, is a perfect bop of a love song to a girl, as sweet and sunny as ice cream on a summer day.
The last act I saw on day two was Gabe Lee at Hilton Paper Valley Evergreen Listening Room. (It was handy to have the last set in the hotel I was staying at!) This was another act I’ve been impatiently waiting to come through the Midwest. Lee discussed his newly released album, Drink the River. After two very plugged-in records, he said, he brought some of his bluegrass friends into the studio and created a much more traditional sound.
Lee talked about his own lived experiences as a Nashville-born son of Taiwanese immigrants, but Drink the River, he explained, is about telling other people’s stories. He related the backstory of “Marigold,” about a man whose wife passed away and left him with small kids. Singing that song to us in Appleton WI, Lee said, was why traveling musicians’ work is important: “We’re bringing stories to places that might not ever hear them. Here’s a little piece of a 200-person town in Mississippi.”
I was blown away by this engaging set, not only the amazing storytelling songs but the fascinating talk in between about songwriting and empathy and the role of traveling artists. I returned to my hotel room feeling pensive and emotional and just so glad about live music and festivals like this.
Day Three
Gabe Lee on the Mile of Music Bus. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
I knew this day contained hours of back-to-back sets for me, so I got an even later start than the day before. The first act for me Saturday was Gabe Lee once again. I definitely wanted more after the previous night, and plus this gig was a uniquely Mile of Music experience that I just had to try. Lee performed on the Mile of Music Bus (aka the Band Wagon), which takes a 20-minute spin around Appleton while an act attempts to stay upright and not get carsick while also putting on a show. It is wild and it’s amazing.
Knowing that the bus is super popular but has limited capacity, I got in line an hour before Lee’s set to be one of the chosen few. In striking contrast to his philosophical bent the night before, Lee’s between-song patter mainly consisted of fictional Houdini anecdotes about places we were passing that all ended in the punchline “And that’s why he wanted to disappear.” (I eventually looked it up and learned that Houdini lived in Appleton for about four years–his family moved there from Hungary when he was a toddler–and he considered it his hometown.) Lee’s songs still packed an emotional punch despite the hilarious precarious situation, and I left the bus an even bigger Gabe Lee fan (and in awe of Mile’s creativity)!
Sway Wild at Appleton Beer Factory. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
Next it was off to a brewpub, Appleton Beer Factory, to see Sway Wild. I’ve missed this act the last couple times they came to Minneapolis, so I was excited to finally catch them live! With their sound ranging from island-flavored jazz rock to outlaw country, this married duo from Washington (who’ve played together for 13 years) is hard to categorize, but has some common threads: gorgeous harmonies, engaging melodies, and killer electric guitar from Mandy Fer (who also tours with Allison Russell as her lead guitarist).
Getting serious mid-set, Fer introduced “Waves of the Wind” by talking about white privilege—that none of us living today invented racism but that we can all do something to fight it. “We have to be better; we can be better than this,” she said, getting choked up. “Events like this are so important,” she added, for being able to come together over important issues. The refrain reminds us, “We’ve got a long ways to go / For every human to feel whole.” Sway Wild also walks the walk: a portion of proceeds from the single go towards Black Mamas Matter Alliance. This wasn’t the first or last time at this festival that I was reminded of the importance of music—live music especially—beyond the sheer enjoyment it can bring.
Writers Round at the Hilton Paper Valley Empire Listening Room: (l to r) SoulTru, Nikki Morgan, Julie Williams and Joy Clark. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
I hurried back to the hotel next for a Writers Round at the Hilton Paper Valley Empire Listening Room. Featuring emerging Iowa artist SoulTru, Nikki Morgan, Nashville’s Julie Williams and New Orleans-based Joy Clark, it reminded me of the Black Opry Revue, a touring show of revolving Black artists that I’ve seen Williams host in Minneapolis.
It’s impossible to briefly sum up the range of styles and stories represented in this hour-long set. From R&B to folk to pop to country, from complex relationship songs to celebrations of hope and change, each song felt profound and personal, and each artist shone. Something about songwriter rounds makes audiences listen closer to lyrics, I think, and also inspires songwriters to bring their most emotionally impactful songs to the stage. I know I for one choked up several times throughout!
Joshua Ray Walker at the Hilton Paper Valley Ballroom Main Stage. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
The next set was at the Hilton Paper Valley Ballroom Main Stage, another space in the hotel, but it overlapped with the Writers Round so was already in full swing when I got there. I’d seen Joshua Ray Walker a couple times so I knew what to expect in general, but he opted to keep his four Mile of Music sets as different as possible, so this one mixed recent hits with some older material he hadn’t played in a while. It felt fun and loose and energetic; Walker’s voice plus the magic wrought by his pedal steel player practically put me in a trance whenever I see him, and this time was no exception.
Adeem the Artist at the Hilton Paper Valley Empire Listening Room. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
I opted to end my day early with one more show at the Hilton Paper Valley Empire Listening Room: Adeem the Artist. It was my second time seeing them live so I knew what to expect here too, but it was still wild: the combination of political commentary and comedy keeps you laughing and gasping and cheering between songs.
Adeem has one of the most captivating voices in current country, in my opinion; I’d love listening to them whether or not they had profound messages to impart (though I’m glad they do). The lyrics in “Heritage of Arrogance” reminded me of Mindy Ferrer’s words at the Sway Wild set earlier that day: “Wasn’t taught the world was so goddamn unjust / but it’s on us to make it right.”
Day Four
Christopher Gold at The 513. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
My first show of the last day was the only one I attended outside my planned itinerary, based on a last-minute recommendation. I returned to The 513 for Appleton-based Christopher Gold. New to me, this singer-songwriter has apparently played every Mile (this is his 10th)! I was drawn in by his beautiful voice, fingerpicking and lyrics. His stage patter had impeccable comic timing that kept everyone engaged, and he ended the show (as he often does) by doing a fun, touching duet with his teenage son on vocals and harmonica.
After that, I couldn’t resist another repeat performance next: Adeem the Artist, this time at McGuinness Irish Pub. Once again they had the crowd in stitches at times, like when we joined a call-and-response on “Going to Hell” (“Do you really want to go to heaven?” “NO!”...”Do you want to go to hell?” “Okay?”).
But they also wrecked us with “Middle of the Heart,” a song about a young soldier who comes home with PTSD and takes his own life. Every song, whether it made us laugh or cry, insisted on looking past glib answers and status-quo thinking to acknowledge that the world is messy and messed-up (but still worth trying to save).
I could tell a lot of people in the venue were connecting with the music and messages as much as I was, but not everyone: On my way out, I heard two audience members talking with a condescending air that felt like it was glossing over some defensiveness. “I don’t know that I liked him but he made me laugh,” said the older woman (not correcting herself after misgendering them). The man she was with agreed in a similar tone: “No, he wasn’t that good but it was funny.” Their reaction was unfortunately predictable, but I knew Adeem had gotten through to a lot of other people in attendance—and even this couple’s defensiveness showed that the set had made an impression on them.
For my last Mile of Music show, I just had to go back for another dose of Paisley Fields, this time at Appleton Beer Factory. I was glad I did; the crowd was livelier and clear fans of the act, so the set was even better than the first night I saw them. It was the funnest possible capper to an amazing festival, which was my first Mile but won’t be my last. (Mark your calendars for August 1-4, 2024!)
Show Gallery from Mile of Music 10
Carol Roth at Turf Club. Photo credit: Dan Lee.
Carol Roth is a full-time marketing copywriter and the main music journalist and social media publicist for Adventures in Americana. In addition to studying the guitar and songwriting, Carol’s additional creative side hustle is writing self-proclaimed “trashy” novels under the pseudonym T.A. Berkeley!
