Squeeze into your Levi 501’s, strap your banjo to your back and hitch your way along Sauchiehall Street, the Glasgow Americana festival 2009 is coming to town. Actually it already took place 16th-23rd of May so you’ll have to wait till next year but in the meantime you should check out some of the fantastic artists the festival attracted and settle for a barn dance in your living room. With eight acts playing at eight different venues across the city the Glasgow Americana festival has well and truly established itself on Scotland’s festival map. Now in its third year the festival will hopefully continue to grow with the support of The Scottish Arts Council, Glasgow City Council and of course the dedicated fans.

The Classic Grand played host to Po’Girl with support from Sarah McDougall, the Canadian representatives of Americana on Friday 22nd, putting that old time rivalry aside for a night or two.

Sarah MacDougall, who plays a mellow, stripped down blend of Scandinavian folk and American country held the crowd to attention with her Dylanesque charm. Her set went from bouncing polka dance tunes to heart breaking ballads and her magnificent vocals backed with the simplicity of a slide guitar make her a very promising new star on the folk scene.

Po’Girl were an entirely different kettle of fish. Their uplifting take on American folk music, combining it with jazz, roots and a little bit of pretty much everything else, has the ability to put a smile on anyone’s face. The title track from their latest album ‘Deer in the Night’, written about a roe that their touring van knocked over in North America, is as warm and soothing as a hot bath. Alison Russell and Awna Teixeira front the band and the intertwining of their vocals and idyllic lyrics have come to define the Po’girl sound. Russell has a zest about her that radiates into the crowd from the minute she takes to the stage. Her bluesy, soulful voice adds a different edge to their music, one that is rarely heard in Americana. Teixeira’s voice on the other hand has a sweet but salty quality to it that makes it perfect for underpinning Russell’s. But the vocals are only one part of the show. The string bass, accordion, resonator guitar and full drum kit work perfectly together to make one hell of a noise. Lots of clapping, stomping and singing along.

As well as songs from their new album Po’Girl played a selection of early works and a couple of stellar covers. Shake Sugaree by Elizabeth Cotton as you have never heard it before and Long Way Home by Tom Waits finished off the gig. Although the band may well be a long way from home, with the crowd’s response I think they felt very settled in Glasgow. Anyhow, they seem to rather fond of Scotland, continuing their tour through Glenrothes, Banchory, and Lossiemouth. It’s great to see bands paying a bit more attention to Scottish cities outside Glasgow and Edinburgh. If you fancy a hoe-down of a road trip get up north at the end of this month and catch them. For a band that has been on the road pretty much non-stop for the last few years they still managed to put a tremendous amount of energy into the performance. Overall a very interesting and fun embrace of old-time jazz and Americana.

Review by Rob Jack