by Laura Wasson
It isn’t often that I get to properly interview musicians. Typically, there’s a handshake and an exchange of business cards after the show, maybe even a shared beer or whiskey, but on Friday I had the pleasure of actually talking with Jesse Elliott, frontman of These United States. His band was celebrating their latest album with a properly ebullient show at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory as part of the Northside Festival. Despite having missed the opening day of the festival, this show felt in many ways like the ideal kick-off to a music-filled weekend.
The performance itself was perfectly complemented by the involvement of the audience. From dancing to singing along, this was a great, enthusiastic crowd. As Elliott mentioned later, “My favorite thing is to play with an audience that is dancing on the one hand but that is also very quiet and listening. If you can get people from one extreme to the other, it’s a beautiful communal experience for everyone.” While they weren’t always quiet—especially as the band played the heartbreakingly doleful “We Went Down to that Corner”—they were with the band from start to finish, happy to celebrate their success.
With a new album to promote, it would have been easy to lean heavily on new tracks, but this particular set was a smart combination of new and beloved material. From “The Angel’s Share” to “I Want You to Keep Everything,” the band took command of each song. It’s hard to believe that bassist Anna Morsett is still a fairly new edition to the lineup; her confident playing meshes so perfectly with Justin Craig's appropriately twangy Southern guitar stylings and Elliott's wailing, pure voice.
Towards the end of the set, Elliott revealed some truly exciting news: These United States would be playing with Willie Nelson in New Haven, CT on Monday, June 18th. Then they proceeded to launch into a pitch-perfect cover of “Me and Paul,” perhaps as a little thank you to Mr. Nelson. I asked Elliot why they chose that particular song when Nelson’s catalogue is so expansive. “It’s a great song,” he said. “I’ve always loved the lyrics. It’s essentially about touring. It feels like a buddy road movie to me somehow. One of the main refrains is ‘we received our education in the cities of the nation, me and Paul.’ It’s just a great line. Simple.”
In a way, it’s pretty perfect that These United States would be opening for Willie Nelson. Elliott clearly understands the rootsy, bluesy songbook and can easily reference everyone (Neil Young, The Allman Brothers, Nelson) and everything (blues, alt-country, bluegrass) therein with the deftness of a true artist. While there are plenty of talented dusty-road troubadors and folk gods touring now (Thomas Wynn & the Believers and Father John Misty come to mind), Elliott possess something different: an ability to craft songs with real soul and heart—and absolutely zero pretension.
In the not-too-distant future, the band will be heading to Alaska. It will be the forty-fifth state they’ve toured as a group and Jesse’s personal fiftieth state, having visited all the rest. For someone who so clearly grasps the spirit of America, it’s an interesting final stop, the last musical frontier in a way. While he may have to venture to other continents next, it’s clear that Elliott has an appreciation for and understanding of the great patchwork quilt that is American music.
Many bigger artists would be envious of that.