Sam Masters
Google
eTown Radio Taping Event: The musicians eTown brought in were beyond incredible, I paid good money to see them, and to hear thoughtful, remarkable interviews. The Lone Bellow were phenomenal. Sunny War was otherworldly. But instead of giving them the space they deserved, the hosts, Nick and Helen, repeatedly stole the spotlight.
The most glaring example came during Sunny War’s final two songs, when Nick and Helen inserted themselves into her set, overshadowing her sound and style. It was baffling, unnecessary, and, frankly, disrespectful. I did not come to watch the hosts perform. I came to experience the brilliance of the artists.
If that wasn’t enough, Nick’s interview style was shockingly unprepared and, at times, offensive. To ask Sunny War...a Black woman who has overcome a difficult upbringing and carved her place as an extraordinary guitarist and vocalist, “When living on the street, did you ever have food?” was demeaning and humiliating. Instead of elevating her story and artistry, Nick diminished it, making himself the center of attention. The Lone Bellow themselves had to deflect his shallow questions, and Sunny War, from the audience’s perspective, was left exposed and disrespected.
The musicians looked flustered, embarrassed even, as the hosts clumsily orchestrated the encore. Both Sunny War and The Lone Bellow could have easily closed the show powerfully on their own, but Nick insisted on inserting himself again.
eTown has been around for 30+ years, yet this was amateur hour. Word to the wise: let the musicians play. Let the musicians speak to their own stories. Prepare for your interviews. And do not, under any circumstances, hijack the stage from the talent you invited.
I left ashamed for having supported this show with my ticket. I wanted a night celebrating the artistry of Sunny War and The Lone Bellow. Instead, I got a night about Nick and Helen. Truly floored, and not in a good way.
