Mickelson

“Well, I found it now: you’re like coming home…”

… after the vanished #13 and the not-quite-normal atmosphere of Covid passes (and autumnal temperatures) of #14, Maverick #15 was back in its rightful July slot and all was right with the world. Maverick always had a more domestic familiarity than your bigger impersonal festivals: less commercial, more relaxed, and that was all the more welcome this year.

Part of that familial familiarity is a rolling cast of favourites who return year on year, and it was one of those, the seemingly ubiquitous Lachlan Bryan, who with his band The Wildes was opening the festival on the Barn stage with a rollicking Oz Badland outlaw ballad as we passed heading for the Moonshine to catch the Drew Young Band (below), another returning artist.

Their set drawn largely from his long awaited album Bourbon & Bad Decisions showcased his rich molasses-and-whiskey timbre (they don’t call him the Americana crooner for nothing) against easygoing Eaglesy ambles like Falling Down, the brisk Petty-meets-CSN stride of Try Me with its tight harmonies courtesy of Kelly Bayfield, and Fix My Broken Blue’s Little Green Apples-via-Laurel Canyon hybrid, with some lovely pedal steel-mimicking guitar from Andy Trill.

Back at the Barn, a brand new name for Plunger (and Maverick) was San Franciscan artist/producer Mickelson (above): an impassioned songwriter with a fantastically sinewy Springsteeny vocal as evidenced in the protest of UNarmed American, the cleverly jerky off-kilter beat and piano underpinning of Jagged Tooth and a Bruce-cum-Neil epic sprawl Hercules And Ironman with hypnotic banjo from Scott himself. Probably Plunger’s discovery of the festival.

The Blue Highways (below) are well known to Plunger, although we’d always somehow missed the chance to see them live before. Another band who mine a rich seam of blue collar New Jersey epics (although stripped by necessity of some of the big production frills of Long Way To The Ground) there was still bags of Brucey bombast in the gritty vocal, expansive riffs, and frequent stop/start, quiet-bit-and-slow-build-back moments in Only A Matter Of Love and He Worked, as well as a highly impressive near a cappella opener, Tonight My Love.

Dirty Cello got huge appreciation (and not a little dancing) at the Peacock with their crowd-pleasing hillbilly hoedown two-step takes on popular favourites like Gimme Shelter, Proud Mary, Devil Went Down To Georgia, reminding Plunger most of a raucous cello-led Hayseed Dixie (and not really our thing!) A bit more polish came from Karen Jonas (below) back at the Barn. The slow Nashvilletastic waltz of Out In Palm Tree Paradise, a rattling cover of Johnny Cash’s Big River and the full-on Patsy-Clinesque cry-into-your-beer break-up farewell of Country Songs spelt ‘country’ with a capital C… marvellous!

Despite a brief moment of “wait a minute… this is BLUES!” (cf everything Plunger have ever written) at her Hookerish opening number, Kara Grainger (below) delivered a soulful set at the Barn with a notably Crayish cover of Breaking Up Somebody’s Home, and a slow TTB-like southern soul take on Storyville’s Good Day For The Blues with some judicious subtle slide to allay our fears.

Passing the Peacock gave us the briefest hearing of The Baskery, a frankly bonkers but skilful Swedish banjo-led jug band that mixed everything from slick late-Mac multi-part vocals and freeform trancey noodling to a rockabilly-beat-backed The Damned riff topped with Andrews Sisters harmonies. Oh, and an a cappella rendition of a 17th century Swedish folk song, as you do…

With the Barn headliners Vandoliers carrying on the same hell-for-leather stomp vibe of Dirty Cello, Plunger opted for the mellow duo The Black Feathers (above) down at the Moonshine. Two voices with restrained guitar accompaniment held the crowd spellbound down by the waterside, with high Old Time harmonies on an apt Down By The River, surprise covers like a junkerdash run at Spirit In The Sky, the slick Jackson Browne-does-trad-folk Lighthouse On Fire and the fragile heartbreaking harmonies and pauses of Strangers In The Dark. A particular favourite was the confessional rehab song Holy Water with its call-and-response duetting and atmospheric Crosbyish chords… you could have heard a pin drop (were it not for the oompa-oompa drifting down from the Barn). A suitably chilled close to day one of Maverick #15.

Mickelson: In healing, not banking on football

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterSep 18, 2023, 04:14 PM ET Close Senior college football author Author of 7 books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia Six-time significant champ Phil Mickelson stated he isn’t betting on football video games this season as he continues to recuperate from a betting dependency. Mickelson’s declaration on social networks Monday happens a…

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G4D Open: Mike Jones hails rapid rise of opportunities and new events for golfers with disabilities | Golf News

Eighty of the world’s most talented golfers with disabilities, across nine classes, are set to feature in the G4D Open from May 10-12 at Woburn’s Marquess course; the new event is held in partnership with The R&A and the DP World Tour and supported by EDGA By Ali Stafford Last Updated: 08/05/23 3:41pm Mike Jones is among the field this week at the inaugural G4D Open When Mike Jones tees it up…

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The Players: Tyrrell Hatton surprised by shock runner-up finish behind Scottie Scheffler at TPC Sawgrass

Scottie Scheffler returned to world No 1 with a five-shot victory at The Players; Tyrrell Hatton birdied seven of his last nine holes to equal the back-nine course record at TPC Sawgrass and jump into second spot By Ali Stafford at TPC Sawgrass Last Updated: 12/03/23 11:50pm Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Tyrrell Hatton produced five birdies in a row to take the…

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Mauritius Open: Antoine Rozner pulls clear for five-shot victory to claim third DP World Tour title

Mauritius Open: Antoine Rozner pulls clear for five-shot victory to claim third DP World Tour title

Antoine Rozner storms to victory at the Mauritius Open with a final-round 67; Frenchman finishes on 19 under, five shots clear of Alfredo Garcia-Heredia, to claim first DP World Tour title since 2021’s Qatar Masters Last Updated: 12/18/22 1:21pm Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Highlights from the fourth round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in Bel-Ombre,…

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Die saudische Aktivistin Lina Al-Hathloul fordert die PGA auf, LIV Golf | nicht einzuhalten Golf-Neuigkeiten

„Ich fordere Sie dringend auf, die rechte Seite Ihrer potenziellen Beteiligung an LIV Golf zu berücksichtigen und Ihren Einfluss zu nutzen, um den Status von Frauen im Land positiv zu verbessern und sich öffentlich vom saudischen System zu distanzieren“, – Lina Al-Hathloul Letzte Aktualisierung: 12.10.22 11:18 Uhr Die LPGA Tour wird ermutigt, sich nicht mit LIV Golf von Lina Alhathloul…

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Once golfistas demandan a la PGA por violar normas antimonopolio

Once golfistas demandan a la PGA por violar normas antimonopolio

04/08/2022 Act. a las 11:22 CEST Los jugadores que se fueron a la nueva organización saudí fueron sancionados por la PGA La demanda antimonopolio quiere conseguir el permiso para que Taylor Gooch, Hudson Swafford y Matt Jones participen en la FedEx Cup Once golfistas que se sumaron este año al LIV, la nueva liga de golf financiada por el gobierno de Arabia Saudí, demandaron este miércoles a la…

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What Did Phil Mickelson Say About The LIV Golf Criticism From Tiger Woods?

What Did Phil Mickelson Say About The LIV Golf Criticism From Tiger Woods?

According to Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson made a mistake by leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf. Fans were prepared for a response that might have made things worse, yet the opinion was treated with respect instead. Golfers are abandoning the PGA Tour to join a brand-new, Saudi Arabia-funded tour, but Woods doesn’t appear to be too happy about it. He claimed that the players had abandoned what had…

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Henrik Stenson completes winning LIV Golf Invitational Series debut after being stripped of Ryder Cup captaincy | Golf News

Henrik Stenson completes winning LIV Golf Invitational Series debut after being stripped of Ryder Cup captaincy | Golf News

Stenson earned $4m (£3.28m) for his two-shot victory, plus an additional also earned $375,000 (£308,000) as part of the Majesticks team – along with Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sam Horsfield – which finished second in the team competition. Last Updated: 01/08/22 8:11am Henrik Stenson claimed a two-shot victory in the third LIV Golf Invitational Series event Henrik Stenson responded to being…

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Mickelson in Louisiana

Phil Mickelson reacts to Tiger Woods' LIV Golf criticism

Phil Mickelson reacts to Tiger Woods’ LIV Golf criticism

One of, if not the most famous men’s golfer of all-time broke his silence Tuesday on the growing list of defectors joining the controversial LIV Golf Series. On Thursday, as the 150th Open Championship teed off, perhaps the most well-known face in the breakaway league responded. On Tuesday, Tiger Woods said the members of the Saudi Arabia-funded league had “turned their backs on what got them…

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Sad that I’m leavin’ bye-byes ain’t always pleasin’ ...

Maverick Sunday always has a laid-back, more muted, vibe going on, whether that’s due to the realisation that it’s all nearly over, a reflective Sabbath mood… or just Saturday’s hangover is debatable.

With only four hours of music an early start is essential (even if it means the bar isn’t open yet)  and we rolled up in good time to hear the massed voices of The Rabble Chorus rehearsing on the Green before Australian duo The Weeping Willows opened the Barn with the appropriately Old Time Religion of House Of Sin. a hint of Western menace ran through the bustling Black Crow with its dextrous banjo-style picking, while C.C.Rider was covered as sharp-harmonied, rattling-paced skiffle.

We caught Forty Elephant Gang (above) by chance doing an unbilled spot on the Buskers Stage behind The Saloon - although dogged by sound issues (with a soundman crawling among the cables front of stage) the stripped down arrangements gave a mellow folky edge to things, including a new song (we think) Hard Times, which mixed Californian sophistication (soft toms, fluid mandolin) with a Kilburn lyric very effectively, and even featured an extended instrumental coda, while Charles and Eddie’s classic Would I Lie To You was given a fun backporch makeover with audience participation.

Minnesotan singer/songwriter Humbird kept the relaxed vibe going, with a hypnotic, reflective, confessional solo set including a very trad-Appalachian-sounding On The Day We Are Together Again, which she wrote during the isolation of the pandemic.

Plunger weren’t going to pass up the chance to see Mickelson (below), back at the Moonshine for another glittering set of double-Bruce (Hornsby/Springsteen) expansive epics, including a couple of songs which Plunger can’t place (so either very old or brand new) with fantastic reverbed-up ringing banjo; loose, fluid piano; lithe drums and some fine harmony bvs too.

Evangeline Gentle (main pic) returned to the Barn for another intimate set (again aided by some lush harmonies and judicious guitar work from Nick Ferrio), with a spine-tingling lilting tremulous a cappella opening to Ordinary People; a winning combination of strength, vulnerability and defiance in the stately hymn-like Good And Guided; and a mesmerising new song written following Evangeline’s participation in a Wiccan ritual (“Don’t ask me how I came to be participating in a Wiccan ritual…”) - based around the chant ‘We All Come From A Goddess’ and dedicated to a tragically young victim of breast cancer, this was an increasingly impassioned incantation that built to a powerful close.

Now, all that ‘peaceful-easy-feeling-like-Sunday-morning’ stuff… forget Plunger said that, as the final Barn set of the weekend was another invigorating blast from the Hamilton Hurricane Terra Lightfoot (below). A reprise of Called Out Your Name’s soul-rocker juxtaposed a playful sweet-natured voice with paint-peeling riffs (matched with muscular drums and fluid bass); the Bandish off-kilter chug of Empty House featured dreamy pauses, catchy hooks and increasingly passionate vox, and No Hurry’s combination of jangling stadium chords and 50s harmonies included a lovely coruscating solo (and proved to be an astonishingly persistent earworm for days after). Showing her mellower side, a solo rendition of Two Wild Horses featured lovely picking and velvety restrained vox in an introspective bluesy-country waltz, before the urgent four to the floor “Oooh”-laden glam-boogie of Consider The Speed proved to be the finale for our Maverick #15 (Note to self - never pre-book a taxi for the scheduled finish time…)

A shame not to have been able to wish a proper ‘farewell’ to another stonkingly fine Maverick: good-natured, well-run, down-home welcoming, very-few-flies-in-the-ointment-y (the occasional water pressure-related toilet closures and the absence of The Pie Co van being the sole hitches), with such a diverse, something-for-everyone range across the spectrum of Americana (including those all important, previously-unheard, new favourites like Mickelson and Redhill Valleys) make this Plunger’s hands-down favourite festival.

Sad to leave, delighted to have been, and excited to return next year… “Anyway, Bye-bye”

Travelers Championship: Rory McIlroy ties lowest opening PGA Tour round and shares lead with J.T Poston | Golf News

Travelers Championship: Rory McIlroy ties lowest opening PGA Tour round and shares lead with J.T Poston | Golf News

Rory McIlroy and J.T Poston each shot a bogey-free, 8-under-par 62 to tie for a one-shot lead over a packed field in the opening round at the Travelers Championship; The two hold a one-stroke lead over Xander Schauffele and Martin Laird Last Updated: 24/06/22 8:05am Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Rory McIlroy put together an opening round of eight under par at the…

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The Players: Scottie Scheffler says winning at TPC Sawgrass more important than regaining world No 1 spot

Scottie Scheffler will become world No 1 once again if he finishes in top five at TPC Sawgrass following Jon Rahm’s withdrawal; Scheffler leads Min Woo Lee by two shots ahead of final round – watch live on Sky Sports Golf from 2pm on Sunday Last Updated: 12/03/23 12:54am Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Nick Dougherty and Rich Beem take a look at the best from…

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