River City Roll presents Morgan Wade on Thursday, April 8th! We are selling socially distanced tables inside and on our patio that will seat various sized parties from 4-8 guests. Doors open at 7:00pm, show starts at 8pm! CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TABLE!
Morgan Wade
Morgan Wade has never sounded like anybody else, and for a long time, she thought that meant her songs were just for her. “Honestly, I think that was really good for me,” she says. “It made me think, ‘Alright, well, I’m not going to sing for anybody else––but I’m singing for myself.’”
Since then, Wade has figured out that when you grow up in Floyd, Virginia, where bluegrass sustains everyone like the Blue Ridge Mountain air but you hear other sounds like pop and punk in your own head, singing for yourself is the way to become the artist you were always meant to be.
Produced by Sadler Vaden––Jason Isbell’s longtime guitarist and an acclaimed solo artist in his own right––Wade’s full-length debut Reckless is a confident rock-and-roll record that introduces a young singer-songwriter who is embracing her strengths and quirks as she continues to ask questions about who she is––and who she wants to be. Her voice, a raspy soprano that can soothe liltingly or growl, is on brilliant display. “I feel like the last couple of years have been me trying to figure out where I fit in, who I fit in with, and what’s going on,” Wade says. “I’m almost four years sober, so a lot of the friends I had, I don’t really hang out with anymore. When I wrote these songs, I was going through a lot, just trying to figure out who I am.”
Now living in Damascus, Virginia, about two hours east of where she grew up, Wade remains connected to the roots that raised her, even as she stretches. “All these bluegrass players would get together out in the streets and play music together,” she says of her little hometown. “My grandfather would go up there every Friday night, and I’d go up there with him and my grandma. I remember falling asleep on their laps, just sitting up there, listening to music.” When Wade began to write her own songs, country radio was dominated by svelte voices like Shania Twain and Faith Hill––and Wade couldn’t hear herself in any of them.
“I’d write songs but didn’t tell anybody about it,” Wade says. “It was like some kind of secret. Even as a kid, it was what I liked to do: I’d go off into my own little world and write songs and stories.”
Wade was 19 and in college when she first performed in public: an open mic in Floyd, backed by a band she had cobbled together via Craigslist. She loved the stage––and soon, her secret writing and singing became a public––and beloved––soundtrack. Wade began touring with her band, the Stepbrothers, and generated a grassroots following and high-profile attention––including that of Vaden.
Asked how she feels about the head-turning voice she used to hide, Wade is characteristically honest, self-deprecating, and insightful. “I still go through moments. I was in the studio two weeks ago and I thought, ‘Can I actually sing? Is everybody just mocking me right now?’” She laughs a little and sighs. “I think it just takes a while. After spending all those years feeling like you weren’t good enough, it takes time to rewire your brain––to know hey: You really do have a good voice.”
Today, with Reckless in tow, Wade is ready to for her voice to be heard. “This is different than anything I’ve ever done before,” she says of the record. “It’s opened up a bunch of different lanes––and I’m proud of it. A lot of the songs are about figuring out what the hell I’m doing.” She pauses and grins. “Maybe record number two will be a little bit more about knowing who I am.”
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𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 & 𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒
THIS SHOW IS AN INDOOR/OUTDOOR SEATED SHOW! STANDING ROOM IS NOT PERMITTED! THE STAGE IS LOCATED INDOORS WITH LARGE INDUSTRIAL SIZE GARAGE DOORS THAT WILL BE OPEN TO OUR HEATED PATIO.
We are taking every precaution to keep our guests and staff safe during our events. Please be sure to read the following information to be best prepared!
If you are sick, running a fever or have been exposed to COVID-19, please stay home until you are healthy.
MASKS ARE REQUIRED! The ONLY time a mask is not required to be worn is when you are at your table, ACTIVELY EATING OR DRINKING. While waiting to enter the venue, please follow all directions from event staff and observe social distancing. Do not crowd the group entering ahead of you.
Tickets can be purchased ONLINE ONLY. There will be no box office onsite. Should tickets be available the day of the event, they must be purchased online. There will be no hand-to-hand transactions for tickets at the entrance of the venue.
Once inside, event staff will direct you to the correct table. There will not be any upgrades the day of the concert or inside the venue.
Your table occupancy must not exceed your ticket type.
CROWD PARTICIPATION IS NOT ALLOWED. Do not leave your table during the concert except to use the restroom or leave the facility. When using the restroom, you must wear a mask. Any concertgoer that leaves their table, refuses to wear a mask, or does not follow house rules will be asked to leave the venue without a refund.
ABSOLUTELY NO STANDING OR GATHERING will be allowed around the stage or in the walkways and will be enforced by staff.
At the conclusion of the concert, wear your mask and exit the venue while always maintaining an appropriate social distance from other groups. Follow all directions from event staff.