words by Patty Riek
photos by Jon Bauer
Friday’s Finding Lucinda screening was a musical bonanza in the intimate 4 Star Theater! Before the movie, alt. country legends and rising stars paid tribute to Lucinda Williams and the power of her music.
ISMAY (Avery Hellman) opened the evening (with her band Andy Allen-Fahlander on guitar, Dave Zirbel on steel, Joshua Zucker on bass and Mick Hellman on drums) commenting that the film celebrates both the legacy of Lucinda Williams and creativity. ISMAY’s gentle finger work and understated vocals made “Jackson” her own.
Jimmie Dale Gilmore recounted that Lucinda Williams slept on his couch in the early days of her career, and what a lucky day it was when he met Warren Hellman (HSB founder and ISMAY’s grandfather) before his “Howling at Midnight” duet with Ismay. Olivia Wolf explained how she and ISMAY would sing “Concrete and Barbed Wire” in the back seat of the family car as kids before sharing her version. Steve Earle commented on his last “straight” job hanging billboards before his version of “Sweet Old World.” Bay Area performer Elizabeth Lubin added a soulful element with “Sweet Baby.”
Before playing “Crescent City,” Chuck Prophet described how he and Stephanie Finch opened for Williams years ago. Driving their Econoline van and trying to keep up with the tour bus, they always intended to leave shows early, but invariably got caught up in the fun of the show.
After a short introduction by ISMAY, musical supervisor Jonathan McHugh, and producer Chuck Prophet, the hour-long movie played. The plot centers on ISMAY’s path to figure out if they want to commit to music and performing. As a way to get clarity, they seek out important spots where Lucinda played, and notable people Lucinda Williams knew early in her career.
Hearing the stories of Lucinda Williams’s and Chuck Prophet’s early days in music and seeing ISMAY, Wolf, and Lubin pick up the musical torch taking it into the next generation beautifully illustrated the power of the creative impulse and lasting legacy of music across generations.
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