So did genre-dodging Prince fansBrittany Howard(Alabama) and Sturgill Simpson (Kentucky).
Southern rock even got play on the political stage in 2024, by turns thrillingly and appallingly.
Whats going on here?
Brittany Howard and MJ Lenderman are two Southern artists taking their brand of rock music into the future.Bobbi Rich; Charlie Boss**
One might point to a few things.
Rock & roll migrated up north and out West.
It morphed, racially and stylistically; scenes rose and fell.
The other great 2023 Southern rock album wasWeathervanesby Jason Isbell, who got his start in the Truckers.
Its telling he was invited to play at the Democratic National Convention this year.
Hood and the Truckers, meanwhile, played a delegate party hosted by Arizonas Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords.
Naturally, conservatives wanted Southern rock signifying, too.
These histories underlie the new Southern rock, too.
So it was fitting to hear Michael Stipe and Jason Isbell playing R.E.M.
songs at a Harris/Walz rally in Pittsburgh in October, hoping to swing things in a positive direction.
It was in some ways a more convincing performance of the United States than any politician managed this year.
Heres hoping we can heed the sentiment.
