Brandy Clark arrives at the 57th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Dwight Yoakam, left, and Brandy Clark perform at the 57th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)
For its 75th incarnation, the granddaddy of all logging shows is set to feature a homegrown talent who has made a name for herself on the honkytonk streets of Nashville and anywhere else a crackling radio signal can be tuned in.
This year, Brandy Clark, the Grammy-nominated country musician and songwriter from Morton, will perform at the Loggers Jubilee.
“They reached out to me not all that long ago and asked if I’d like to be a part of it this year since it's the 75th year,” said Clark in a phone interview as she made her way back to Nashville on Friday after playing a festival in Wisconsin on Thursday night. “I grew up going every year, so I was really honored that they asked me to be in the parade and be a part of it.”
Clark said that memories from the Loggers Jubilee served as inspiration while she penned her most recent album, “Big Day In a Small Town,” which was nominated for a Grammy award this year.
“When I was putting that album together, that’s what I thought about. Every small town has one. Winlock has the Egg Days and Mossyrock has the Blueberry Festival … Every place has their own unique little festival,” said Clark.
While eggs and blueberries are nice, it’s tough to beat competitive ax throwing, acrobatic chain sawing and water pool log-rolling for sheer entertainment value. And that doesn’t even take into account the epic lawnmower races that rip through the East Lewis County burg.
“My favorite thing was, I loved the lawnmower races and of course the parade as a little kid. You wanted to get a good spot so you could get the most candy,” remembered Clark. “One thing I always liked about the lawnmower races was that it seemed like a big school reunion.”
Putting the kibosh on any sputtering ideas, Clark said she will be in town to perform for the crowd as a musician only. Even if someone donates a souped up lawn mower to take for a spin, she says she’s not taking the bait.
“I’ve got no business being out there. They take it so seriously, throwing elbows and whatnot. I’d wind up getting hurt,” said Clark with a laugh.
Although it may come as a surprise to many Morton residents, Clark actually made a surprise visit to her hometown recently.
“When we played Seattle and Portland a few weeks ago, we actually drove through Morton. It was early in the morning and we got out and walked around. We went to the Jubilee grounds, which is actually where they played football when I was going to school, and it just brought back a lot great memories for me,” said Clark, who is excited to reconnect with her roots at the Loggers Jubilee. “I just hope that I get to see a lot of people that I haven’t seen in a long time.”
In a statement on the Loggers Jubilee website, organizers echoed Clark’s excitement. The post noted:
“This year we are proud to announce that we will be having our first music venue on Saturday night. We are even more excited to say that one of Morton's own, Brandy Clark, will be performing! She will be doing a special concert in the arena on Saturday night. Her album entitled, ‘Big Day In a Small Town’ has taken on new meaning for all of us. We are so proud and grateful for her appearing at Jubilee.”
In addition to her Aug. 12 performance in Morton at the Jubilee, Clark will also be making an appearance in Chehalis on July 21 for a performance at the Chehalis Theatre. Clark promises that the two shows, at the vastly different venues, will be unique enough that people shouldn’t be skeptical about attending both.
“People can expect two very different shows,” insisted Clark.
She said the Jubilee will be a more lively set for the benefit Saturday night revelers in Morton while the Chehalis Theatre show will be stripped down to just a guitar and bass with Clark on vocals.
“This tour I did in the spring was mostly theaters and small clubs. I like both settings. I like the energy of the standing room and I like the intimacy of a seated room where people are really able to hear the words,” explained Clark.
The Loggers Jubilee will run Aug. 10-13, with Clark’s performance beginning at 8 p.m., Aug. 12. Gates to the open seating show will open at 7 p.m. and $20 advanced ticket purchases can be made at TICKETFLY.com. Clark’s performance at the Chehalis Theatre will take place on July 21 with the show beginning at 7 p.m.
