Bluebird Cafe Concert Series•BOWEN*YOUNG w/ John Eddie & Amie Miriello•January 27, 2022• Sundance Mountain Resort
Reviewed and Photographed by Alisha Gregson
On January 27th, BOWEN*YOUNG, spent the evening at Sundance Mountain Resort sharing their hauntingly beautiful songs and emotional stories with a captivated audience. The duo formed by husband and wife, Brandon Robert Young, and Clare Bowen, were joined by their equally talented singer-songwriter friends, Amie Miriello, and John Eddie. Together, the artists sat on stage inside the cozy and intimate Rehearsal Hall. They played their songs in rounds to kick off Sundance’s first Bluebird Cafe Concert of 2023.
I have been to a couple of concerts at Sundance in the summertime before, but this was my first winter concert at the resort. They only recently added winter shows to their Bluebird Cafe Concert Series schedule. I was curious to see what the venue was like. After a walk through the cold mountain resort, I was pleased to step into a warm and welcoming room. Some concertgoers gathered at the fire pits just outside the Rehearsal Hall to warm up and chat, before finding a seat inside.
The Bluebird Cafe Concert Series, in partnership with the famous Bluebird Cafe, brings Nashville’s best singer-songwriters and musicians to Sundance. The shows, known for selling out quickly, usually feature three artists. This lineup was an exception with duo BOWEN*YOUNG adding one extra voice. The artists alternated their performances throughout the night while also telling stories before each song. Sundance has formed a great relationship with the Bluebird Cafe. Locals are lucky to have the opportunity to enjoy the series without having to travel to Nashville.
The setup that goes along with this concert series made this show unique in all the best ways. I enjoyed seeing the artists all on stage at the same time. They each brought something different to the show. BOWEN*YOUNG kept the audience in love, with their powerful and authentic ballads. Amie Miriello was quick to remind the crowd that love often leads to pain and despair, with her sad and moody songs. Then, to balance out the emotions of love and pain, John Eddie was the comic relief. With his witty songs, he had the entire audience laughing, before starting the same emotional process through the rounds all over again.
I loved seeing the genuine interactions between the artists during and between songs. At one point I noticed the way Clare Bowen watched Amie Miriello sing. The two are very close friends and neighbors. When Miriello finished her song, Bowen expressed how much she enjoyed being there with her friends, “When you are watching people appreciate the people you love, that’s the coolest.”
BOWEN • YOUNG
BOWEN*YOUNG was the first to start the rounds. Clare Bowen immediately charmed the crowd with her cheerful personality. She told the audience how the Bluebird Cafe had special significance to her. In 2012, Bowen began her role as Scarlett O’Connor in the popular TV show Nashville. The Bluebird Cafe was a frequent setting on the show, and Bowen recalled filming the pilot in the actual cafe before a replica set was built. Clare then told the crowd that she and her husband would be singing the first song she ever sang into a microphone, and it happened there in the cafe years ago. The crowd was completely drawn in by their hypnotic vocals and harmonies.
The couple met in 2013 when Clare’s duet partner was a no-show for her first solo set at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Brandon filled in as a last-minute replacement, and the two immediately hit it off. Brandon proposed in 2015 at the Ryman Auditorium during the couple’s Grand Ole Opry set, and they were married in 2017. It was easy to see how much they adored each other as they sang on stage together. It was especially noticeable as they shared a terrifying story about a home invasion.
The couple opened up about the horror they felt as they stood together locked in their bedroom as an intruder spent over 10 minutes trying to break down their bedroom door. The fear they felt about the possibility of losing each other in the moment caused them to reflect on their love, and just how far they would go to protect the other. The next day, still shaken, they found the strength to attend a previously planned songwriting meeting. It was there that they wrote their new song ‘Dangerous Love’ in only 45 minutes. This raw and powerful song left the audience speechless, with many in tears.
Throughout the night BOWEN*YOUNG kept a message of love through their songs and stories. Love for each other, love for others, and love for music. They put all their heart into the performance, and the audience could feel it.
Amie Miriello
Amie Miriello was the second artist to sing in the round. She warned the crowd that they wouldn’t be getting any happy songs from her. She described her songs as sad and depressing as she pulled inspiration from the failed relationships of her past. In contrast to her moody songs, Miriello’s personality was happy and upbeat. She spoke about how wonderful her husband was, nothing like the men her songs may have been inspired by.
The small intimate setting of that evening’s concert was vastly different from all the time she spends on stage touring as a backup vocalist with country stars Sugarland. She mentioned how much she loved seeing the smiles from everyone in that Sundance audience. Her first song of the night, “Somebody Else Might” was emotional, heartbreaking, and incredibly beautiful.
Amie Miriello is also part of the American duo Boys Club for Girls. She sang one of the duo’s new songs “Romance is Dead.” The songs in her set were filled with poetic lyrics, proving just how talented a songwriter Miriello is.
John Eddie
John Eddie was the final artist to start the rounds. Whenever it was his turn to speak or sing, he kept the audience laughing. His first song for the night, “Happy New Year,” has been made fairly popular by Kid Rock. I had heard Kid Rock’s version a couple of times but loved every second of John Eddie’s longer, original version. Eddie also shared that the song was first discovered and picked up after he sang it at a Bluebird Cafe Concert in Nashville many years ago.
Later in the night, John Eddie told the crowd about the time he wrote a song for a Tim McGraw and Gwyneth Paltrow movie. He excitedly talked about how he got to go to the movie premiere and sat right behind the two of them. Just as he had the crowd feeling his excitement, he announced, “My song wasn’t even in the stupid movie.” Halfway through singing the song that McGray and Paltrow never sang, he stopped to say “It should have totally been in the movie.” The cheer from the audience was a clear sign that they agreed. He continued with the song, stopping again to point out which verse was meant for Tim, and the verse he wrote for Gwen. It was a great song – it should have been in the movie.
At the end of the night, the artists received enthusiastic applause. Many in the crowd gathered near the front to thank them for their performances. It was a wonderful night full of beautiful music and stories. This was my first experience with the Bluebird Cafe Concert Series at Sundance, and will surely not be my last.
Sundance will host one more winter show in March and five summer Bluebird Cafe Concerts. Tickets for the summer concerts will go on sale in March.
Click here for more info on the Bluebird Cafe Concert Series.