Meels Charms a Sold-Out Station Inn With ‘Critter Country’

There are some moments in Nashville when you become acutely aware that you’re witnessing something special. A couple songs into Meels’ sold-out show at the Station Inn, I took a look around at the crowd and was struck by how fortunate we all were to witness such a dynamic artist make her debut as a headliner. Plus, not every gig features a lineup of dancing puppets and a jig doll named Tiny Gilligan, who both opened and closed the show.

The puppets were courtesy of banjo player Phoebe Sanders, who’s become a social media favorite for her performances with Tiny Gilligan, a traditional folk jig doll (named for and modeled on Bob Denver’s bucket-hatted TV character) who dances along as she plays. Sanders opened the show alongside Gilligan and the collection of puppets she has made: a raccoon named Milk Jug, a vulture named Nestor and an indefinable (yet adorable) creature named Pebby Bear.

Sanders’ irresistible dose of joy and whimsy was the perfect lead-up to Meels, who released her latest record Across the Raccoon Strait on Jan. 30 via Lost Highway. After kicking off the set with “Vultures,” Meels took a moment to celebrate her first show as a headliner — anywhere, not just in Music City.

“This is surreal,” Meels said. “I’ve never played a show that’s all mine, and it feels so special to be doing it here at Station Inn, such an iconic venue in Nashville.”

Though Across the Racoon Strait is less than a month old, Meels treated the audience to a couple tunes that haven’t been released yet: the bluesy jaunt “Smokey Bear” and “Awesome Possum,” a lilting number about an on-again, off-again relationship. 

Meels describes her blend of country, folk and bluegrass as “critter country,” a nod to her hometown of Mill Valley, Calif., and its diverse wildlife. “I grew up in such a naturally beautiful place with millions of animals, so using animals as metaphors for my life just felt really natural,” she told the Scene earlier this month. 

She paid tribute to her hometown, which she called “the most beautiful place on earth,” with a performance of “Old Mill Valley.” Not unlike Dolly Parton’s “Tennessee Mountain Home,” the song captures the universal feeling of longing for home by sharing remembrances of the flora and fauna specific to the region.

After a haunting performance of her breakthrough tune “Willow Song,” Meels invited Nashville singer-songwriter Belle Frantz for a buoyant cover of Parton’s own “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind.”

Many of Meels’ songs sound like they could be fables, fairy tales or lullabies passed down from generations ago. In “The Wizard,” she uses the imagery of toads and bugs to describe her experience with obsessive compulsive disorder, while the rollicking “Oh Deer” is a lesson about the futility of trying to tame a being’s wild nature. 

Meels’ performance of “Lonely USA,” a barnburner that hearkens back to The Stanley Brothers, showcased Meels’ virtuosity — and how she and her band can absolutely shred. Meanwhile, the tender “Marsha June,” which tells the story of her 86-year-old grandma, a California free spirit who hosted naked parties and had a monkey named Clementine, highlighted Meels’ gift as a singular lyricist. 

“She’s the coolest woman that I know, and I felt compelled to honor her in song,” Meels said. “Everything in this song, all the lyrics you hear, are true.” 

She closed out her set with the boisterous “Out West,” during which Sanders returned to the stage with Tiny Gilligan, who got miked up and served as the percussion for the song — and he even got his own dance solo. 

As Meels, her band and Tiny Gilligan took their final bows, the crowd gave them a standing ovation. It may have been her first headline gig, but it certainly won’t be the last time Meels absolutely charms a crowd.

Features

Meels Draws on Nature in Her ‘Critter Country’ Tunes

• Bobbie Jean Sawyer