Spencer Cullum and Skyway Man Vibe Out in West Nashville

Scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 30, but moved last-minute to Sunday due to inclement weather, Spencer Cullum and Skyway Man’s benefit concert for Moving Nashville Forward — a nonprofit advocating for universal basic income for Nashvillians who need it most — put an exclamation point on a memorable Halloween weekend. Postponing the outdoor show, which was held at a private residence on the West Side, was a good call.

The air was cool, the sky clear and the atmosphere warm as I entered the backyard to the dulcet strains of Spencer Cullum and his band playing on the deck. Like a miniature version of Denver’s Red Rocks or L.A.’s Greek Theater, the hillside provided ample seating. Assorted colored lights reflecting off the trees recalled The Grove at Bonnaroo, a cozy spot to recharge when the crowds and conditions get to be too much. As grown-up house venues go, it was perfect.

Cullum, one-half of instrumental duo and longtime Scene faves Steelism, stepped out on his own about a year back with Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection, a heady mix of pastoral folk and longform jams. The Essex, U.K.-raised musician’s “singing songs” nod to his English roots, evoking the likes of Nick Drake and The Kinks. This material made up the first of two sets from Coin Collection, a coterie of musicians impressive in both quantity and quality. Among them: Erin Rae, harmonizing in lockstep with Cullum; Sean Thompson, dressed as a wizard and casually shredding on electric guitar; and vocalist Annie Williams, who was part of Nashville's early-2010s singer-songwriter boom but has laid low in recent years.

In between Cullum's two sets, Skyway Man made a welcome return to the town in which he honed his craft. Rooted in Richmond, Va., formed in Music City and now based in Oakland, Calif., James Wallace’s rotating-cast ensemble’s hourlong set took a deep dive into the realm of psychedelic country, with hints of baroque pop. Between the sound and the surroundings, the Laurel Canyon vibes were strong. 

The final act, meanwhile, took the crowd back in time to early-1970s Germany, delivering on the promise of “a spooky krautrock space jam” advertised on the flyer. The set kicked off with the hypnotic “Dieterich Buxtehude,” a Coin Collection standout and homage to Neu!’s meditative Teutonic classic “Hallogallo.” The remainder of the show, Cullum explained in a post-show text to the Scene, was “improvised via lifting various Can riffs.” As the sweeping, sprawling jam unfolded, gusts of wind rolled through, scattering autumn leaves over the musicians and audience.

On a night refreshingly free of the stressors of our troubled times, it was a quietly beautiful moment. I hope to make the trek back up that hill for another show in the near future.