From Soul to Stage, Park City Song Summit Cherishes the Music Makers: Review + Photos

In its third year and second since finding a home at Canyons Village, Utah’s Park City Song Summit could be felt adjusting to its own duality. It’s a tough balance, trying to present a world-class music “retreat” in a resort mountain town while also serving as a holistic wellness experience espousing inclusivity. Lessons seemed to have been learned from last year, however, and both its mission and execution were better served as a result.

This became most apparent by attending daytime Labs featuring artists who would go on to deliver evening performances. The panel room itself received a major upgrade, a welcoming array of seating before a nicely appointed stage flanked by large screens. It was far more elegant and comfortable than the hotel conference room with rows of folding chairs that set the previous incarnation’s vibe, and speakers appeared to respond with even more open discussion about addressing their traumas and creating their art.

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In conversation with rock photographer Danny Clinch, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James generously spoke about his mental health journey, revealing how he’d spent most of his life “not wanting to be here” and how a self-care routine (15 minutes of yoga every morning, daily hikes, finding the right therapist) and getting sober helped him change perspective.

“One theme that hits me a lot is that we’re really missing the boat, we’re really missing this opportunity to love each other as people,” he said. “Because the divide and conquer bullshit, I’m so tired of it. I’m so over it. That’s the oldest trick in the book… I think it’s kind of our jobs as loving humans to say, ‘Enough. I’ll have no part of it.’ And something I think about a lot is that music is a great reminder, and I want to try as best as I can to remind people to love.”

Now, that’s some classic Jim James language right there. However, it comes with heightened earnestness when spoken in a room full of fans rather than in a media interview, and then is followed later that night by a joyful, energetic My Morning Jacket set. James seemed at his most playful on stage, turning Tai chi moves into dance for “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 1,” singing to the “birds putting their babies to bed… deer nestling under some trees” during “Golden,” shouting out the “beautiful people of Park City” on “Spring (Among the Living).” MMJ have been operating with renewed vigor since the shutdown years, but this show felt especially heartened; though I can’t speak for James and say his Lab impacted the performance, it’s something the Park City Song Summit founders would certainly be proud to hear.

The same goes for fellow headliner Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (who, perhaps not coincidentally, are going on a co-headlining tour with My Morning Jacket in September. Get tickets here). Rateliff’s Lab was moderated by Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals executive producer Jay Sweet, with whom he talked about the struggles of his early career and addiction, and finding both the sound and the voice of The Night Sweats. He touched on the meaning of tracks like “Heartless,” and his personal feelings on “S.O.B.” (“I don’t think it’s my best writing”); just hours later, he performed both those songs in front of the weekend’s largest crowd.

The Night Sweats’ setup is comparatively sparse, with the band arcing around the back of the stage and wide open in the middle for Rateliff to strut his stuff. That arrangement highlights Rateliff’s powerful performance on any day, but listening to him discuss his life and career prior to the show shifted how it was perceived. You saw the person behind the artist, and that is at the core of PCSS’ mission.

It’s why listening to the Larkin Poe sisters explore their lives as harmonizing bandmates elevated the experience of their ripping blues rock on stage. It’s why hearing trombonist Natalie Cressman and trumpeter Jennifer Hartswick dive into their love of music along with the challenges of the industry made every performance at the festival seem that much more of a miracle. During her panel (which, like Larkin Poe’s, was moderated by No Depression’s Hilary Saunders), Hartswick took time to applaud Park City Song Summit for “acknowledging how hard touring is, and putting on an event that focuses on that.”

That’s not to say only those performances connected to Labs were worth catching. Mavis Staples and Cimafunk delivered grand, intimate sets at Thursday’s welcome dinner in the Foundation Tent. Staples’ renditions of “For What It’s Worth” and “Friendship” (which she noted was Pa Staples’ final song) stirred the audience, embodying PCSS’ key tenant of the emotional resonance of music. Watching her tearfully embrace her backup singers after they too cried while singing “Far Celestial Shore” showed that, even at 85, the iconic singer can still find healing in her craft. Cimafunk, meanwhile, demonstrated that his Tribe may be one of the best live bands in the industry, turning the tent into a dancehall as he closed the opening night.

Cimafunk also brought along Havana, Cuba’s Primera Linea, a youth band whose members range from 12-18 years old. Alongside graduates of the Trombone Shorty Academy, the young musicians became the weekend’s ever-present stars, leading second lines, performing on the Foundation Stage, joining Krasno’s set, and collaborating with Run-DMC’s Darryl “DMC” McDaniels. Both groups represented Park City Song Summit’s commitment to real impact, as having them as part of the event not only gave them the chance to perform, but to learn from the very artists they aspire to be.

In fact, there were numerous little moments that underscored how vital events like PCSS can be. There was String Cheese Incident/Krasno & Friends percussionist Jason Hann sitting all night by the fire pit with the Trombone Shorty Academy members, swapping stories and insights. There were the audience Q&As that all included appreciation for artists sharing their inspiration with the next generation of musicians. There was the PCSS staff member sitting with a woman outside the Labs, getting advice on how to help a friend battling addiction and even the offer of a ride to meetings.

All of this exemplifies the true mission of Park City Song Summit: not just to showcase incredible live music, but give consideration and care to the people who make those shows possible. With a few changes — such as reducing the footprint to center activities around the Foundation Stage instead of treating it like a pass-by experience — the focus on the Song Summit Foundation’s efforts to “support the welfare of the people who make the music happen and those that come to enjoy it” was significantly strengthened. There was even a general reduction of the “lux festival experience,” although PCSS still attracts a predominantly affluent and connected audience. But if the discussions and causes at the event’s heart are to lead to real impact, perhaps that’s not the place for cynical analysis.

Despite the threshold of entry, PCSS proved its value as a third space. A sold-out crowd meant more people participated in sound baths and yoga sessions, enjoyed the Foundation Stage, and filled the Labs with attentive ears. More people connected over the value and cost of music, allowing the conversations around care and support to extend further. More direct actions and diversified lineups could continue to solidify its message, but in its third year, Park City Song Summit made strides to better connect the threads of its mission for both musicians and audience; hopefully, that growth continues.