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From the 2023 Ellnora Guitar Festival
at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in Urbana, Illinois

Emmylou Harris and her five bandmates took the stage at Tryon Festival Theatre on Saturday night for a spellbinding set that spanned nearly two hours. Despite the late 9:30 p.m. start time, the venue was packed to capacity with an eager crowd.

The warm, intimate performance by the 13-time Grammy Award winner (nominated 47 times) showcased songs spanning her legendary career. Framed by subtle stage lighting that caught her signature shoulder-length white hair, Harris opened with “Here I Am” from her 2003 album Stumble Into Grace, followed by “Orphan Girl” and “Love and Happiness”—tracks Harris lightheartedly noted were all “from this century.” She then launched into “Wayfaring Stranger,” a classic from 1980. With her first record dating back to 1975, the 76-year-old icon embraced her longevity, comfortably bantering and poking fun at her decades in the spotlight.

Harris’s backing musicians maintain an unassuming presence, yet their virtuosity is undeniable. On stage left, Phil Madeira effortlessly rotated between keyboard, piano accordion, and a searing slide guitar. On the opposite wing, Eamon McLoughlin regularly stole the show with his fiddle work, while weaving in mandolin and viola throughout the night.

Renowned throughout her career for taking other artists’ compositions and transforming them into her own, Harris plays with a heartfelt spirit that infects the entire stage. Every musician played with quiet reverence for the songcraft, their expressions mirroring the emotional depth of the arrangements.

Toward the end of the evening, Harris paused to pay tribute to her longtime friend, the recently deceased Jimmy Buffett. While her fond words were no surprise, what followed was a stunning revelation: her guitarist, Will Kimbrough, had co-written Buffett’s latest single, “Bubbles Up,” from his posthumous album Equal Strain on All Parts. With Kimbrough taking lead vocals, the band delivered a moving rendition of the track—a moment that proved to be the emotional high point of the night.

“He really knew how to live,” Harris said of Buffett. “He knew how to make music. He knew how to make people happy. We could learn a lot from him.”

The very same could easily be said of Emmylou Harris.

Photos by Sal Nudo