While the mediums of television and film operated in a space of limbo due to strikes this past year, music artists in 2023 helped fill the pop cultural void with a plethora of eclectic releases. As we head into 2024, let’s take a look back at the songs and albums that made at mark on The Big Muddy Music Hour.

When Big Velvet shows up, so does Columbia. In November, Paul Cauthen rolled through Columbia backed by The Texas Gentlemen and supported by Colby Acuff.

As Colby and his band took the stage, I was immediately struck by their playful and boyish performance. They hyped up the crowd, lights popping and guitars screaming.

I first became aware of Marcus King in 2015. It was at this time that producing events took up a larger chunk of my professional time. Mike Denehy (creator of the Pedaler’s Jamboree and owner of Off Track Events) and I had signed on to work with another company to help them create a cross-state bike ride and party unlike anything Missouri had seen.

Frank Turner has been touring for more than 2 decades and shows no sign of slowing. On a Monday night, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls shared The Blue Note stage with midwest emo and local band Black Bear Boxer, and tourmates Rebuilder, a pop-punk outfit from Boston.

The first and only time I saw Josh Ritter live was around 2011, but it was definitely in Lawrence, KS. I was introduced to his music by a horrible college boyfriend and it took me a few years to disassociate the music from that rough time in my life. Since then, Josh Ritter has been a staple on every train, plane, or road trip.

Before my wife went into labor with both of our girls, we spent a lot of time curating a playlist of music that would play in the delivery room while she was giving birth. Both girls had their own unique set of songs with each playlist lasting over four hours. The song that played when each was born are forever known as their “birth songs” in the LaVaute household. Ava’s was “Just Breathe” by Pearl Jam. Daisy’s was” Aqueous Transmission” by Incubus.

The members of Radiohead all have a long line of side projects that are scattered across the history of the decades’ old act. From Atoms for Peace to Thom Yorke’s solo career you almost expect a new one to pop up every couple of years, play a smattering of shows, and then disappear again as soon as the Radiohead machine begins to pick up steam.

When faced with the task of writing a blog regarding Ben Folds, his new album, and his recent performance at the Stifel Theater I find myself struggling with where to begin. Ben Folds has been intrinsically entwined in my musical journey for the past twenty four years.

I have been a fan of Ritch Henderson and Arlo McKinley for a while now. I have come to expect beers to be a little saltier (from tears), the mood to be a little forlorn, and a sense of community that comes only from sharing space and music. This show was different.

Big Muddy Blog writer Emmi Weiner shares her experiences at the Big Muddy Folk Festival in Booneville, MO.

Rose Music Hall has a reputation for bringing some of the latest and greatest americana acts to Columbia and on February 21st, Rose treated us to the next generation of future legends: Willi Carlisle (fresh from his Outlaw of the Year recognition at Ameripolitan Music Awards) and Adeem the Artist (fresh from their respectable retirement from Twitter).

Fall is in the air in Mid-Missouri and with it the sounds of Roots n Blues emanate throughout Columbia.

I was first turned on to Built to Spill in the late aughts by an ex-girlfriend of my drummer. The band appealed to my taste for simple, yet sardonically laced guitar rock that was somewhat reminiscent of such mid-90s alternative acts as Tripping Daisy or early iterations of The Flaming Lips. While I always appreciated their sound, I never delved in so deep as to consider myself an ardent fan, but years later that changed when I witnessed the band’s triumphant return to The Blue Note stage earlier this week.

Jack White is no stranger to sonic extravagance. While he upheld a minimalist motif in such early acts The White Stripes, he has unequivocally adopted a “kitchen sink” mentality on every one of his solo releases.

When you think of a rock show, you want headbanging, sweat, and loudness. You want primal energy and a group effort to go hard as fans.

In 2009, I worked security for The Blue Note, Columbia’s famed music venue. It was while I was employed there that I saw Baroness for the first time.

It is a rare thing to meet your heroes, let alone in unlikely places. I met Maynard James Keenan, lead singer of progressive rock behemoths Tool, in the most unlikely of places.