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SOUTHERN FRIED SUNDAY 4 p.m. Sunday, March 20 Will’s Pub 1042 N. Mills Ave. willspub.org $10-$16
Kaleigh Baker beams during a previous Southern Fried Sunday; SFS at 14
SWEET SIXTEEN
PHOTO BY JIM LEATHERMAN; FLYER COURTESY SOUTHERN FRIED SUNDAY
Southern Fried Sunday celebrates turning old enough to drive with a great big musical bash BY MATTHEW MOY ER
“T
here’s something about a Sunday. Everything just seems a little bit more laid-back,” muses Jessica Pawli when asked about the easy-going, welcoming feel of her long-running Southern Fried Sunday musical event series. Indeed, before #SundayFunday was a rallying cry from every two-bit brunch spot in the known universe, Southern Fried Sunday was putting on events that lengthened out the feeling of weekend possibility and hijinks just that little bit more. SFS has been dulling the Monday dread for 16 years now with roots and Americana showcases paired up with strong spirits and fine Southern cuisine. This weekend, Southern Fried Sunday hits peak rebellious teenage years with a bash scaled to match. The all-day affair will sprawl over all three stages at Will’s Pub — the home to SFS for the last decade — and you can expect to see and hear
from performers young and old, repeat SFS offenders and first-timers. On offer are the Red Elvises (who also played SFS’ 10th anniversary), Nervous Turkey, Skinny McGee & His Mayhem Makers, Kaleigh Baker & Matt Walker, Will Quinlan, Elizabeth Ward, Matt Woods & Lauris Vidal and more. JC’s Soul Food Truck will be on hand to serve up thematically appropriate and delicious vittles. Attendees will also have a chance to (metaphorically, we’re fairly certain) peer inside the brain of a musician during a recording of Woods’ Songs Matter podcast on site, with Vidal and Woods talking the nuts and bolts of songwriting. “He and Lauris will talk about their songwriting processes and what inspires them, and break down certain songs,” enthuses Pawli. “Two stalwart musicians of Southern Fried Sunday, giving people the opportunity to gain insight into
them as artists and as creatives, is really kind of cool.” Thinking back to the beginnings of Southern Fried Sunday years back, Pawli remembers not being able to find the shows that scratched all her diverse musical itches. So she worked to build them. “It started as a spin-off of the popular Bluegrass Sundays at the Copper Rocket which had been going on for years before we turned it into Southern Fried Sunday. … At the time, I was going out to see bands like Lucero and Drive By Truckers and Reverend Horton Heat and the HorrorPops. … And we had some bands that would consistently open for them, but there didn’t seem to be this local community getting behind all of the [local] roots music,” says Pawli. “I wanted to create Southern Fried Sunday and continue the tradition that was there in place but bring the music to new fans, and new music to current fans. For me, the goal was always to help bands build a fanbase, and help fans discover new music.” When thinking back on her favorite moments of the past 16 years, Pawli free-associates a short survey of some treasured memories — and don’t get her started on the year they tried out Chickenshit Bingo (it is exactly what it sounds like). “When we first moved Southern Fried Sunday over to Will’s from Copper Rocket, those first few shows were really special. … Dex Romweber Duo at the Copper Rocket. … Some of the benefit shows that I did for the Mustard Seed. In July I would do a big Southern Fried Sunday. It always fell around my birthday. I would invite people to come celebrate with me, but make it a benefit to raise money to help people who were homeless in our community transition into a new home. So we teamed up with the Mustard Seed. … [ continued on next page ]
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MARCH 16-22, 2022 ● ORLANDO WEEKLY
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