Americana Music Association nominee S.G. Goodman Brings Western Kentucky Grit to Musicians Corner

The set was bookended by a blistering opening “Work Until I Die” and its closer, “Pepper” — the Butthole Surfers cover she’s been bringing to stages all year. One might believe there is a statement there — that she won’t be trapped into an Americana of fiddle and  banjo. The small-town living storytelling is there, but the sharp edges and electric urgency bring you down a rabbit hole to another world.

The set moved through “Supertramp”, “Satellite”, and “Nature’s Child”, all songs familiar to anyone who has followed her through her career. And between songs Goodman was animated and loose, the kind of performer who makes the talk between tunes feel like part of the show. “Space and Time,” her most-streamed song that was released in 2021, and perhaps her most purely Americana moment, seemed like the only chance for the band to catch their breath. It’s a heathfelt song that’s taken on a life of its own — covered by Tyler Childers and placed in the film Master Gardener — but Goodman owns it completely in a live setting.