Lydia Loveless will continue her long-standing love affair with Athens when she returns to Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St., on Saturday.
Loveless, whose notable local appearances include the Cabin Fever Festival and the Nelsonville Music Festival, is visiting Athens as part of a series of tours, including a trip to the United Kingdom, before going back into the studio to work on new material.
Although Loveless is playing internationally, small towns such as Athens are where the Coshocton, Ohio native got her start. Beginning in her late teens, she frequented the Athens stages.
“I started playing in Athens, often at Casa, when I was 17,” said Loveless, who now lives in Columbus. “I used to play pretty often, about once a month or so.”
Josh Brown, a worker/owner at Casa Nueva in charge of sound, said Loveless was well received when she made her first appearance on the cantina’s stage.
“She plays maybe once or twice a year,” Brown said. “The first time she played here was about three years ago and it was just her and her dad on drums and it was good, old-school country and kind of folk music. We try and have her back whenever we can.”
Loveless, who is signed to Bloodshot Records, plays country in the style of Hank Williams. There is also a folk tinge and a punk female influence to her music, Brown said.
“It’s very laid-back,” Brown said. “People mostly sit back and listen. Some of the songs are more upbeat, in which case some people may get up and move around a little bit. Mainly it’s more chill to listen to.”
Loveless said she appreciates the atmosphere at Casa Nueva as opposed to other spots in Athens, which is why she returns.
“I really like everyone that works there,” Loveless said. “It’s a fun, rowdy crowd but normally it’s a little more chill than other bars. Because of the university, there’s an artsy crowd. Plus I like eating the food.”
The show, which will have a minimum $6 cover charge, will begin at 10 p.m. Nick Tolford, who also played at the Nelsonville Music Festival, will be opening along with the D-Rays, an Athens-based band who plays old-school surf music.
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