The Black Lillies at the Loft at City Winery

Cruz Contreras

After three albums, Cruz Contreras and Robin Ella Bailey divorced and dissolved their band, Robinella & the CCstringband. As part of his healing process, Contreras gathered a few musicians in Knoxville, Tennessee and wrote, arranged and recorded songs in his living room. He released these songs as the debut Black Lillies album in 2009, receiving immediate accolades from the Americana community. Since then, the Black Lillies annually has been ranked as the "Best Americana Band" in the Metro Pulse "Best of Knoxville" poll. In 2010, the band was the first artist selected and announced to participate in the new Americana Music Association's Festival & Conference. In 2011, the Black Lillies became the first independent artist from the Knoxville area to be featured on the Grand Ole Opry, and made history again by being invited back multiple times; the band has appeared on the show more than 35 times, a record for an independent act. The Black Lillies lineup presently consists of Contreras on lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, and mandolin, with guitarist/vocalist Dustin Schaefer (formerly of Mickey & the Motorcars), bassist Sam Quinn (formerly of the Everybodyfields), and drummer Bowman Townsend. The Black Lillies' fifth and most recent album, Stranger to Me, was released on September 28, 2018.

Following another foundational change in personnel, the Black Lillies juggled its old sound with a new sound tonight at the Loft at City Winery. The band still favored country rock, but with the former six-member unit now reduced to four members, the catalog forfeited the earlier male-female vocal interplay. Contreras led most of the singing with the band members assisting with lush and layered  three-part harmonies. Contreras' pensive and articulate lyrics largely hinged on hope and growth, giving the set an upbeat dynamic. With so many country bands leaning heavily on crossover pop and rock these days, the Black Lillies pleasantly performed a set that positioned country melodies at the forefront.

Visit the Black Lillies at www.theblacklillies.com.