Kindred Spirits of the West
Through song and story, the Slow Ponies bring the history of the American West to life and make it resonate with listeners.
Story by Geoff Shipley Photo by Leah Nansel
More than 150 years ago, when Charles Applegate met with Camafeema (Chief Halo) of the Kalapuya people to negotiate the peaceful settlement of the Yoncalla Valley by the Applegate families, the two men could have scarcely imagined that their great-great-granddaughters would one day come together to entertain—and educate—audiences with timeless tunes inspired by the wagon trains, sagebrush-studded trails and personalities of America’s Old West.
That spirit and heritage is captured in a new album by the Slow Ponies, a collection of live tracks recorded during two concert sat the Yoncalla Community Center in 2018, not far from where Applegate and Camafeema held their fateful meeting.
“We want the meaning behind that bond to resonate through our music,” says Susan Applegate, visual artist, vocalist and one of the four founding members of the Slow Ponies along with cousin Shannon Applegate and longtime friends Esther Stutzman and Linda Danielson.
The album provides the next best thing to a front-row seat into how a multigenerational, multicultural group of local musicians can make a statement about the present through songs, tales andfinery inspired by the past.
“We have a real affinity for each other,” says Stutzman, Slow Ponies’ vocalist, native storyteller, Oregon Governor’s Arts Lifetime Achievement Award honoree and great-great-granddaughter of Camafeema. “It’s about coming from different places and backgrounds and really getting along and celebrating that.”
On the Live & Kickin’ album, that celebration is in full bloomon classics such as “Tumblin’ Tumbleweeds” and “They Call the Wind Maria” and on fresh originals such as “Pancho” and “Song of the Aging Cowgirl”. All are songs that would feel right at home sung around the old-time cattle drover's campfire.
And just as those rustlers and Old West characters sought to expand their horizons in ways both literal and figurative, this album has a knack for broadening perspectives — whether it’s learning that “Tumblin’ Tumbleweeds” wasn’t originally about tumbleweeds at all, or hearing the lyrical flourishes that give voice to those whose role in the story of the American West is often overlooked.
“It was important to honor the contribution of women and using their voices and stories to put twists on songs,” says Shannon Applegate, Slow Ponies’ vocalist, acclaimed author of the locally inspired Skookum novel and another Oregon Governor’s Arts Lifetime Achievement Award honoree. “People might think of the West and all of the men, but there were lots and lots of women right there too.”
Same goes with the band, where Stutzman and Susan and Shannon Applegate partner with the old-time fiddling of educator and historian Danielson, the high harmonies of Yoncalla city council member and educator Stacey Atwell-Keister, the guitar and high harmonies of touring musician and award-winning music educator Melissa Ruth and the upright bass work of Liz Crain. A multi-instrumentalist as well as a rancher, Crain also happens to be the only member of the Western group who actually owns a horse.
While educating through art is important to the Slow Ponies, make no mistake, Live & Kickin’ will have listeners stomping and swaying in their boots while reimagining the cowboy mystique captured in the Silver Screen era by the likes of Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Gene Autry, Rose Maddox and other classic Western music luminaries.
“We wanted to pick music that was comfort music,” says Susan Applegate. “Like (musical) mashed potatoes and gravy or macaroni and cheese.”
Listeners will be forgiven, though, if their own sing-along attempts at hitting the harmonies and traditional yodels showcased on Live & Kickin’ don’t go down nearly as smoothly as those hall-of-fame dishes. Like a cherished herd of prized palominos, the Slow Ponies’ vocal talents represent serious investment.
“We spent a lot of time getting it just perfect,” Stutzman says about the group’s vocal ambitions.
“We wanted to tackle the task of good harmony,” Shannon Applegate adds. “Almost like a surfer when they’re in what they call the ‘green cathedral’ and everything is perfect.”
The Slow Ponies also want to use the power of music and story to help their audience gain a better understanding of themselves, one another and their connection to history and the American West.
“The Slow Ponies use the power of music and story to help their audience gain a better understanding of their connection to the American West.”
“One of the most rewarding things is when we sing these old songs and people sing along,” says Stutzman. “We’re actually eliciting memories from the audience.”
The Ponies don’t shy away from memories that sometimes sting, as when Stutzman leads the group in a bristling rendition of “Custer (The General He Don’t Ride Well Anymore)”that views the demise of General Custer through the eyes of Native Americans.
It’s one of many poignant turns that — along with the playful song introductions, stage banter and crisp production — capture the musicality, intelligence, humor and cowpoke spirit of a Slow Ponies’ performance.
“This music represents ties to the past and the things we value,” says Shannon Applegate. “We need these things to sustain usand connect us to where we live and to each other.”
For Stutzman and the Applegates, recording their first live album didn’t even ruffle their skirts, perhaps owing to some 20 years of Slow Ponies escapades and decades more of singing together and apart.
“The live album, that was Melissa’s idea,” says Stutzman. “We all thought it sounded fun, so why not?”
That cowgirl confidence has been part of the Slow Ponies since the day they passed on “The Old Gray Mares” in favor of their current name.
“We’re slower, but we’re still ponies,” says Susan Applegate with a laugh.
Though social distancing guidelines have kept the group apartlately, the individual members are still practicing and, says Susan Applegate, “still finding materials to explore and expose.”
If Live & Kickin’ is any indication, when the day comes to get back together, it won’t be much different than returning from alone some trail ride.
Or as Stutzman puts it, “We just need to get together and shake off the dust.”
Saddle up and download Live & Kickin’ at slowponies.com
