When I chose to see Allison Russell with Kyshona opening at The Sinclair this week, I did not know it was International Women’s Day. How fortuitous, though, to see a show where the musicians are incredibly passionate about women’s rights.

I’ve been a fan of Allison’s work since her Birds of Chicago days (that band is on hiatus as Allie focuses on her solo work), and it is incredible to witness her ascendancy into the ranks of Americana’s great artists.

Allie release her début album, Outside Child, in 2021 and by the end of the year it appeared on many critics top ten albums of the year – and many critics named it their number one release. Allie chronicles her traumatic early days which included horrific abuse by her father and her escape from that home as a young teenager.

Outside Child is a stunning album which also tells the listener about her first love in Montreal, “Persephone”.

Her touring band is composed of extremely talented women. Sista Strings, sisters Chauntee (violin) and Monique (cello) Ross; Mandy Fer (guitar); and Elizabeth Goodfellow (drums). All sing as well.

Allie is a multi-instrumentalist as well. Her clarinet playing has an ethereal quality to it that increases the emotion in the songs in which it appears. She also plays banjo and tambourine.

This was the second time I have heard Allie perform this album; the first was at Newport Folk Festival last summer. She performs the songs in the same order as on the album because there is a logical progression to them. They are her journey – or at least part of her journey, since I have a feeling there is more to come – from trauma to triumph.

Allie will be back in Boston in September supporting Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats and tickets go on sale tomorrow, March 11th.

Opening the show was Kyshona – look at her website because she tells you how to pronounce her name – who I have had the privilege of seeing several times over the past three years.

Kyshona is a marvelous storyteller. She tells us some of the story of her life – she started out as a music therapist – as well as introducing songs. She has released several albums/EPs, with the most recent being Listen.

For those of you in the Boston area, Kyshona is appearing at Center for the Arts in Natick at the end of April and tickets are still available.

The show ended with Kyshona joining Allison and her band for a splendid rendition of Traci Chapman’s “Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution”. What a great way to end the show!

Tickets courtesy of Allison Russell; all opinions are my own.