Naturally, playing in Arkansas makes Helm feel at home

Singer-songwriter Amy Helm is coming home.

Well, it's not really home, but it feels like it, thanks to her late father's ties to and tales of The Natural State. And then there are their friends hereabouts, from George Eldridge and Paul and Mary Berry to Anna Lee Amsden (immortalized when the late Levon Helm sang "Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee? He said, 'Do me a favor, son, won't you stay and keep Anna Lee company?'" in The Band's most remembered song, "The Weight.")

So Amy Helm, despite being born and raised in Woodstock, N.Y., where her father lived for years, has come to regard the places and people in Arkansas as home and home folks. Following the example of her father, she has come into her own career as a performer of roots rock and Americana sounds, along with some country and blues, as well.

So it comes as no surprise that Helm sells out her shows when she returns, as she is doing this weekend, beginning with a performance tonight at South on Main.

"I'm bringing my kids, boys who are 8 and 4, with me this time," Helm reports. "We'll be in Little Rock and Fayetteville for shows, then I have some time off until Sept. 11, so we plan to do some visiting around there and go down to Helena also."

Helm is certainly no stranger to performing in Arkansas. She has headlined her own shows for the grand opening of the Ron Robinson Theater in January 2014, along with shows at a now-closed west Little Rock club and she also was part of her dad's band when he came for shows at the Wildwood Performing Arts Center, Cajun's Wharf and occasional private parties.

When she began her own career, she was part of Ollabelle, a New York band now on hiatus. She released her debut solo album, Didn't It Rain, in July 2015. The album, which contains eight songs written or co-written by Helm, plus cover versions of Sam Cooke's "(Ain't That) Good News," features Helm's band, The Handsome Strangers, plus special guests: keyboardist Bill Payne of Little Feat; organist John Medeski of Medeski Martin & Wood; singer Allison Moorer; guitarist Larry Campbell and his wife, singer Teresa Williams; guitarist Jim Weider (a member of The Band during the time when Levon Helm put the group back together); and drummer/father Levon Helm, who played drums on three songs: "Spend Our Last Dime," "Heat Lightning" and "Sing to Me."

"Dad was the executive producer of the album," Helm says. "He gave me the studio time and encouraged me for years, watching me gradually develop my own vision as I learned during my 10 years in the Midnight Ramble Band and over the course of making three Ollabelle albums. And I also learned quite a bit from my mom, (singer-songwriter) Libby Titus, and my step-dad, Donald Fagen, of Steely Dan."

Besides her headlining, she has also toured as an opening act for Mavis Staples and Patty Griffin, and there have been shows with Dr. John. Recently, she opened a Colorado show for Paul Thorn.

She will perform Friday in Fayetteville at that city's Roots Festival and on Saturday she will open for Earl & Them at George's Majestic Lounge. (Since Earl Cate, well known as one half of The Cate Brothers, had a lengthy history of performances with Levon Helm, she is eagerly anticipating that show.)

Her band, The Handsome Strangers, consists of drummer David Berger, guitarist Daniel Littleton and newest member, bassist Adam Minkoff.

Helm has begun accumulating her own list of prestigious gigs. She performed at the Newport Folk Festival a few weeks ago and is already looking forward to the Cayamo Cruise in February, when she will be on board for the 10th annual music cruise (already sold out) with pals Campbell, Williams, Thorn and Griffin, plus Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell and Richard Thompson.

"Hopefully, this winter, along with the cruise, which will be my first time, I'll also be in the studio, working on my second album," she says. "I'm just building a career in music, plus raising my boys. Once the school year starts, I'll jiggle the schedule quite a bit. Luckily, both the boys love music.

"I decided to get them to Arkansas to work on their Southern education and learn some manners, hopefully."

Weekend on 08/25/2016