Meet Emily Woodhull.

This past weekend, Rebecca Porter and the Rhinestone Roses brought their good buddy Emily Woodhull to Durty Nelly's to play a show and it was just real easy to see why RP is so high on this new talent. And why we all should keep an eye on her.

We met Emily at the VA Day party at Americanafest in Nashville this past September, heard her song Virginia, I'm Home and immediately fell in love with it. So much so we asked Emily if we could use it for the closing credits to the video we produced for the event. Of course she was kind enough to agree and her work really put a bow on the piece. You can check that vid here if you’re so inclined.

There have been a lot of songs about Virginia, really good songs, but what makes this song so special is that it speaks for all of us who are not from Virginia, but chose Virginia. For so many of us, It only took one visit to her Blue Ridge Mountains, lush valleys or breathtaking coastline to convince us to make The Dominion our home.

And Emily's Durty Nelly's set?

She killed it, playing a range of covers by the likes of Sturgill Simpson and Wyatt Flores as well as her own originals including Virginia I’m Home, Blame it on the Moonshine and one she just recorded in Nashville Runnin’ with the Devil. Check ‘em out on Spotify. It was just so heartwarming to see the look of joy on her face taking the stage at a venue she told me in September was one of her dreams to play. She made the most of it earning rowdy cheers from the Durty Regulars, UVA students, Porter fans and even the superstars behind the bar.

Thanks, Rebecca for supporting artists we need to know. And thanks Emily for capturing so perfectly the feelings we have for our beloved chosen home, The Commonwealth. Virginia and its tradition of great Americana music really is at the top of the list of things we are thankful for at this time of year.

Happy Thanksgiving y'all. And Go Hoos!!!!