Gig Review: Stacy Antonel - Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Monday 15th June 2026

 

There are two kinds of gigs at the Kitchen Garden. One where the venue dictates the mood and the performer melds into the wider surroundings. These often have a borrowed audience and thrive on the intimacy. The other sees the artist breeze in, set the tone and play to a distinct gathering. Both have merit and seasoned Kitchen Garden attendees can quickly detect the ambient direction. From California via Nashville with a Texas diversion, Stacy Antonel arrived in the latter camp and left a significant stamp passing through. Swaying between charismatic chaos and sassy charm, sentiment exuded from each song and an identity exhibited with brash panache. In tandem with guitarist Thor Jensen, the terms of endearment ran across the scale. 

You quickly learned the duality of the act, a mixture of what yearns to be written and what aches to be interpreted. Antonel threw as much into an array of covers as advocating what inspires her to write, likely influenced by the background of what pays the bills. Style was at the heart of this show shaped by an enchanting quirky edge and playing of the highest order. 

Pre-gig anticipation was fuelled by revisiting the superb 2022 album ALWAYS THE OUTSIDER and a key reminder of its neat songs and extraordinary musicianship. Thoughts of how it could transcend to a small room were revealed when Jensen followed Antonel down the iconic wooden staircase. While she was making a Kitchen Garden debut, it was her accompaniment for the evening's third playing stint following two hugely enjoyable shows as part of the Campbell/Jensen duo. The range of his virtuoso playing from jazz to country was exposed then, and we proceeded to garner a special dose of largely the latter from this twin set show that ran to nearly two hours. He was more laid back than when in tandem with his regular partner Ashley Campbell and thrived on the improvised nature of this pop-up association. 

In the safe hands of her borrowed sidekick, Antonel frequently ditched the acoustic guitar to explore the depth of her vocal prowess. Jazz mingled with country, the latter very much of the outlaw variety. Genre themes were impishly paraded. Break up, trucks, drinking, all your usual fare but cut more from the barroom than identikit radio. 

Covers diverted this from being a singer-songwriter show. ‘Why You Been Gone So Long’ made famous by Jesse Colter, represented the cutting edge, ‘Stand by Your Man’, although redesigned, met the populist one. ‘Misty’ added the jazz standard flavour, ‘King of the Road’ the singalong parting shot. In between there was Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, more Merle Haggard, then more Willie Nelson. To be fair, the latter cuts were not the usual crop you hear when these legends are covered in the UK. ‘Route 66’ finally completed the satanic medley, albeit not in order and earlier songs ‘6 Pack’ and ‘6 Days’ had more appeal.

ALWAYS THE OUTSIDER was healthily represented. The title track and ‘Planetary Heartache’ featured in the early stages, while ‘Texas Last For Ever’ shone brightly in the first set. ‘Kicking snd Screaming’ blossomed after the break. We also had a throwback to the days when Antonel went by the name Ginger Cowgirl and a preview of an unreleased song coming across so well that you hope another original recording is on the horizon. The only recent studio offering was a covers EP interpreted in surf rock style. No drums in the Kitchen but Jensen was more than the sum of one guitar, and from that record they nailed Merle’s ‘Swinging Doors’.

Stacy Antonel has had a stop-start incursion into the UK scene. This short run of dates and a slot at the Maverick Festivals should up the profile. The marketing was spot on to nearly fill the Kitchen Garden, modest on one hand but promising in developmental terms. She has the knack of creating a stir, alien references and deely boppers help, and makes the performing space her domain. Birmingham’s premier listening venue lost its intimacy for one evening but respectful concentration was intact. Wonderfully expressing an identity by design or instinct is a key trait. Engaging the services of Thor Jensen was the wisest of moves.