As Good As It Gets: Max McNown at McMenamin’s Grand Lodge

Three songs into his set, Oregon’s own Max McNown reminisced “You’re as good as it gets on this side of heaven” on the romantic, lovesick “This Side Of Heaven.” While he may have been singing about a new love interest, but he may as well have been talking about hundreds of music lovers gathering on the lawn of a vintage hotel on a blissfully lovely day on the outskirts of Portland. For country music and folk fans, this is as good as it gets, as McNown channeled his distinctive blend of country, folk, Americana, and Heartland Rock for a packed crowd at McMenamin’s Grand Lodge.

There was a strong country fair vibe as McNown took the stage as the sun dwindled into a flaming nectarine, the air heavy with the scent of grilled meat and fried dough, little kids darting here and there while grownups enjoyed some adult beverages in low folding chairs in the dusty June heat. White lace prairie dresses and cowboy boots mingled with cargo shorts and stacked platform heels, a surefire shorthand for McNown’s broad crossover appeal. 

That appeal became even more obvious with the warm, heartfelt Americana of set opener “Love Me Back,” pairing the warm homespun epicness of ’80s Bruce Springsteen with the poetic, artistic sensibility of Colorado’s Gregory Alan Isakov, proving right out of the gate that McNown has substance as well as style. Artful, heartfelt folk rock and big, bold infectious roots rock were the twin polarities McNown’s set was organized around, with the West Linn native fluctuating between radio singalongs and more introspective fare. A couple of leftfield covers are a good example of why McNown has been blowing up with so many different kinds of listeners. First, a countrified version of Coldplay’s “Yellow” amplified McNown’s artful, introspective side, transforming the slightly milquetoast original into a euphoric mix of close country harmonies and white lightning guitars. The medley of “Marley/Three Little Birds” showcased a very different side of McNown’s music, effortlessly switching from country Americana to Bob Marley’s optimistic classic “Three Little Birds.” Even the most jaded listener would’ve melted like the Grinch when McNown and a couple hundred of his closest friends chanted along “every little thing’s gonna be right.”

Honestly, no narrative or framing was necessary to realize you were hearing something special. McNown’s band is truly something else, lead guitar fluctuating between searing leads and sparse, almost minimalist accompaniment depending on the mood. The drummer may have largely stuck to holding it down, keeping things driving forward like a V8 Camaro, yet he wasn’t afraid to channel his inner Neil Peart when the situation called for it. Somehow, musicians battening down the hatches and sticking to what’s called for in the moment becomes 10x more impressive when you know they could blow the lid off a joint if they felt like it.

McNown’s music helps you to see the best in people. Between songs, he showed himself to be a thoughtful, empathetic soul, talking about the ways that existing in public can shape and distort you, before the set-defining “World Shape Me,” or catastrophic thinking while sharing stories of growing up in nearby Bend, Oregon. It was a beautiful reminder of how music brings us together in our shared humanity, laughing and dancing and singing and, occasionally, crying beneath blazing blue skies. It was a beautiful and much-needed moment of catharsis that you very much should experience for yourself if you’re a fan of country music and folk.