See Rodney Crowell’s ‘Christmas Everywhere’ Video With Lera Lynn
Rodney Crowell’s nutty-as-a-fruitcake video for “Christmas Everywhere,” the title cut from his wholly original holiday release, is chock full of seasonal nostalgia even as it plays out like a chaotic, curdled egg nog-induced fever dream. Co-written by Crowell with acclaimed gypsy jazz guitarist John Jorgenson the tune, which also features the Mavericks’ Eddie Perez on guitar and album producer Dan Knobler on bass, is set to a giddy Western swing beat with lyrics that celebrate the ubiquitous, often dizzying nature of the season.
The video features a cast that includes Crowell’s daughter, grandchildren, son-in-law, and Deadwood actor W. Earl Brown as Santa Claus, and the entire clip was shot in Crowell’s garage with exquisitely detailed vintage set design by another of Crowell’s family members, his wife.
“Luck cast a broad smile on the title track of Christmas Everywhere,” Crowell tells Rolling Stone Country, “when esteemed film director Tom Kreuger teamed up with set designer Claudia Church to produce a no-holds-barred video clip [with] a cast of fun-loving middle-Tennessee thespians. The post-shoot clean-up is still in progress.”
Two minutes into the video, as the room is engulfed in feathers, falling like snow from a Nor’easter, singer Lera Lynn appears out of thin air and proceeds to sit on Santa’s lap. As the kiddies settle in for what sounds like it’ll be a sweet, romantic wish from the sultry singer, she asks the big man for “a time machine that I could ride/ back to the day John Lennon died,” reasoning that she could use it to stop the musician’s assassin, thereby altering the course of history. The odd but deeply moving interlude then gives way to whirling, swirling holiday revelry as the Christmas chaos resumes.
In celebration of Christmas Everywhere, Crowell will join Vince Gill and Amy Grant for the couple’s unprecedented twelve-night “Christmas at the Ryman” series of shows at the Nashville landmark. The concerts begin Wednesday, November 28th, and will run through December 21st.
Christmas Everywhere is now available across digital platforms, on compact disc, and on vinyl via New West Records.