The Amy LaVere To End All Amy LaVeres

Oh man, nearly two dozen tunes in what might be my favorite venue in these United States (St. Louis’ Off Broadway), then what happens after the second encore song? Why, “Metal Firecracker,” “Greenville,” “Still I Long for Your Kiss,” and “Joy” come on at full throat over the house soundtrack. Amy had been praising the sound all evening, and sideman extraordinaire Will Sexton had called Off Broadway “the best bar ever”–quickly qualifying that with “although this place isn’t really a bar.”

I’ve seen Amy many times live, but this was the first without drums (I don’t even think I’ve seen her solo). The guitarist from two-three years ago, Memphian David Couser (sp.?) dueled with Sexton wonderfully, and even did two of his own songs midset as Amy and Will left the stage. My favorite Amy comment was something like “Where’s Beatle Bob tonight? I hear he just attended his five thousandth consecutive show.” Near silence flooded the room, but before anyone could say “he’s probably been banned from this venue,” she launched another beaut of a song. The handful of covers included a fantastic “The Losing End” no Neil fan could have dismissed. Also, she played a couple of songs from the recent Motel Mirrors EP, Mr. Sexton serving nicely in the John Paul Keith duet role. Amy’s new record Runaway Diary was in the house, despite an official “street date” of May 27. There’s a Lennon on it, a Townes too.

Rod Picott opened, a man I’ve seen a few times; I bought my fourth RP record from him, this one with his ex-collaborator, the current Mrs. Jason Isbell. Picott made no bones in his stage patter, indicating Amanda Shires was his girlfriend as well as colleague for awhile, and their ten-track CD is good. Rod co-wrote the best track Gurf Morlix ever committed to one of Gurf’s own half dozen or so records, “Torn in Two.”

So with a summer Midwestern tour shaping up, any chance Tom Overby and Frank Riley would consider bypassing the Pageant (not a bad house) this time and doing two (three?) nights in a row at Off Broadway? I’ve seen John Doe there, Chuck Prophet there, and probably another Lu opener figure or two there who I am forgetting. These people care about their music and musicians, love it and them.