Birmingham, AL @ Alys Stephens PAC, Wed., Jan. 23, 2013

A concert review from Birmingham until we hear from the road warriors.

http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2013/01/lucinda_williams_doug_pettibon.html

lwj

Good to see Randy and Kathy again, also tntracy. . .

1 Can’t Let Go [bracketed by crowd shout-out of “Happy Birthday,” which Lu smilingly deflected onto Doug, since the 23rd was his actual birthday: at end of song, Lu says “That’s what i’m talkin’ about”]
2 Well WEll Well
3 Bitter Memory [with a false start/messu-up: Lu finishes it, compares it to the smooth sound check version, then announces with a smile, “That’s what we get for rehearsing: no more rehearsals”]
4 Crescent City {Lu announces she likes her new birthday guitar]
5 Jackson [but not before all hell breaks loose: Lu says a propos of seemingly nothing: “Don’t f _ _ _ with me,” then announces that she’s not a “f _ _ _ _ _ _ _ folksinger.” Apparently, she thought she heard a fan criticize the sound, which again she was struggling with. Before the song gets started, Lu references agin the “bitch” who stole her purse the other night, then concludes for good measure (and unsmilingly), “I’ll never do a soundcheck again.” And that birthday guitar is put aside and never used again throughout]
6 Bus to Baton rouge
7 Port Arthur [after which Lu revisits the acoustics, asking Doug “did we do it that way with the amp at sound check?” After he nods yes, she launches an f-bomb-laced round of self-castigation]
8 Blue {“I know I cuss too much; it’s probably from traveling with all guys”]
9 When I Look at the World
10 Blessed
11 Make the World Go Away
12 Concrete & Barbed Wire
13 I Lost It
14 Pineola
15 Something Wicked This Way Comes [preceded by remarks about either doing another song or doing this one differently, but Lu doesn’t “want to tie up anyone’s time”–apparently a reference to a different amp or plug-in or instrument or sound adjustment. She likes it when the crowd cheers the intro about this being a Southern gothic song, but at the end of it she says “Y’all don’t know quite how to react to that one”]
16 Changed the Locks
17 Joy [preceded by apologetic intros of all the crew members by name]
18 Honeybee
_____________________________________
19 Happy Birthday to You [solo, as tour manager ERic walks on stage with two candled cupcakes for a sheepish DP]
20 In My Girlish Days [aborted after a half dozen words. . . Lu fusses around a bit; the crowd tries to encourage her, and she then says, “At least I show up for my gigs, unlike some folk singers” and “I’m going to get yelled at”]
20a Nothin’ in ramblin’ {followed by “I should stick with what I know I guess’}
21 Jambalaya [with Lillie Mae Rische on violin]
22 Get Right with God [with the Kenneth Brian Band]

@Railroad wrote:

“Apparently, she thought she heard a fan criticize the sound, which again she was struggling with.”

Yep, some clown sitting beside me down front yelled “It’s too loud” a couple of times while Lu was trying to get the sound right. I thought an elbow to the nose would be inappropriate so I restrained myself.

Randy

I don’t know: you looked like you had thrown a few pertinent elbows in your varsity point guard days, Randy. . . . .

@tonyg wrote:

“Pertinent elbows”, Mr. Stoger? I like that. Has the tour ended for you?

👿

No no no, no covers for sure. I am sure there is not going to be a cover this time. This time it is the originals. And she is a damn good original singer. I am really hoping to see her in personal you know. I just can’t wait for it yet.