Minneapolis Shows Press

Now this lady has actually listened to Lu’s music –

http://www.citysbest.com/twin-cities/news/2011/02/14/lucinda-williams-solo-acoustic-at-the-dakota/

Lucinda Williams Solo Acoustic At the Dakota
Feb 14th 2011 4:19PM / by Michelle Leon

There are few recording artists who have earned the respect of both audience and peers the way that Lucinda Williams has. In her seamless blending of country, folk and rock, with precise lyrics that resound, the three-time Grammy winner has had a career spanning more than three decades. Seeking the intimacy of playing a small club, Williams will be in town for a three-night stint at the Dakota Jazz Club this month for a solo acoustic set said to include many old favorites from her illustrious catalog, in addition to selections from her new CD, “Blessed,” in stores March 1.

Hailing from Lake Charles, Louisiana, and raised by the revered poet Miller Williams, her father’s craft had a big influence, and these sensibilities show in her skill and beautiful lyrics. In fusing folk with her southern roots and rocking soul, its easy to see why Williams has cited Bob Dylan as another early influence.

Williams’ strength lies in her earnest and wisdom, not to mention her untouchable cool. According to Jayhawks bass player Marc Perlman, much of Williams’ appeal stems from her low-key, down-to-earth approach. “She is able to command a song and stage with a complete lack of artifice,” Perlman says.

On Williams’ website, she has a series of videos in connection with the new album, all meditations on what it means to be blessed; there is an air of beauty and gratitude in each of these musings, the idea of looking back, recognizing the beauty of the ideal moments and the imperfect ones. Her first single from the new CD, “Buttercup,” takes all the components that makes a Lucinda Williams song so unique – smoke and swagger, that exquisitely raspy voice, the ability to communicate the pain of love lost, mixed with hopefulness and sweet sadness – all presented with a killer sing-a-long chorus and country/rock twang. The skill required to combine these elements in such a dazzling way is what makes Lucinda Williams the rare perennial.

Lucinda Williams with Dylan LeBlanc
Feb. 20 – 22, 7pm; Tickets $50 – $60
Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, 1010 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis; 612-332-1010