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Was at the beautiful Wellmont Theater last night with my 9 year old son. I’ve been going to Lucinda Williams concerts since 1987, the last time at the awful WaMu Theater in NYC last fall (should have known that WaMu would soon go under!) I was actually reluctant to go last night, since I thought the set lists were always pretty much the same, and I was getting a bit bored. But my son is a huge fan (it must be genetic), and off we went. And good thing too. I was awestruck, and reminded me once again why I keep coming back. No one else can do what she does. Her voice, always captivating, got better, stronger, more layered, and more stunning as the night went on. The Side of the Road made me cry. The last song, a Jimi Hendrix cover I had never heard before, made me wish I could freeze time and so I could sit there and keep listening to her sing that song forever. Who else can still surprise like that after all these years? Thank you Lucinda for taking me through the last 23 years (ey gods)and reminding me what it means to keep following your gut. BTW, I once commented on this board that her cry for “Peace, Love, and Revolution” to end her shows was irksome, as revolution and peace were, to me, a political scientist, contradictory things. Well, she dropped the revolution part last night, and I realized that she was right after all. We did have a revolution in November, it was peaceful, and positive, and once again Lucinda’s wisdom transcends.
I was also at the concert at Williams Patterson on Thursday night. I was in the second row, right behind the previous poster. I’ve never posted on this fan site before, but his (I’m fairly sure I’ve got the gender right) comment got my goat.
I’ve seen Lucinda probably 20 times in my life, starting in 1988 in Washington D.C. at the 9:30 Club. I am not an uncritical fan, and have also shaken my head at her reliance on the lyric book. As a teacher, I know how much of a crutch one’s notes can be. But I also know that the best connection to an audience happens without the notes. Having said that, she didn’t seem to be overly reliant on it on Thursday, but, yes, it can be distracting, and I wish she would be able to let it go.
On her “appearance”: I loved it, and resent the previous poster’s comments. As a woman, having grown older with Lucinda myself (she’s got ten years on me), I appreciate her ability to just be who she is. Men have always felt free to display their bodies, no matter what shape they are in, and male musicians have always dressed how they please. Rarely do “fans” or critics comment on their appearance. Power to Lucinda for carrying on this blues musician genre of focusing on the music and not on appearance. Yes, live music is also a visual art, but upon listening to her perform, her appearance took on so much more than what she was wearing, and what her hair looked like. I felt priviledged to be there, and so close to the unelevated stage; it was like we were seeing her in her own living room. I kept thinking: some day I will be able to tell people (my son was next to me, so I don’t need to tell him) that I saw one of the great songerwriters of my time perform so close up I could almost touch her.
I know her music longer than I’ve know my own children, and it’s such a part of my, and now my children’s lives, that it often feels hard to listen to it with a fresh ear. For some reason, I was able to do that on Thursday night. For me, her voice may have been better a few years ago and, in my view, the sound in the theater was not great. Nonetheless, her performance was magnificent. It reminded me of why I’ve stayed a fan through all these years: The musical range, the lyrical content, and the ability to perform it with a different emphasis each time are unparalleled. And I’m comparing her, yes, with the great male singer-songwriters who are so revered: Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, Townes van Zandt, Richard Thompson.
I enjoy reading all these posts. And since we’re among friends (with some exceptions) I wish Lucinda would say “Peace, Love and Justice” at the end of the shows, as “Peace, Love, and Revolution” are contradictory. I’m all for revolution when it’s necessary, but it certainly ain’t peaceful!
