Shelby Lynne
St. David's Episcopal Church - Austin
May, 19, 2010
http://www.shelbylynne.com
In 2005, I went through a devastating life change. In many ways, I lost one of my best personal attributes during this time - my ability to craft words into vivid descriptions of emotions, actions, human character and settings. This included a verbal representation of myself. About that time, I must have read something about Shelby Lynne’s new CD, 2005’s “Suit Yourself.” I had always written her off as another country starlet who was more beauty than substance. But, I let that go, and downloaded the album.
“Where Am I Now” put into words and music exactly where I was and who I was as the world I knew was crashing down around me; taking my own ability to detail the fall with it. I’ve been a respecting Shelby Lynne fan ever since, but it wasn’t until last night, May 19, that I got a chance to see her live. Lynne performed in the Bethel Chapel at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin. This is a nice venue. The sound is a little weird because the ceiling is vaulted high with a cluster of speakers hanging in the apex. But the venue simply begs for a classy audience who will listen intently. You need to listen intently to an artist like Shelby Lynne.
A tiny waif of a woman by first glance reveals a powerful artist who blends terrifically sophisticated songwriting with a deep, deep Southern sensibility. That means she’s respectfully polite with an occasional Southern slip of a well placed cuss word. Southerners are the masters of descriptive cussing, and they know how to make it sound good. Yet, what the South so beautifully embedded in Lynne is her voice. It is smoky, a little worn, twangy, and verging on broken. It is incredible. I could have sat there and listened all night. However, what really surprised me was her guitar work. This performer really IS in control of her music. So I’m glad she’s officially an independent artist because she doesn’t need anyone handling her.
In fact, she’s pretty much down to business when it comes to performance. Many singer/songwriters fall into the trap of too much storytelling or stage banter and not enough performance. Lynne lets the music and lyrics do that for her. She’s flanked by a couple top notch players, and this gives her the chance to really get down and jam with the boys. Therefore, “tiny waif” seems really silly as a description. How about black cat firecracker snappin’ on a hot Southern sidewalk? It’s really kind of mesmerizing. That deep smoky sorrow in the song, coupled with gritty guitar accompaniment. I’d call it Southern torch, really. Maybe that means Southern Gothic via music. It’s confessional, personal, direct and dark, and still somehow, so affirming.
Currently, Shelby Lynne is touring in support of her new release, “Tear, Lies and Alibis.” The critics say it’s the best one yet. But they always say that about her releases. Why not say this: Shelby Lynne produces consistently high quality music, and she possesses a songwriting gift and tragic voice that wrap us up and whisper “I’ve been there, too.” She speaks directly to the broken without dragging us down and away from hope. It’s the element of “legendary Country queens” mixed with the sophistication of something a little more refined. It’s just too damn good for the establishment, and quite frankly, I doubt the establishment ever did or ever will understand and really appreciate Shelby Lynne.
Stave Magazine: Live Sets
Norah Jones
(Really a review about a venue - Stubb's Outdoor Venue in Austin)
More and more, I'm resistant to seeing well known acts live. My first problem is the service charge on the tickets. It's not just $41.50. It's $49.00 because some ticket broker is tacking on an extra $7.50. I don't like that. Just say $49.00 and give whatever to the broker. My second problem is that the concerts are typically very impersonal because there's just no intimacy once a performer gets to the A-list. My third problem is Stubb's Outdoor Amphitheater (prior to Stubb's I had this problem with La Zona Rosa, Liberty Lunch, and sometimes, The Backyard). Here it is - no chairs. I'm not 21 years old anymore, so the idea of standing up for four hours is not cool to me. If I'm moving, I can be on my feet all day, but just standing there? Nope. Not for me.
So with much trepidation, I bought my $49.00 ticket to see Norah Jones at Stubb's. The ticket stated that the gates opened at 6pm. Please understand that what this means is that you'll stand in a really long line as ticket handlers ID you, band you and move you into the SRO venue. You now have two hours to stand there and drink cheap tall boys. I don't drink cheap beer. So I stand there for 2 hours and watch everybody else drink 16 oz. Lone Star Beers. It is too warm and too dusty and pretty soon, too crowded. At 8pm, the opening act starts. Nobody's really paying attention. They're milling around, looking in every direction except the stage. I'm looking in the direction of the stage, but I can't see it because I'm short. I can only see people milling around drinking tall boys. There are a few steps and such that one can fight to sit on. Of course, those people don't even see the top of a tall boy can. The bathroom line gets super long. You see, the tall boy concept is about coolness. If you sell someone six 12 oz beers, you'll also sell them six 16 oz beers. Even at a Norah Jones show, folks are gonna get real drunk.
The crowd mix is extremely diverse. Her music appeals to hipsters and grandmas. I feel especially bad for the grandmas who find themselves unexpectedly standing for four hours. To me, that borders on discrimination. Same for the handicapped. However, even in an awful venue, Norah Jones is superior. I cannot write a fair and detailed review. I could hear, but see nothing. This is a total bummer for me because I could hear an amazing band, but I couldn't see them, and I'm the sort that wants all five senses firing when a great band is playing. Her voice, musicality and audience connection is super fine. She might be pretty. I really don't know. There are plenty others who really don't know either; mostly because they're short, but sometimes because they're drunk. Before Jones ever took the stage, two college age kids had to drag their very, very F-d up friend out of the venue. Tall boys and cool twentysomethings...
At about hour three, I just had to sit down on a step. I didn't last long because all I could look up and see were people rushing for the now closed bathroom who looked like they were going to puke. In fact, one woman literally had her hand over her mouth. I got up fast because if it's gonna happen, I want it to happen to my shoes. I guess the flushing toilets overflowed because everyone was being directed to port-o-lets in the back.
I-do-not-do-port-o-lets-at-large-concerts. I'll die of a urinary tract infection before I go near one. See the above paragraph for my best explanation of why I don't do it.
It's about hour three when I can no longer concentrate on the music; much less the stage show I can't see. My only visual is milling drunks with more tall boys. There's the occasional rooster fight over a girl, some bump and grind and necking, and lots of panic stricken nausea. No need for me to go back to Stubb's for anyone. I'll wait until it's a venue more to my suiting - a place with chairs. Jones would rock the Long Center or the PAC. Even the Paramount. Her outfit is so amazing. I love her ability to make a 3/4 beat so sublime ("Come Away with Me"). I love her respect for and arrangement of great Country tunes. Y'all know I'm not a contemporary Country fan, but these young Jazz and Swing cats who honor the real stuff are so enjoyable for me. Jones did a Rodney Crowell cover as well as a Johnny Cash tune. Certainly Cash influenced Crowell (and maybe the other way around), but both are monsters of the Country genre, and Jones' new dip into that realm should be delightful. She announced that she had a Country band in New York. THAT I want to see - but I want to be sitting down when I do it.
My best estimation says that Norah Jones is someone a serious musician or fan should experience live, but make sure you can see the show as well as hear it. And if you did see the show at Stubb's, write me a real review that I can share with everyone!