Lucinda Williams live

Hm, gave up on Lucinda after Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. All that false bravado and faux warbling not my cup of tea. She's one of those legends for the sake of it type. Been around so long she deserves something. Anything....

To stop a song and start over during a show is a rookie move. A lame one too; no matter the "perfectionist" tag shes get cred for. Read somewhere she drove Steve Earle nuts with her perfectionism. So much so he only recorded one of several songs he was supposed to do with her.

Kathleen Edwards - now there's a talent with a voice like an angel. Consummate performer to boot.

My wife and I saw a couple of years ago in Raleigh NC at Memorial Auditorium. Not bad, not bad at all. It's funny to hear all the different impressons of her stage persona. She was well engaged with the audience when we saw her, made a lot of small talk, and was relaxed and quite congenial. It was right before the election and thankfully, refreshingly, she didn't badger us with any lefty rubbish. She said only that people should vote and speak up "because that makes things interesting." I guess all the different opionions reflect how even seasoned performers have their up and down shows. IIRC, she chatted about her recent marriage and showed us her ring. Maybe that had something to with her good mood. She also mentioned how good the acoustics were there at Memorial Auditorium. She said she often can't hear herself at other venues.

Band was pretty good. I wasn't blown away but they did their job well (and opened for her separately as their own band). I hadn't heard all her new songs on a soon to be released album but was able to pick up on them right away. Only disappointment was she didn't play Righteously but that was alright because the rest of the show was solid.

08-28-10: Notec
"Hm, gave up on Lucinda after Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. All that false bravado and faux warbling not my cup of tea. She's one of those legends for the sake of it type. Been around so long she deserves something. Anything...."

Notec, you gave up on her too soon. Essence, World Without Tears, West are solid albums, godd stuff. Whatever she deserves she deserves because she makes good music.
Musicians, artists, whatever. Most of them are flakey in one way or another. If I didn't listen to anyone I thought was a little off center I'd have about 5 albums in my collection.

Notec, Steve Earl has been through ,what, seven wives ? His inability to get along with any female is most likely his own problem. Lots of seasoned vets stop their shows and start tunes over. I don't like it either but it happens. Recently I saw Harry Connick not only stop mid tune but publicly ream his violinist and threaten her job. When the audience reacted he yelled" Are you writing her check ?" To me this is not a rookie thing it's a big fat egoist thing. When men do it it seems more acceptable somehow. I met another artist from her lable some years ago and he claims she really is a perfectionist and is known to be hard to work with. IMHO, BTW, the "faux" warbling came from heroin use but don't quote me on that. I totaly agree with you on Kathleen Edwards. She's fantastic. JMHO - Jim

Notec, I have a higher opinion than you do of her recent studio albums, but I generally agree with you regarding her concert persona. There is a contradiction between the allegation of perfectionism and her self-deprecating monologues and false starts that reveal the seams in the fabric in concert. She represents her touring as a work in progress, and invites the audience to share and identify with her flaws perhaps even more than her strengths. In this sense her persona is not so different from what drew the simpler audiences of the past to identify with country music stars as everyday people. The difference these days is that the audience is more gentrified, though perhaps no less gullible.

BTW, a similar cult of personality follows Billy Bragg's ego in concert.