September 22, 2012

Concert #650 - Mindy Smith at McCabe's Guitar Shop (September 21, 2012)


This was my first time to see Mindy Smith live in concert, not long after having discovered her appealing rendition of "Jolene", the classic Dolly Parton song. A few days before the concert, I found on the Internet a couple of in-depth interviews with Mindy. I read them, and, as a result, I went to McCabe's with a certain mental image of the artist. Surprisingly, the Mindy I saw on the stage was a totally different person than the image I had pictured in my mind.

The interviews revealed a serious artist whose creative work has been shaped by the events and emotions of her life, all this while dealing with the stress of having to make a living without the benefit of selling millions of albums. There were no indications in any of those interviews about Mindy's humorous side, and that's the side of her personality that was on display first and foremost at McCabe's last night.

Mindy's stage demeanor reminded me of Peter Himmelman, the  consummate live performer who in my book remains unmatched in a live setting. It's not that I could draw parallels between their styles of humor or music. Their similarity consisted of their unwillingness to remain serious in between songs, even when the involved songs were utterly serious.

While Mindy's playful stage presence marked her show from start to finish, it was her music that made the evening a success. Drawing from her four albums, Mindy's set offered a lot of variety, from slow ballads to up-tempo numbers, with absolutely no moments of boredom. She received outstanding support from her small backup band, namely guitarist Kyle Ryan and percussionist Marc Pisapia, with both Kyle and Marc pitching in on background vocals.

Mindy Smith & Kyle Ryan at McCabe's
Mindy Smith & Marc Pisapia at McCabe's
Mindy may be based in Nashville, but to these ears her songs had little to do with the sounds that have been coming out of the Music City in recent years, and that is a strong compliment to Mindy's songwriting. The songs I liked the best were "Come To Jesus", "If I", "Tin Can" and "Closer". I also liked "If I Didn't Know Any Better", a song written by Mindy and recorded by Alison Krauss in 2004.

Mindy's set list
Mindy Smith having fun on the stage at McCabe's
The evening started with a strong set delivered by Jay Nash, a Vermont-based musician. I was new to his music but that did not stop me from enjoying his songs, especially "Golden State Goodnight" and the set-opener "Never Takes Too Long". Jay possesses a powerful voice that sets him apart from many of today's younger singer-songwriters.

Jay Nash at McCabe's
Jay's set list






Mindy Smith autographing a CD for my friend Bill
Brisk business at Mindy's merch table
Mindy Smith chatting with fans after the show
Jay Nash CDs for sale at McCabe's
The stage
Frequent McCabe's attendee Dudley (left), with his siblings Kate and Tim

September 21, 2012

Concert #444 - Syd Kitchen at McCabe's Guitar Shop (June 29, 2007)


Other than Miriam Makeba's "Pata Pata" and a couple of Johnny Clegg songs, there's not much else I know about South African music and to this day, I don't know what made me grab two of my friends and drive the fifty-one miles that separate my home from McCabe's to see an exotic performer I knew nothing about.

So was it worth my effort? The answer is a resounding "No". Syd Kitchen's music did not connect with me at all and after three or four songs I knew I'd be in for a long evening. Well, the long evening never materialized, courtesy of an unexpected intermission that came about 40 minutes into the concert. When the lights went on, I looked at my two guests and they were as ready to go home as I was. So home we went, but not without making a mental note about doing my homework before once again dragging friends into uncharted musical territories.

September 20, 2012

Concert #446 - Tift Merritt at McCabe's Guitar Shop (August 4, 2007)


Five years after Tift Merritt's concert at McCabe's, the strongest recollection I have of the event is of a non-musical nature: I can still hear her repeated apologies for having played the piano almost completely hidden from the crowd. But her part-time invisibility did not bother me much, as she sang plenty of songs while standing at the center of the stage, right there in everyone's full view.

Musically speaking, the concert was good, but not unforgettable. At the time of the show, I could name only one of her songs, the outstanding "Good Hearted Man", and needless to say, my unfamiliarity with Tift's material did not help matters.

Here's a partial set list, as posted by a fan at tiftmerritt.net/Forums. Some of the titles may not be 100% correct.



Wanna Go (Another Country)
Something To Me
Again
I Know What I'm Looking For Now
Supposed To Make You Happy
Stray Paper
Aint Looking Closely
Keep You Happy
Good Hearted Man (the best songs of the evening, to these ears)
Hopes Too High
My Heart Is Free
Hard Feelin
Morning Is My Destination
Virginia
Still Pretending
Tender Branch Is Gonna Fall


The songs she sang were good, her voice was fine and so was her band, but I went home without humming any newly heard hooks. Since then I have stayed in touch with Tift's new material and I will continue to do so.