Over time I have come to find that live music, regardless of the artist, can be an experience unmatched by recorded CDs for sounds and unmatched for television broadcasts for their entertaining visual gifts. Like theater, live performance in music has ad libs, banter and artistic qualities that you don't find elsewhere. And so I find that attending the concert of an artist that I don't know well is perhaps the best way to get to know them!
One example of that was Brandi Carlile, who has come to be my favorite performer and singer of all. The tone of her voice sends shivers down my spine and I am a junkie for her quirky interactions with the audience and her band members. She is real, humble, and extremely talented. She brings the country twang to a soulful indie rock vibe, inviting you to be touched by her sound and her soul. So when I heard she was back on tour with Ray LaMontagne, I was determined to get tickets. Without confirming who would go with me, I bought two tickets and prayed this would not end up being one of those instances where I can't find a person to enjoy the show with me, thereby having at least one if not both go to waste.
Fortunately, a friend of mine that had seen Ray LaMontagne before and upon hearing I had tickets, was eager to see him Live again. Not knowing Brandi as well as I do, that part of the show wasn't the main draw for her, but we were both eager to go nonetheless. We booked a hotel for the evening so we could make the most of the night, not having to rush back late on a week night for work the next day and to be able to go out for dinner before the show. We made it into an event, something to really look forward to. And I was. Until the end of Memorial Day weekend when I was tired from lots of activity, late nights and visiting with girlfriends for marathon conversations. I knew I would still go since we had made such a elaborate plan, but I suspected I would be glad when it was over.
I am so glad to be able to say that while the end of the week that came after this concert was happily anticipated, I was still able to fully enjoy the concert; even more so then I could have ever imagined.
Secret Sisters opened the show with a collection of their own songs and covers of artist like Willie Nelson. Their repertoire had a stronger country influence then I generally like, but they interacted nicely with the audience. For having to play through the standard ups and downs of an early audience that's there to see a larger star band, they pulled off a good showing. They were even invited back onstage with Ray during his set and did a really great job of backing him up!
It was however, a highlight of my evening when Brandi Carlile and her band appeared on stage and ready to begin a set of songs that I adore.. songs I know well and songs that I sing along to under my breath. It was endearing to hear how grateful she is for the patronage of the show, knowingly for Ray, but also in part for her. In my case, almost entirely for her! And I was choked up by her raw truth and her voice touches my soul. I listened to her CDs repeatedly during a very difficult period in my life and she sung me through those times. I could sing her joy and her sorrow at the top of my lungs as I drove down the highway. It was a release and a therapy I could get no other way. And so I felt the tears well up, with gratitude for her, for an artist who can't even appreciate the positive influences she has had in lives she's never personally touched but has visited through her music.
I should elaborate on the weather some as it played a large role in providing a backdrop for the evening, the singers, and the audience. We had high winds, driving rain, and severe thunderstorms that had created a very serious tornado warning. Western parts of the state were hit by these wild tornadoes which created mass destruction. And here we were, sitting under a tent at the Bank of America Pavilion in Boston, on the waterfront, amidst tons of electrical equipment, for a concert. Who's crazier, the artists or the concertgoers?
Needless to say the flashing lightening didn't detract at all from the show. It had a timeliness that allowed for entertainment inbetween sets, though a severe cell of weather ended up causing a delay of Ray's set so we were forced to watch this severe weather roll right over the top of us.. cowering in our seats, watching the flash flooding run down into the stage area. But again, we didn't move. Perhaps we knew that Ray would be appreciative and perform a great set. A consummate professional, he did in fact show extreme gratitude for sticking around.. and we were rewarded with his soulful voice, impressive rendition of well known and lesser known songs, and accompaniment by the Pariah Dogs that left me speechless. It was a fantastic concert. And the fact that my sister encouraged me to get tickets to see the same combo tour again later in the summer is now a blessing. I look forward to seeing it again, and perhaps this time appreciating it without the wild, wild weather.
And in the spirit of it, Ray's song "Wild Horses" is one that I feel these days, in my core:
All the wild horses
All the wild horses
Tethered with tears in their eyes
May no man's touch ever tame
May no man's reigns ever chain you
And may no man's weight every defray your soul
And as for the clouds
just let them roll
Roll away
Roll away
And as for the clouds,
just let them roll
Roll away
Roll away
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