Saturday, May 14, 2005

Canadian Girls Rock! I saw Kathleen Edwards in concert last night and she showed the promise we expected after two great studio albums.  The pacing of the show needs work.  Starting with the slow introspective “Pink Emerson Radio” is not the way to get the show off to a rolling start, especially with an 11pm start.  I prefer the “blasting out of the gate” approach and think “In State” would have been the opener of choice.  She seemed to disappear on stage during a couple of numbers as the band overwhelmed her vocals a few times but on “In State” and “What Are You Waiting For?” she sang loud and clearly in charge.  The band was tight but lead guitarist Colin Cripps seemed most interested in playing solos note for note from the record versions, you just never got the feeling he was ever going to cut loose.  Keyboard and guitarist Jim Bryson added vocals and his Montreal Expos hat to the show.  The Expos, now the Washington Nationals, were a topic of conversation throughout the show.  “I hope you enjoy the constant string of losing” Edwards said.  “Go Nats!” was my reply.  Edwards seemed to get more comfortable with the audience as the night went by, saying she was not used to playing in a room that full, and it showed.  Early on she would turn her back to the audience when she wasn’t singing but as the night progress she became more chatty with the crowd.  One nice thing about seeing someone with only two albums out is that more than likely you will hear all of your favorites, “Hockey Skates” would’ve been nice but we’re sort of southern here and the inference might have missed it’s mark.  The last song of the set was “Back To Me” and this is where you knew that with a little more road seasoning she will be a force, she absolute torn that song up, commanding the stage as she belted it out.  It was definitely the highlight of the evening.  The encore started with Edwards performing a solo version of “The Harper Valley PTA” in a sort of little girl sing-song voice that was pretty cute but the following two numbers were rather subdued.  As I said the pacing of the show needs work but in time she’ll have it down.  A good show and well worth seeing.  An engaging personality is emerging in Kathleen Edwards.   The opener, Mary Gauthier, is so brooding that she makes Neil Young sound like “Up With People”.  I was ready to book a session with my therapist after her set.  It takes a lot to make a song about Christmas in Key West sound down.  Lyrically she has some good material and she is an intense performer, she unfortunately makes you think that suicide is a viable option with her flawed characters and hopeless scenarios.  Just my opinion.     Set List Pink Emerson Radio In State Westby Independent Thief The Lone Wolf What Are You Waiting For? Old Time Sake Mercury Copied Keys Six O’Clock News Good Things One More Song The Radio Won’t Like Back To Me ---------------------------- Harper Valley PTA Somewhere Else ?   Next up:  Aimee Mann, May 23rd. 4:58:57 PM      Throw Me A Bone []

© Copyright 2005 Michael Doughten. Last update: 6/2/2005; 1:21:01 AM.