Venue:
The Birchmere
Date: 26/12/2016
Allison Moorer, followed by Hayes Carll should make for a good night out, right? Well, it was. In fact, it was excellent.
I usually brush off the support act as “yeah, OK” but a specific note for Ms Moorer. First show in a loooong time, although it didn’t show in her command of her material, the audience, or her voice. That voice is a thing of wonder, and I could have listened to her all night.
Mr Carll… The most apt description I can come up with is that he’s the Texan Teddy Thompson in many ways. The material can float from wryly humorous, to flat out in-yer-face, to heartbreakingly beautiful. I’ve spoken before for my love of his new album, and the track “Magic Kid” in particular. The album arrangement is so delicately balanced that I was worried about what one man and his guitar would do to it. Well, tears were shed; he gave a very personal introduction to the track, and then stripped it down to its basics, which worked.
The show overall was what you’d expect in terms of material. He played some old, he played some new, and then got Moorer on stage to duet some; they were excellent together, and the two voices, which are so different, bounced off each other well.
He also managed the great trick of treating his audience as being sentient intelligent beings. The stories and the jokes weren’t labored, and made some assumptions, to the point of not actually delivering the end because he knew we’d got it already. The reference to TT comes not just from the material (some overlaps in influence with the ‘Upfront and Down Low’ album) but the audience interaction – not taking themselves too seriously, but wearing their influences on their sleeves.
I loved it; Sharon thought it was great, and professionally impressed; the 12 year old also loved it. Highly recommended.
The audience:
Typical Birchmere. Smatterings of die hard fans, people who HAVE BEEN TO LOTS OF GIGS YOU KNOW, and folks who just wanted a nice night out.
It made me think..
In my ill informed way, it struck me that this is what ‘country’ should be. It’s American Folk, which is why I guess he’s now classed as an Americana artist.
And iTunes will soon have more Moorer on it. She’s aces.
That sounds like an excellent gig to me. Two of my favourites on the same bill.
Who could ask for more?
I’m officially envious.
A little envious also. Saw Mr Carll at the Ark in Ann Arbor, MI about 6 months ago. Sound slike a very similar venue to the Birchmere and introduction to Magic Kid and the song itself were wonderful.
Are Mr Carll and Ms Moorer an “item”? Twitter pics would suggest they are?
I didn’t want to put it in the review, but that thought did strike me watching them. Some of the intersong interplay suggested a familiarity, or closeness of some kind.
I believe so, or so the reviews of his latest album suggested, to which she shares some writing credits. Maybe unsurprising she would be attracted, as it is Steve Earle that he reminds me of most, in terms of style and delivery.
A little Googling confirms a relationship. This clip also shows how wonderful they sound together
I have to say HC’s passed me by, but crikey, doesn’t he sound like Steve Earle?
Ms Moorer has a voice to die for, she sang A Change is Gonna Come the tour she did with SE and it hushed the entire auditorium where I saw them.
I guess if you come from Texas – then you sound like you come from Texas y’all.
Saw Hayes three times now and each time he has been excellent. I love everything he has done – superlative songwriter. Beaumont might just be my favourite song – opened with it at last gig I saw him in Birmingham back in April. It didn’t stop him performing a storming set.
Did he have his band with him or was he solo?
Solo.
We started playing Texas (and local State) city bingo.
Austin: check.
Arkansas: check
Beaumont: check.
Crystal Beach: check
Sharon comes from Texas, so she beat me easily…
I’m trying to find it, but he said he did a show in Austin that was recorded for later broadcast in which he murdered KMAGYOYO three times, so may be worth watching for
I saw his first tour shortly after Twang Jr was born and bought a CD and got it signed with a dedication, so his lordship’s first CD is HC. It’s fair to say he hasn’t got to intelligent folk/country yes, remaining seduced by big rawk tracks, but he’ll get there.
‘The Texan Teddy Thompson’? Where do I sign up?