Venue:
Sage, Gateshead
Date: 18/07/2015
I saw Rosanne for the first time last year at the Barbican where she and her husband John Leventhal performed her latest album The River & the Thread in its entirety. It was the only gig on the tour where they were accompanied by a band as they normally tour these days as a duo. It was great and John was a delight to hear on lead electric guitar. But I have to say I enjoyed this duo gig even more, promoted as part of the excellent annual Summertyne Americana Festival held at The Sage. Rosanne sang beautifully throughout but the revelation for me was Leventhal on acoustic guitar. He was fantastic in all respects, whether finger picking or playing plectrum leads to her rhythm guitar. Lots of blues, an occasional burst of jazz, plenty of country picking and some ragtime. Altogether a splendid performance by a duo who are completely at ease with each other. They did a load off River & Thread, 4 from The List, plus perennial faves Ode to Billy Joe and her Dad’s Tennessee Flat Top Box. Opener Anderson East wasn’t bad either. Think Foy Vance with an Alabama accent
The audience:
About 99% would have been older than Anderson East. About 50% would have ben older than Rosanne Cash, who turned 60 in April. All very well behaved, pretty much pin-drop stuff
It made me think..
Summertyne is brilliant. Lots of free outdoor gigs. The indoor ticketed gigs are good value too. Both of the main halls at The Sage are nice venues with good acoustics. I’m not sure you’d see such a venue built these days since the money ran out. Long may it prosper
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