I can check two more classic country artists off my list of ones I need to still see live. Old friends, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell hit the road in support of their Old Yellow Moon album and The Peabody Opera House in St. Louis, got the second official stop on the tour. I had waffled on getting tickets earlier in the month, when there wasn't many good open seats. For the hell of it I checked on Thursday and they had released good seats up front.
Now, Harris is one of my old man's favorites and I've wanted too see Crowell too. But alas my dad wasn't sure if he had music practice for a Easter Pageant he's in, but I decided to get tickets anyway, as it was easy to get off work on a Sunday night and my mom would go(which she did) if he couldn't go.
For being St Patrick's day it was a nasty, rainy, snowing and sleeting day out. Though thankfully it was still warm enough for nothing to stick. But we ended getting there a little bit after six, for the 7 P.M. start time.
The Peabody Opera House is pretty spacious ceiling and stage wise, but don't think seat wise is bigger than the Fox Theatre. Both are nice. The seats I ended up getting were three rows back(six counting the orchestra pit) in the right middle section, which provided one of the best seating views I've had at a concert, at least in the theater setting.
Opening act Richard Thompson hit the stage a hair after seven, preforming a 10 song set at a little under an hour in his "Electric Trio." Honestly, other than knowing he is regarded as one of the great guitar players and he was in Fairpoint Convention, I'm not familiar with his much. I did recognize the last song, Tear Stained Letter and I might have heard Keep Your Distance before as well. And his guitar playing was good on his electric and acoustic. The sound and tone of his songs I really enjoyed too, not being familiar with, which means I'll have to check him out a little further.
His English manners and humor were on display as well. Dealing with hecklers, both positive and negative, he came back with several witty replies. After an obnoxious request, he replied, "No, we're going to do the next one." Early when he was trying to tell the sound people, that he needed to go down, multiple times, he kept motioning down, then telling us, "That's our secret signal system here, to go down." The funny thing in most circles or places, he's probably more famous than either Crowell or Harris, but is the opening act here, which Thompson said, "..This is a wonderful bill, except for our part here."
After a half hour set change Harris and Crowell came out with their five piece backing band and opened with Gram Parsons' Return of the Grievous Angel, which was almost worth the ticket by itself. They followed with another Parsons tune, Wheels.
Their band kept a good country sound and backing throughout the night. And Harris kept up a banter with the audience throughout the night and Crowell occasionally injecting some of his dry wit. Harris at one point, "I was lucky to have him all to myself in my band and as a songwriter. I heard all of these songs and before other people knew who was (He replied, "They still don't know me.")."
Overall they played 23 songs total at slightly under two hours, hitting quite a few from their new album. Their cover of Kris Kristofferson's Chase The Feeling was a pretty good version and one of the nights highlights. Though Harris at one point remarked how most of the songs they played were sad ones, even with the ones with a nice cheerful beat.
Pancho and Lefty was another highlight, which Harris remarked they loved this Townes Van Zandt song but only knew the words to the chorus and on the bus they had to rewind the cassette of it("With a number two pencil," Crowell added.) which they kept playing.
And the three pack of songs written by Crowell that Harris recorded in the 70s, of Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight, Till I Gain Control Again and I Ain't Livin' Long Like This, which Thompson came back to add guitar muscle one, was another strong point for me. Leavin Louisiana was the song I was most looking forward to hearing, as I'd been playing Harris' version nonstop the day or two before.
The most surprising omission was Harris' most known song Two More Bottles of Wine, but honestly the beauty of their singing together and other surprise songs, was enough to make up for it.
After leaving the stage shortly, the pair came back for two more songs, If I Could Only Win Your Love and Love Hurts, another song Harris recorded with Parsons as well as another highlight of the night. At the end Harris brought her dogs on stage, and gave a message about taking them in and trying to keep others out of the kennels.
Another one of the better concerts I've been too. And this being the first concert of my smart phone age, I have decent pictures(Though I still need to learn to use it. Should have gotten little better due to my nearness.). The next day, I told the old man he should have skipped practice and went. Two great icons of true country and Americana music. It's a shame that Tim McGraw and Faith Hill pass the muster for most folks as "Country Music." People have sad tastes.
Set List (The order isn't 100 percent good and question marks are songs I think they played based on other set lists.)
1. Return of the Grievous Angel
2. Wheels
3.Tragedy ?
4. Tulsa Queen
5. Luxury Liner?
6. Spanish Dream?
7. Pancho and Lefty
8. Earthbound
9. Back When We Were Beautiful
10. Dreaming My Dreams
11. Bluebird Wine
12. I'll Be Your San Antonio Rose
13. Old Yellow Moon?
14. Chase That Feeling
15. Black Caffeine
16. Invitation to the Blues
17. Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight
18. Till I Gain Control Again
19. I Aint' Living Long Like This
20. Hanging Up My Heart?
21. Still Learning How to Fly
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22. If I Could Only Win Your Love
23. Love Hurts
KDHX's review
