Last night I saw the best show I’ve been to in years (probably since the Carissa’s Wierd Valentine’s Day show back in 03): Brandi Carlile at the Higher Ground in Burlington, VT. I tend to get bored with concert reviews, so I’ll try to be quick.
She opened with a rousing version of “The Times They Are A-Changin'” and mixed in most of her best songs with a few other great covers (including the encore performance of “Hallelujah” that pretty much brought the house down). She also did “I’ve Just Seen a Face” which was great fun, though it also reminded me of just how far off the charts The Beatles were because, as good as it was (and it was very good), it still couldn’t hold a candle to the simple take way back on Help!
The greatest part of the show was, not surprisingly, her voice. Anyone who has listened to any of her music knows that she has one of the finest voices in contemporary music (think Jeff Buckley with, frankly, more passion and energy), and it lost nothing in a live translation.
One other thing I found interesting: the ratio of women to men was higher here than any other show I think I’ve ever been to. Maybe an old Ani show might challenge, but that’s about it. It’s a pretty neat experience to be in an audience surrounded by women. It makes for a very different atmosphere – less self-consciously cool and more, for lack of a better word, friendly. I highly recommend it.
She’s on tour for the next several months (mostly hitting the coasts and the Great Lakes) and I strongly recommend you find out when she’s in your city and head out to the show.
This tour is in support of her new record The Story, released last month. It’s not a substantial departure from her 2005 self-titled release (which would have been one of my top two or three of the year had I discovered it then). Indeed, she has yet to release a song I don’t like. It does not quite have the top-to-bottom wall of stunning songs and also lacks the single song that blows me away (like “Fall Apart Again”), but it’s still an impressive collection.
One highlight is the slightly overwrought but still amazing “The Story” which gives her voice a chance to shine. The explosion at around 2:50 is about as telegraphed as could be, but it’s so powerful that it doesn’t even matter. Another winner is “My Song” which sounds a lot different from the demo version that’s been around forever. It’s one of the rare instances where I really enjoy both, but don’t have a favorite. This one is far more intense, given the full band treatment.
The record loses a bit of steam toward the middle, but is rescued by her trademark blend of tender and tough on “Until I Die” and “Downpour.” The finale is the very good, but maybe just a little too precious “Again Today” and the hidden track “Hiding My Heart,” perhaps the only true misstep. It’s not that the song is bad, but it is a noticeable decline from the version released earlier on the Live From Neumo’s record. What was once a brilliantly bitter and ragged song is now listless and flat. It’s a shame because the old version is truly fantastic.
Brandi Carlile is one of my favorite artists of recent years and her entire catalog comes with my highest recommendation. Pick up The Story now, but make sure not to miss her older stuff. You won’t regret doing so.
MP3s:
The Story (from The Story)
Fall Apart Again (from Brandi Carlile)
Hiding My Heart (from Live From Neumo’s)