NYC-via-San Antonio/Nashville alt-country singer-songwriter legend Steve Earle closed out a two-show residency preview of his upcoming 70+ date North American solo acoustic tour, which really should be billed as much more.
Earle takes the audience on a captivating journey through his 51 years as a music professional, weaving in tales to contextualize 18 of his best songs before performing them with entrancing verve (despite this week’s wild spring-to-winter weather shift affecting his lungs with added rasp to his vocals; his masterful guitar skills were intact).
Earle paid tribute to the Texas garage/country rock legacy of San Antonio trailblazers Doug Sahm & The Sir Douglas Quintet (he dedicated the entire show to its founding organist, the late Augie Myers, also of The Texas Tornados & a Bob Dylan collaborator on Time Out of Mind, who passed the week before), and the richly poetic compositions of his early mentor Townes Van Zandt, and other blues/influences he met along his fascinating journey from a decade as a hustling Nashville songwriter to spectacular highs after his 1986 debut LP Guitar Town topped the U.S. Country chart and crushing lows as his early ’90s addiction woes landed him in prison & rehab, before becoming sober 31 years ago and resuming recording, later moving to downtown NYC and living the devoted devoted dad life during the non-touring school year.
At Earle’s request, the near-capacity audience eagerly joined in to sing along to the very relevant, bouzouki-driven “City of Immigrants” as well as “I Ain’t Ever Satisfied”, “Copperhead Road”, & the mandolin encore of crowd favorite “Galway Girl”, which Earle joked has become the “Freebird” of Ireland due to a myriad of cover versions.
Earle’s gift for narrative songwriting was evident in his stories, which, paired with the tunes, balanced moments of tear-inducing pathos with mischievous wry humor. This show should be developed into a theatrical run (à la his referenced inspiration for/champion of Guitar Town, Springsteen on Broadway), perfect for staying local during the school year.
Tom Ames’ Prayer
Ben McCulloch
Guitar Town
Someday
I Ain’t Ever Satisfied (Steve Earle & the Dukes song)
No. 29 (Steve Earle & the Dukes song)
Copperhead Road
Billy Austin (Steve Earle & the Dukes song)
Goodbye
Sparkle and Shine
The Girl on the Mountain (Steve Earle & the Dukes song)
You’re the Best Lover That I Ever Had (Steve Earle & the Dukes song)
South Nashville Blues
CCKMP
Transcendental Blues
The Mountain (Steve Earle and The Del McCoury Band song)
City of Immigrants
Encore:
The Galway Girl
NYC-via-Sacramento, CA singer-songwriter Margaret Glaspy opened with a well-matched, poignant solo-acoustic set of many new songs from an LP currently being recorded, some older songs, and thoughtfully reimagined covers of The Magnetic Fields and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Margaret Glaspy Setlist:The Book of Love (The Magnetic Fields cover)
Would You Be My Man?
Michigan
Reminder
Get Back
MLK
That Rose
Common Ground
Have You Ever Seen the Rain? (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)
