By: Stacy Schwartz
 |
| Brandi Carlile - Photo by Stacy Schwartz |
Relatively unknown singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile sold out not one, but two, shows at Minneapolis’s favorite venue, the Varsity Theater. The majority of people I spoke to called themselves musicheads, hipsters and the like, yet most of them hadn’t even heard of her. Luckily for me, at some point last year the song “Closer to You” was a free weekly iTunes download. I picked it up because it was free, knowing nothing about her. After the first few chords her smoky, wholesome voice came blasting though my speakers and I was smitten. It’s akin to the first time I heard Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of The Indigo Girls. All three musicians create inspiring tunes that are a direct shot to your gut. Their musical arrows hit you right where it hurts and heal wounds that you didn’t even know you had to begin with.
Carlile started out her show on Friday night by telling the crowd that she’d been “looking forward to this tour. Last tour it was rough, but our beam of light was Minneapolis. This time the tour’s been amazing, but Minneapolis is still a beacon to us.” It was apparent as the night progressed that Minneapolis carries Carlile in its collective heart, too. The crowd spoke at and to her all night long, with Carlile proudly beaming during most of her set.
I do have to give Carlile credit. I’d heard she had a bad day, and that she’d injured a finger badly enough that she was unable to play guitar for some of her songs. But you’d never have guessed from the performance she put on Friday night. She slammed that heart of hers down on the table for all to see. The level of appreciation from the crowd was apparent, and you’d be hard-pressed to find another vocalist today who lays all her emotions bare to the extent she does. She brought the rock, she brought the tears, and she brought the heart. Carlile slipped in some covers too, like “Kreep” by Chino XL, “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash, and “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. As the show moved along, Carlile enticed the crowd (not that it was hard) into clapping in rhythm, singing harmony, and fantastically dancing around while they all sang her lyrics. There were numerous times when Carlile just stood back from the mike, looking around with respect and gratitude, while the audience sang her own songs back to her with vigor.
It turns out that Carlile has quite a bit of family here, in northern Minnesota. She referenced a few relatives that were in the audience, especially her “Uncle Sonny.” My favorite shock of the night was when Carlile burst into a full-on yodel for her grandfather’s brother. She also dedicated a few songs over the course of the night to her family, which was very sweet and humbling. My favorite was her cover of Conway Twitty’s “Blue Eyes in the Rain.”
In the twilight glow I see her blue eyes crying in the rain
As we kissed goodbye and parted I knew we'd never meet again
Love is like a dying ember only memories remain
Through the ages I'll remember blue eyes crying in the rain.
To be totally honest, I have to tell you that Carlile is one of the most underrated vocalists to come around in a long, long time. I know I can’t be alone in my thoughts, either, because there was little press or publicity surrounding her appearance in Minneapolis, yet the sold-out crowd knew every song and every gesture.
I don’t usually pick up new vinyl, but as Carlile explained, her new album “The Story” was recorded live in 11 days… to tape. No Pro Tools, no digital. I think that says a lot about her as an artist in this day and age. Carlile was also lucky enough to have T-Bone Burnett help her with the record, and he brought in vintage instruments for Carlile and her band, including a few Gibsons from the 1920s and a 1932 Rosewood guitar. Only 1000-1500 copies of the vinyl were produced, and I am thrilled to have a signed copy. I can’t wait to get my turntable working!
Set List:
Late Morning Lullaby
Follow
Fall Apart Again
Until I Die
Closer to You/Falling
Have You Ever
Losing Heart
One Pain
Josephine
Turpentine
My Song
Blue Eyes in the Rain (cover)
Downpour
The Story
Kreep (cover)
What Can I Say
Fortunate Son
bFolsom Prison Blues (cover)
Hallelujah (cover)
More of Stacy's photos can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/mnconcertphotos/sets.
Location Info:
The Varsity Theater
Artist Info: Brandi Carlile
Share this story:
Article comments powered by Disqus