Post by Doug on Mar 4, 2005 12:24:47 GMT -5
Here's the Kansas City review of the concert there Wednesday. Seems like all the reviews are talking about Alison and her jokes...another good one here!
Krauss delivers craftwork and class
By TIMOTHY FINN
The Kansas City Star
I n the spirit of bluegrass, we'll bolt to the chase quicker than you can clap a 16th-note.
Wednesday night at the Midland, Alison Krauss and Union Station did the two big songs from the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack: the song George Clooney didn't really sing (“I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow”) and the one Krauss really did sing with Emmylou Harris and Gillian Welch (“Down to the River”).
Before and after those “hits,” Krauss and her band showcased their slick and sophisticated ways with country pop, country folk and bluegrass — ways that emphasize craftwork, discipline and polish over improvisation and spontaneity. The difference between the two may be slight, but it's what kept everyone in their seats and what made the Midland the ideal venue for this sold-out show.
Bluegrass is an original strain of devil's music — the sound of catharsis and reverie. These days, in some circles, it has become a symphony for country fans who want to sit and watch their favorite musicians show off their chops. Krauss and her band are all virtuosos on their instruments, beginning with Jerry Douglas, the Dobro master who now gets second billing on the marquee and on the tickets. He lived up to it all night, especially during his solo moment midway through the show.
That was one of several highlights. The others: the instrumentals, including the Flatt & Scruggs number “Carroll County Blues”; Dan Tyminski's reprisal of “Constant Sorrow”; and the first encore, a gorgeous version of the traditional “You Will Be My Ain True Love” from “Cold Mountain,” which he and Krauss sang a cappella in lockstep harmony.
The other highlights came between songs. Krauss has fashioned herself into more than just a slick musician with a pretty voice and a nice stage personality. She has become a genuine comedian. She told a few stories about an addiction to television she developed while convalescing recently and then riffed about shows like “The Nanny.” She also jousted and jived with each member of the band as she introduced him.
She delivered the line of the night while presenting bassist Barry Bales. Krauss introduced him as a guy who likes to “get up early, put on a special outfit, grab his favorite firearm, go outside … and wait.” She asked him what he would have bought at Cabela's if he'd had the time. He said he'd have picked up some duck decoys. She shot back: “Why do you need new ones? Did you accidentally shoot one of the old ones?”
Their exchange provoked one of the rare outbursts from the crowd, which was content to sit back, watch and enjoy the show. Part of that was because of the set list, which was heavy on songs from the new album, “Lonely Runs Both Ways,” a collection of midtempo ballads. For most of the night, the music vibe was balmy and formal — nothing the devil would find too interesting.
SETLIST
Restless, This Sad Song, Unionhouse Branch, Goodbye Is All We Have, Wouldn't Be So Bad, Rain Please Go Away, Every Time You Say Goodbye, Bright Sunny South, Carroll County Blues, It Don't Matter Now, Forget About It, Gravity, Morning Light, (instrumental), Pastures of Plenty, Poor Old Heart, I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow, Dark Skies, We Hide and Seek, It Doesn't Have to Be This Way, The Lucky One, Baby Now That I Found You, When You Say Nothing at All, If I Didn't Know Any Better, Oh, Atlanta. Encore: You Will Be My Ain True Love, Down to the River, A Living Prayer
Krauss delivers craftwork and class
By TIMOTHY FINN
The Kansas City Star
I n the spirit of bluegrass, we'll bolt to the chase quicker than you can clap a 16th-note.
Wednesday night at the Midland, Alison Krauss and Union Station did the two big songs from the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack: the song George Clooney didn't really sing (“I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow”) and the one Krauss really did sing with Emmylou Harris and Gillian Welch (“Down to the River”).
Before and after those “hits,” Krauss and her band showcased their slick and sophisticated ways with country pop, country folk and bluegrass — ways that emphasize craftwork, discipline and polish over improvisation and spontaneity. The difference between the two may be slight, but it's what kept everyone in their seats and what made the Midland the ideal venue for this sold-out show.
Bluegrass is an original strain of devil's music — the sound of catharsis and reverie. These days, in some circles, it has become a symphony for country fans who want to sit and watch their favorite musicians show off their chops. Krauss and her band are all virtuosos on their instruments, beginning with Jerry Douglas, the Dobro master who now gets second billing on the marquee and on the tickets. He lived up to it all night, especially during his solo moment midway through the show.
That was one of several highlights. The others: the instrumentals, including the Flatt & Scruggs number “Carroll County Blues”; Dan Tyminski's reprisal of “Constant Sorrow”; and the first encore, a gorgeous version of the traditional “You Will Be My Ain True Love” from “Cold Mountain,” which he and Krauss sang a cappella in lockstep harmony.
The other highlights came between songs. Krauss has fashioned herself into more than just a slick musician with a pretty voice and a nice stage personality. She has become a genuine comedian. She told a few stories about an addiction to television she developed while convalescing recently and then riffed about shows like “The Nanny.” She also jousted and jived with each member of the band as she introduced him.
She delivered the line of the night while presenting bassist Barry Bales. Krauss introduced him as a guy who likes to “get up early, put on a special outfit, grab his favorite firearm, go outside … and wait.” She asked him what he would have bought at Cabela's if he'd had the time. He said he'd have picked up some duck decoys. She shot back: “Why do you need new ones? Did you accidentally shoot one of the old ones?”
Their exchange provoked one of the rare outbursts from the crowd, which was content to sit back, watch and enjoy the show. Part of that was because of the set list, which was heavy on songs from the new album, “Lonely Runs Both Ways,” a collection of midtempo ballads. For most of the night, the music vibe was balmy and formal — nothing the devil would find too interesting.
SETLIST
Restless, This Sad Song, Unionhouse Branch, Goodbye Is All We Have, Wouldn't Be So Bad, Rain Please Go Away, Every Time You Say Goodbye, Bright Sunny South, Carroll County Blues, It Don't Matter Now, Forget About It, Gravity, Morning Light, (instrumental), Pastures of Plenty, Poor Old Heart, I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow, Dark Skies, We Hide and Seek, It Doesn't Have to Be This Way, The Lucky One, Baby Now That I Found You, When You Say Nothing at All, If I Didn't Know Any Better, Oh, Atlanta. Encore: You Will Be My Ain True Love, Down to the River, A Living Prayer