Series #11
Spring/Summer 2002
Ron Sexsmith + Adam Cohen
Laurie Lewis Trio, Art Green, David West, Tom Lee
Rufus Wainwright with Chris Stills Band
Nick Lowe + Geoff Muldaur
Loudon Wainwright + Noe Venable
Eliza Gilkyson + Jimmy LaFave
Saturday
April 27, 2002
Ron Sexsmith + Adam Cohen
Ron
Sexsmith
may not be a rock star, but he was seemingly born to create lovely pop
songs with hauntingly direct lyrics. His songs and remarkably spontaneous
live performances prove that it is still possible to achieve profound
communication with just a voice and guitar. He is a songwriter’s songwriter,
praised to the heavens by Elvis Costello ("I've been listening to his
disc all year and could listen for another twenty"), Paul McCartney and
John Hiatt...the same artists who inspired him to begin writing. Adam
Cohen is the son of Leonard Cohen, but his eponymous debut blew
the critics away with its breathtaking confidence and maturity. Adam's
work has a modern, timeless groove infused with wit and warmth...flawless
and inviting. "Forget about Adam Cohen's lineage, there's real blood and
beauty on these tracks." --David Wild, Rolling Stone
Saturday
April 27, 2002
Ron Sexsmith + Adam Cohen
Laurie
Lewis
is one hellacious hillbilly singer. During the past two decades, Laurie
has quietly established herself as one of the finest, most diversely talented
artists in traditional music. She's got a pure, silvery voice that packs
an emotional wallop without ever reaching for dramatic effect or flashy
technique. It’s a yearning, haunting instrument which, combined with her
instinctive feel for the lyric content of bluegrass and country music,
explains her fanatic following among traditional music lovers. Laurie
is also highly regarded as an original songwriter ("Love Chooses
You" was recorded by Kathy Mattea), but her renditions of her own
beautifully written songs have left an indelible impression on all who’ve
heard her. Art Green is a native of the Santa Ynez Valley and has
been performing country music for over 15 years. He has garnered many
awards, including the California Country Music Association Album of the
Year and Traditional Male Vocalist for 2001. Art will be accompanied by
multi-instumentalist Santa Barbaran David West and bass player
Tom Lee.
Friday
June 7
Rufus
Wainwright + Chris Stills Band
Rufus Wainwright
is a very hot topic, opening his heart with unflinching honesty on stages
across the country, eliciting a rapturous following among college age
audiences and jaded critics. Mainstream audiences had a peek at him on
the Tribute to Heroes television special. "Wainwright’s intensely
theatrical music is romantic with a capital R, an often captivating fusion
of early 20th century cabaret and melodious pop-rock infused in the sense
and sensibility of 18th and 19th century European literature." --Los
Angeles Times Increasingly heralded as one of the freshest and most authentic
new voices in music, 27 year-old Chris
Stills fuses folk, blues, soul and rock in a strikingly original
sound that is steeped in tradition, yet unmistakably of its own time.
We love this guy!
Friday,
July 12
Nick Lowe + Geoff Muldaur
Not possible to describe the impact of Nick
Lowe! Not Possible! Okay,
Basher, as he's known, was the First Guy of Punk, producing Damned, Damned
Damned by the Damned in 1977. He produced and played on most of Elvis
Costello’s stuff (he wrote What's So Funny About Peace Love & Understanding)
. He partnered with Dave Edmunds in a back and forth relationship that
produced so much excellent music it's hard to believe (Rockpile, baby).
He played bass for John Hiatt on Bring The Family, and toured with Little
Village. He's released ten wonderful solo records, the count may be off...all
of which are brilliant and the latest of which, The Convincer, is, well,
convincing. I'm convinced.Geoff
Muldaur had not released an album in 17 years when Bob Neuwirth
called and invited him to come to Italy and do some shows with him. Now
that is a rock'n'roll esoteric trivia tidbit for anybody's bio! Let's
just say that Geoff Muldaur has the songs and the chops and a great musical
history, but his newest record, The Secret Handshake, gets everybody into
the club.
Friday, August 16
Loudon Wainwright + Noe Venable
Loudon
Wainwright"Mr. Wainwright is one of the few artists who has
actually gotten better as he's gotten older. His voice has deepened and
gotten more soulful and his songwriting has gotten less gimmicky and more
honed...but Mr. Wainwright is so remarkable a tunesmith and a wordsmith
that the songs outlive their subjects." --The New York Observer "A
Noe Venable
performance - whimsical, funny, impulsive, rapturous - posits the idea
of a darkly creative genius flailing away under the vaudevillian's tux
and tails. Sneaking swigs from a flask of peppermint schnapps, she's deliriious
from the power of her warring impulses."--SF Bay Guardian
Saturday,
September 21
Eliza
Gilkyson + Jimmy LaFave
Eliza
Gilkyson came, saw, and blew the audience away at her first Sings
Like Hell appearance in the first show of the last series. We had secret
knowledge of her killer new album, which was already in the can, so we
invited her to come right back and strut her stuff for a really long set
in Hell. Hang on to your seats and your emotions...Eliza Gilkyson can
be a pretty wild roller coaster ride. Jimmy
LaFave came to Hell in our second series, so many of our current
subscribers have not seen him. Jimmy LaFave's brand of red dirt road music
means songs written on the blue highways and sung in a gravel road voice
that is given to surprising twists. His own compositions are beautifully
written, with all the Texas influences on display; his interpretations
of the songs written by others are often sublime, and sometimes transcendent.
Most industry insiders agree; he does Dylan better than anyone. Well..maybe
one guy.