Photo Credit: Joan Bowlen
On very rare occasions there’s a moment in a live show where you realize that the one you’re witnessing is truly special– one where the audience and artist connect in an energetic and profound synergy, growing in intensity throughout the evening until the climax and subsequent curfew. One of those moments, however, happened during the acoustic set of Amy Ray’s show last night at the Great American Music Hall.
Amy took the stage with opening acts Lindsay Fuller and Jeff Fielder and sang with hushed delicacy and tenderness the unreleased track “More Pills,” which, according to Ray, is slated for an eventual country record. Amy Ray is certainly no stranger to harmonies that dig into the soul and find a deep-rooted resonance– she’s built a career with Emily Saliers as the Indigo Girls doing just that– but there’s something about the way Fuller complemented Ray’s mournful alto, matched with a beautifully restrained and expressive guitar solo by Fielder that hit you square in the chest, thereby recognizing that this in fact was one of those singular shows.
Ray’s touring behind her fourth solo record Lung of Love, recently released on her own indie label Daemon Records. The album is a contemplative and gratifying journey through the difficulties of love and loss and the intersection of our inner and outer selves. It contains some of her most mature songwriting yet, and while it may lack a cohesive sound like Stag or Prom, it is a thoroughly remarkable effort that demonstrates Ray’s relevance, even thirty years into the business.
Ray was joined onstage by an all-star and all female band, including Jenn Stone on keyboards, Alison Martlew on bass, Kaia Wilson on electric guitar and a welcome guest appearance by exceptional drummer Allison Miller. They played with tight accuracy and swagger, signaling that they’re well-rehearsed and an already oiled machine, even with Miller as a very recent addition. While no one in the band has vocals that match Fuller’s or Brandi Carlile’s, they definitely give flair and depth to Ray’s lead. Also, Jenn Stone experimented with some interesting new sounds and textures with her keyboard, which added an intriguing new layer to many of the songs throughout the evening.
The focus of the evening was on new material, with nine of the ten songs from Lung of Love played. But when Ray and her band dipped into the older stuff, they injected new life into songs like “Laramie,” “Black Heart Today” and “Give In” (which was delightfully raucous). “Laramie” was a definite highlight of the show, with a passionate vocal line and searing electric guitar, distortion and all, to create a massive wall of sound that enveloped the room. And when Ray came back on stage for an encore performance of Prom standout “Let It Ring” on mandolin, and with Fuller on harmony, the protest song gained added significance because of San Francisco’s history with gay activism.
Some may miss the presence of Emily Saliers on stage to help bring in the mirthful folk/pop that is characteristic of the Indigo Girls and which brought them such considerable fame over the past thirty years, but the fact is that an Amy Ray show is a wholly separate experience, and thankfully so. These songs may come out of the same performer, but they’re the id to the Indigo Girls superego. They have different shapes, sizes and sounds, and while many artists’ solo work is simply re-casted versions of what their band may do, Amy Ray’s solo career is totally distinct. And that separation isn’t acrimonious at all; Ray has nothing but overflowing respect for Saliers as a musical partner. But it is nice to watch her let her proverbial hair down and rock out, digging into her love for punk-pop music and rip through the majority of her catalogue.
It’s important to acknowledge opening act Lindsay Fuller as well. Amy Ray and the Indigo Girls have always chosen quite talented support for their tours (such as Brandi Carlile, Girlyman, Missy Higgins, Kathleen Edwards, etc.), so it comes as no surprise that Fuller would continue to hold that torch. Even so, she was engaging, charming and utterly captivating, with her gravely and rounded alto voice rooting her Americana/folk sound. Accompanied by the dextrous and winsome Jeff Fielder on guitar, the two played a 40-minute set that showcased Fuller’s new album You, Anniversary and certainly won over quite a few new fans.
With four albums under her belt, Ray has the means to choose from her varied catalogue to craft a show that fits her current aesthetic journey while also reminding audience members why her solo career has been so compelling. Her show last night did just that, and the wildly enthusiastic crowd gave back an enormous energy to the band as thanks for such a special show. So while Amy Ray may have been in this business for thirty years, there’s no sign of her slowing down. If anything, she’s continuing to turn the volume up.
Photo Credit: Joan Bowlen
Setlist:
Late Bloom
Birds of a Feather
Give It A Go
Little Revolution
I Didn’t
Black Heart Today
Crying in the Wilderness
Who Sold the Gun
Lung of Love
Laramie
Glow
Give In
Bird in the Hand
More Pills (w/ Lindsay Fuller & Jeff Fielder) [acoustic]
Cold Shoulder (w/ Lindsay Fuller, Kaia Wilson & Jeff Fielder) [acoustic]
The Rock Is My Foundation (w/ Lindsay Fuller & Jeff Fielder) [acoustic]
When You’re Gone, You’re Gone
She’s Got to Be
Bus Bus
Blender
Put It Out for Good
Encore:
(Kaia Wilson Song)
Let It Ring (w/ Lindsay Fuller) [acoustic]
