Among the current crop of real-deal country artists that have emerged as a rebuttal to that polished and poppy Nashville sound, Vincent Neil Emerson is a clear standout. Similar to peers like Charley Crockett, Colter Wall, Brent Cobb – and at times sounding like an amalgamation of all three – as well as Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson before that, Emerson has clearly studied up on the greats of country music while earning his place among these contemporaries. He aggregates them into a sound that feels simultaneously retro and fresh to music fans itching for the real thing. Emerson has been at this country music thing for a handful of years now and it seems his star is rising as his talent as a singer-songwriter and musical kinship with those aforementioned artists is finally paying off. This was evidenced by a nearly sold-out show at Portland, Oregon’s Aladdin Theater on Friday, March 21st.
Onstage in Portland, Emerson and his band kept the showmanship to a minimum, though they did give him a lively instrumental introduction before he strolled onto the stage looking dapper with his greased back hair and full denim getup. As Emerson eased the band into the big guitar showcase that is “The Golden Crystal Kingdom,” it was clear they would be letting the songs speak for themselves. For the next ninety minutes, Emerson and his talented band gave the audience a performance that touched on his three albums, incorporated a handful of tasteful covers, and even shared a few new tunes off his soon-to-be-announced next record. “Willie Nelson’s Wall” was a rootin’ tootin’ Western Swing romp while “Letters On the Marquee” was a humble road song with a darkened twang and “Rodeo Clown” was a choogling honky tonker that brought to mind the similarly titled tune from Charley Crockett.
Emerson kept his between-song banter sparse throughout the night, but did share the occasional quip or reflection. “Time of The Rambler” with its shimmering pedal steel work was prefaced with a tale of his rough upbringing. He introduced “Dark Horse” as a new tune before the band dropped into a playfully rocking country soundtrack to complement his soulful crooning, before seemingly nodding to Willie Nelson with the outlaw stomper “25 & Wastin’ Time.” “This one’s for Jerry,” remarked Emerson before leading the band through a rousing cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Brown-eyed Women” only to follow it up with the country-soul of new tune “Livin’ in the Past.” There were plenty of other highlights of the set, including the folksy outlaw-tinged “Big Wheels,” the freewheeling ode to boozing “Louisiana Wind,” “Cactus Blossom Special” with its jazzy, country lounge music sound that turned into a vehicle for Emerson and his bandmate Nigel Solomon to duel on guitars, and a deliciously rowdy take on The Band’s “Ophelia.”
Hooting, hollering – with even a few obnoxious requests to “play some Townes” or cover “Free Bird” that were swiftly shut down by Emerson – the crowd was smitten. When the band departed after the rollicking closer “Road Runner,” Emerson was quickly summoned back with a roar of applause. He returned without his band and delivered a solo version of the Rolling Stones’ countryfied classic “Dead Flowers” only to follow it up with a rendition of the iconic folk tune “If I Were a Carpenter” that featured almost Malian desert blues-style guitar. Emerson makes no bones about his gratitude to compadres like Colter Wall in taking him on the road, and his cover of Wall’s “Motorcycle” offered twangy testimony to that. The majority of the crowd stayed until the final note, watching Emerson cruise through the potent Western tune “Little Wolf’s Invincible Yellow Medicine Paint” with the kind of awe that happens when the songs really mean something and keep on hitting their mark.
All photos by Greg Homolka
