Alright, I know in my last Brandi Carlile review I said that she loved Kent, Ohio. Well, I think she may love Indianapolis more. I love Indy more. I've seen BC in 10 different cities. With the exception of Again Today's Raise The Roof in Seattle, shows in Kent and Indy are the only two cities where I feel that the love and appreciation is completely reciprocal.
Brandi is on her first-ever solo tour. No Ali on drums. No Josh on cello. And most unusual, no Hanseroth Twins on guitar and bass. When the tour was first announced, my initial reaction could probably be categorized as negative. I love the simplicity of some artists playing solo in an intimate atmosphere of 100 people or less. However, when you have an artist on a large stage in front of hundreds, he or she can get lost in the surroundings. I should have known better than to ever think Brandi Carlile could get lost in the surroundings.
Brandi was surrounded by pre-tuned guitars waiting to be played. The setup helped to fill the stage and keep her from appearing so alone. With Brandi's interaction with the audience, she was anything but alone. There were a few obnoxious people in my area, but for the most part, the Indy crowd is the right combination of rowdiness and respect, attentive and engaging.
I've been to several shows at The Vogue in Indianapolis. I like the venue, with one exception. It is also a dance club after shows. I feel like shows are probably shorter at this venue because they rush everyone out so they can convert it into the club. Brandi was on stage approximately 80 minutes. I can't help but think we could have heard another couple songs had it not been for the curfew.
- Follow
- Dreams
- Throw It All Away
- Closer To You
- It's Over (Roy Orbison cover)
- What Can I Say (unplugged)
- Looking Out
- Raise Hell
- Keep Your Heart Young
- Red and Gold (Gregory Alan Isakov w/Brandi)
- Moon Song (Gregory Alan Isakov w/Brandi)
- You Belong To Me (Brandi and Gregory)
- Turpentine
- Lovesick Blues (Hank Williams cover)
- The Story
- Tragedy
- Pride and Joy
- That Year
The opener was Gregory Alan Isakov. I like Gregory. I've seen him open for BC several times. I've seen him headline once. I plan to see him again. However, I obviously love Brandi more. So, I was somewhat disappointed that so many slots in BC's set were oriented around Gregory. I was pleased to hear them do "You Belong to Me" because that duet is absolutely beautiful. I would have preferred more BC though in place of "Red and Gold" and "Moon Song".
With a guitar and a stomping boot, Brandi still filled the space of The Vogue. She sounded fantastic. I think the solo show allows you to feel more connected to the lyrics of the song. Before she sang "Looking Out", she explained that she went back and listened to original demos of songs she'd written and wanted to present some of them to us in that way. "This is how it sounded before it left my bedroom," she said. This is the comment that brought a purr. BC laughed and said "Ma'am. Ma'am, did you just purr?" She loved it.
The solo version of "Looking Out" was amazing. I thought for sure it was going to be my favorite song of the night. As beautiful as it was though, she topped it. She played "Tragedy" with the electric guitar. I've always appreciated "Tragedy", but it's never been one of my favorites. After she played it, I whispered "Wow." I don't even know what else to say about it.
Before singing Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues", she explained that she just had her Grand Ole Opry debut the night before. Seeing the joy of her talking about it clearly portrayed just how special the night had been for her. She said during sound check Little Jimmy Dickens came up to shake her hand. She thought how amazing it was to see Little Jimmy in his fancy show clothes with a sequin guitar on his pants. Then she saw him during the actual show and realized... no, he was just in his regular sequined clothes earlier in the day. Brandi also explained that 74-year-old rockabilly Wanda Jackson commented on her red suspenders and then slapped her on the ass. Hard. Full contact. I would have loved to have been in Nashville for BC's Opry debut. It must have been a truly amazing dream come true for her and for her family.
In addition to a great show, it was fun catching up with so many good people I've become friends with over the years. Pre-show meals and drinks, queue socializing, post-show skating in the parking lot... you know, just the usual good times I've come to anticipate with my fellow BC-fan friends.
Oh, P.S. I caught a pick. Well, I didn't actually catch it, but it hit my hand and I found it on the floor after the show. I've gotten a leftover pick from the stage before, but this is the first thrown pick I've aquired. :)
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