Maybe the gods are trying to tell us something.
Part II: Worth the trouble
Through the snow, the sleet, the cold, and dark we traveled the hundred miles to Louisville. Parking obtained and seats found. We’re up high, nosebleed section and all that, but the view to the stage is beautiful and we’re happy.
The stage is sparse. Just four chairs, mikes, and three small tables between, full of water bottles and the like. The crowd mingles in, and there is that continual stand, sit, stand movement as folks shuffle into their seats.
A few minutes past eight the announcement is made and out stroll four of the greatest singer-songwriters I’ll ever know. Guy Clark sits to the far right followed by Joe Ely, John Hiatt, and Lyle Lovett sits on the left hand side. They are all smiles and the crowd is boisterous.
Guy thanks us quickly and gets straight to business. He sings a song, with just his guitar as accompaniment and we all make a joyful noise when it is over. The songs move to the left until they start again with Guy.
The atmosphere is completely laid back. The four guys seem like old friends, and at this point they probably are, having started performing together more than a decade ago, and getting together whenever they can to sing and talk and swap songs as they like to say.
All four performers have a history of gathering with other likeminded folks and sitting on porches and living rooms playing their songs and sharing the music. And that’s just what this is, a chance for good old songwriters to share their songs, and perhaps learn a few more themselves. The fact that they are all well accomplished songwriters performing in front of a large, paying audience seems beyond the point.
For myself, I am well versed in both Guy Clark and Lyle Lovett’s music, but not so much so with the other two. The performances are so intimate, however, so my lack of knowledge doesn’t matter in the least. The audience is completely silent during the performances, and only make noise between songs as to shout appreciation. There are no cell phones ringing, or annoying banter amongst friends as has been the habits of audiences from my most recent concerts.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
wow, cool show! i'm not so familiar with Clark as with the others. love Joe Ely. the band i used to be in got some special joy out of playing "Everybody Got Hammered"
2 - Mat Brewster
See I know Clark's stuff pretty well, but only know a couple of Ely's tunes (and he didn't play either) but it was really cool to see all those guys up there, playing songs and having fun.
3 - Mark Saleski
ya, i can't imagine a show involving somebody like Hiatt not being fun.
4 - El Bicho
So where did you post the torrent of the show?
5 - Mat Brewster
Believe me I was looking around for tapers. But it was in one of those nice auditorium type places there were all sort of notices about taping and photographing not being allowed, so those big mics would have been noticed.
I do have a copy of these four performing several years ago you might persuade me to send you. This will, of course, rely on my ability to actually find it in my unorganized collection, and your ability to send the shows you promised weeks ago.
6 - Connie Phillips
Congrats! This article has been forwarded to the Advance.net websites.
7 - Loyal to Lyle
We saw the N.M. round of this show. Agree it was wonderful. But not your remark on Lyle interviewing Hiatt about his song (the horse song, right?). That was hysterical, in a distinctly Lovett, understated way. And Clark wasn't annoyed, just playing the straight guy. How could you miss that?
8 - Mat Brewster
He looked kind of annoyed to me at the time. Maybe you're right and he was just playing along. It was a great show either way.