Shelby Lynne provided an intimate and endearing evening of music for those concertgoers willing to brave the late weeknight and high beer prices at Cleveland's House of Blues.
In the country music world it's difficult to ignore sparkling production values and supermodel singers to find a genuine soul. With Shelby Lynne, an artist that didn't find her identity until a decade into her career, the core is wholely apparent. The light show is minimalistic, the band drinks booze on the stage, and t-shirts and jeans are uniform for more than the audience. The connection is obvious as false promises and romanticized personas are sidelined for genuinely good music and good people.
The band connected with more than just clothing that evening, however, as Shelby's vocals carried each tune through from the climbing opener "Go With It," to the lowkey "Telephone." Lynne pulled the band up and down, letting them hang back or let loose as necessary.
The trial of the evening came during a short acoustic set that lasted less than one song. As the medium sized club crept toward the stage to hear Lynne play solo, the less interested parties continued to yammer loudly in the corners, cellphone ringers ablaze. The band was called out to overshadow the noise, and, after finishing up their tunes, the night was brought to a beautiful, though abrupt, close.
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