It only took a few moments of Sarah Masen's opening set to convince the crowd that there was much more than just "so-called" talent on display for this stop of the So-Called Tour. Alone with her guitar, she took advantage of the freedom that comes with a solo acoustic performance, reinterpreting four songs from her last two albums. The most dramatic change came on the title track of her newest release, Carry Us Through. With her stark, percussive playing, what was a gospel song on the album sounded less like Lyle Lovett and more like Ani DiFranco. The delicate ending of "Fragrance of Pink" was especially moving. She closed the song with the repeated phrase, "We're not sure how this goes," effectively mixing human uncertainty with a worshipful mood. Not content with the "just-play-the-stuff-they've-heard" opening act routine, she finished with two brand new songs. Here's hoping her next stop in the area finds her playing a longer set that does justice to her constantly expanding repertoire.
Beginning with an extended, atmospheric introduction to "Love", Sixpence
None the Richer played with all the power and grace befitting their newest,
self-titled release. One of the successes of that album is the creative
use of varied instrumentation (string sections, trumpet and steel guitar,
to name a few) together with the band's own brand of mature, introspective
pop. However, the two-guitar lineup allowed them to attack the new
songs with a different kind of intensity. The
swirling time changes of "Puedo Escribir" had an even more dizzying
effect, and lighter songs like "Sister, Mother" were given an added sonic
bite.
Another change was apparent in the playing of lead guitarist Matt Slocum. Gone were the meandering, spaced-out jam sessions that had been a calling card of earlier Sixpence performances. Instead, he favored a more lyrical approach. His melodic solo during "The Lines of My Earth" was a high point, complementing the song's melancholy theme of artistic resignation in the line, "This is the last song that I'll write, till you tell me otherwise."
Cover songs have never been a regular part of Sixpence's shows, but this one featured two that gave a sort of emotional cross-section. Lead singer Leigh Nash was in high spirits as she and the band playfully offered a carefree (and gender-corrected) rendition of "There She Goes", the one hit by one-hit-wonders the La's. And before ending the set, the highlight of the whole evening came with a haunting performance of Leslie Phillips' "Carry You". Slocum's extended cello solo that closed the song brought a hushed silence over the chatty crowd.
After Sixpence, the manic energy with which the Waiting threw themselves into their songs came as quite a jolt (a friend later told me she felt exhausted just watching them). It was a good jolt, though, fitting well with their buoyant Southern guitar rock in "The Air I Breathe". The fire was cooled briefly for the reverent "Hands In the Air", after which they floored it for the remainder of the show.
As the set went on, though, some of the energy and crowd-pleasing gimmicks (behind-the-back guitar solos, inserting "Judson College" into a lyric, throwing pieces of clothing from their former 1940's look to the crowd) began to feel choreographed. It's unfortunate, because this band writes songs that are good enough to work without this kind of help. Nowhere was that clearer than at the close of the set, with passionate versions of "Staring at a Bird" and "Indian Summer". And the final song, "Truly Amazing" - with its "Amazing Grace" bridge - was, well, truly amazing. They definitely ended the evening on a high note. It's just that there was more shtick than necessary.
By Brett MacAlpine
Set List:
Sarah Masen:
Shine (Sarah Masen)
All Fall Down (Sarah Masen)
Carry Us Through (Carry Us Through)
Fragrance of Pink (Carry Us Through)
two new songs
Sixpence None the Richer:
Love (Sixpence None the Richer)
Puedo Escribir (Sixpence None the Richer)
Sister, Mother (Sixpence None the Richer)
Kiss Me (Sixpence None the Richer)
Field of Flowers (The Fatherless and the Widow)
There She(He) Goes (the La's)
Within A Room Somewhere (This Beautiful Mess)
The Lines of My Earth (Sixpence None the Richer)
Love, Salvation, the Fear of Death (This Beautiful Mess)
Meaningless (The Fatherless and the Widow)
Carry You (Leslie Phillips)
Moving On (Sixpence None the Richer)
The Waiting:
Never Dim (The Waiting)
The Air I Breathe (Blue Belly Sky)
Look at Me (Blue Belly Sky)
Still So Pretty (Blue Belly Sky re-release)
Hands In the Air (The Waiting)
How Do You Do That? (The Waiting)
Indian Summer (The Waiting)
Staring at a Bird (Blue Belly Sky)
Truly Amazing (Blue Belly Sky)
