It was a historic and sad day for American politics. Fortunately, on the night of the release of Ken Starr's report to Congress, a fine songwriter offered sanctuary from the media storm that had reached hurricane levels by the time fans started arriving at the Garden Coffeehouse in Evanston, Illinois.
The opening set by local singer Jonathan Rundman contained a few reminders of the day's events, though. The political themes in several of his songs (especially the caustic "Some Attention") were highlighted in his introductions, although they needed no help in making their point.
Pierce Pettis chose a more subtle path for his commentary. He opened with an off-the-cuff version of "The Times They Are A-Changin'", offering the Bob Dylan classic "as therapy." Thankfully, for the next two hours (with the exception of a quick one-liner) the emphasis shifted from the headlines to the music.
"Warmth" is the word that best sums up Pettis's performance that night. His voice has a way of wrapping the listener like a blanket. It seemed less like he was singing to us than he was inviting us to join in the stories told in his songs, such as "Just Like Jim Brown," about a lover who shared the football legend's sense of when to call it quits. With the stage already graced by a decorative rug, all that was left to complete the living-room atmosphere was a crackling fireplace.
Adding to the intimacy was the presence of Pettis's wife, Michele, lending her considerable vocal talent to most of the songs. A guest bass player joined Pettis's acoustic guitar, adding to the warmth of the sound. The instrumentation ran the risk of sounding incomplete, with the absence of a drummer. Rather than overpower or drive the songs, however, the rich bass tones gave the music extra depth. It was only on the fiery "Lions of the Coliseum" that percussion was missed. With the bass providing the support, Pettis's playing was given room to fly. No generic strumming here, folks. He is a first-rate player, and his intricate picking would have given any Phil Keaggy fan their money's worth. The evening's lone instrumental piece, "Granddaddy Blew the Whistle," featured the musical simulation of a train, from the cranking of the engine to the blowing of the whistle. With eyes closed, it was easy to imagine Pettis's grandfather (the railroad worker who inspired the song) standing next to the tracks doing his job under wide-open western skies.
Between songs, Pettis's observations and introductions combined with his accessible personality to connect further with the audience. His usually razor-sharp wit took a back seat that night. Although there was plenty of joking, more memorable were the stories behind the songs (taken mostly from his newest album, Everything Matters). He took time to talk about his friend who inspired "My Heart Goes Out", reaching out to the families of children with terminal illnesses even while dying of AIDS himself. There was also the touching dedication of "My Little Girl" to his daughter, Grace. He did get the crowd smiling as he talked of his song-writing partner, Fred Koller, especially as he introduced "Love Will Always Find Its Way" ("This is a love song to my wife, but I don't know who Fred wrote his verse for.").
Toward the end of the set, Pettis introduced "You Move Me" (from his previous album, Making Light of It) with the happy announcement that it had been recorded by Garth Brooks and would soon be tearing up the country radio charts. Even though Brooks probably isn't a favorite of Pettis's fans, it was still good news. Many artists of Pettis's caliber labor in obscurity, unable to earn a living from their craft. He has long deserved this kind of tangible reward, and the announcement only added to a great evening for which we were privileged to be a part.
Brett MacAlpine (1/2/99)
