The phrase “lived to tell about it” seems to fit the legendary Steve Earle pretty nicely. Surviving drug addiction, seven marriages, and time behind bars, Earle has managed to stand the test of time, then write gorgeous songs about it.
He remains one of the most talented songwriters of today, and that’s why his 2009 release of Townes, a compilation of songs written by his friend and inspiration Townes Van Zandt, seemed so intriguing. It’s a fantastic record, complete with romantic ballads and swingin’ two-step, but lacking of any of Earle’s writing, which was slightly puzzling. After seeing him perform at the Aladdin Theatre on Tuesday night, however, it all makes sense.
The night showed Earle to still be fully inspired by Van Zandt, both as a musician and a human being, and it became clear the record had been created to thank the man who had written those songs. It was a great show, unique in that it was just one man on the stage, telling captivating stories both in and out of the songs.
Earle was touring to promote Townes with Hayes Carll, another prolific songwriter who reminded me a lot of a young Earle. Opening the show by proclaiming, “Please welcome Hayes Carll and his imaginary band,” Carll proceeded to surprise me with his humor and unique lyrics. He won the crowd over with songs about his girlfriend leaving him for Jesus, and how he was going to kick his ass the next time he saw him. With his tough, whisky-soaked voice and impressive guitar plucks, Carll was a convincing act, showing himself to be more of what country music should sound like today.
Earle launched into his set with zero fuss or pretension, quickly setting fire to his harp and laying out a mesmerizing melody. Saving his own hits for the encore, he played much of Van Zandt’s music first, highlighting each one of them with interesting stories. The best was the tale of the two’s first meeting, in which Van Zandt parked himself in front of Earle’s stage one night and heckled him with shouted requests of “Wabash Cannonball.” Unfamiliar with the song, Earle said he chose to quiet him by playing one of Van Zandt’s own tunes, “Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold.” Few will know how well he pulled it off that night, but Earle’s rendition at the Aladdin was dead-on.
It was absorbing to hear Earle’s voice still rife with the power and passion it’s held for close to 40 years—it seems as if very few singers out there can take their voices where he can. And this was evident in every track he performed, ranging from the low and slow “Pancho and Lefty” to the up and down “Copperhead Road.” Also effective were the stories that backed up the songs, particularly those of political nature. Known for his outspoken activism, Earle mentioned early on how upset he was with the election of Republican Senator-elect Scott Brown in Massachusetts that night, and would intermittently bring up things such as the economic plight of America, and language-segregation in the schools. None of his dialogue was ever brash, or full of hate, but delivered in a calm and collected manner that speaks of Earle’s dedication to the causes he supports.
During his encore, Earle played “Way Down In the Hole,” the Tom Waits song that came to be the theme song for HBO’s The Wire, and it was more than fitting. Earle’s performance as a recovering drug addict on that show had been dynamic, and his own version of the Waits song had been used for the opening credits in the fifth season of the show.
While it was yet another song written by someone else’s pen and pain, it was expressed in a way that absolutely made it Earle’s for the moment. And that’s what’s so very attractive and satisfying about him: the man clearly loves music, and the way he reveals it in his performance is stunning, something any other lover of music should see.
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Two songs go in, one comes out. Pick a side.
thanks so much nadine! probably the best compliment a photog can get!
and thanks for reminding me to embed the video in the post too!
by Steve Benoit on Sun May 20, 2012 at 09.33 am from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
I can’t get over how these photos captured my up close memory of the night.
by nadine on Sat May 19, 2012 at 11.08 pm from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
Or should it be whoever? F my grammar.
by nadine on Sat May 19, 2012 at 10.30 pm from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
Whomever took these photos certainly captured the night!
by nadine on Sat May 19, 2012 at 10.26 pm from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
“Mindkilla” is awesome. I’ve got this music video last week and really impressed through watching every performance particularly “Glass Jar”. Thanks dude. :)
dance contest
by Mark Waugh on Thu May 17, 2012 at 05.54 am from the entry: Gang Gang Dance's Illuminating "Mindkilla"
Also, I have yet to pay this venue a visit, is it good spot? good people, good vibe, good atmosphere?
... man, i hope i win some tickets…
by Jaz Bonnin-Aldatz on Thu May 17, 2012 at 12.27 am from the entry: It's all good, see Fishbone for free at Fête
Looking forward to the show. Would love to win some tix for my pals.
by MC Breath on Wed May 16, 2012 at 07.40 pm from the entry: It's all good, see Fishbone for free at Fête
@josh: love the first picture.
@nicci: I’m so jealous that you got to see “Way Down In The Hole.”
it was incredible, colin - I’m such a huge fan of the wire, anyways, so it’s like he heard me desperately hoping he’d play it