Artist:Eve Selis + Elizabeth Cook
Venue:The Sage
Town:Newastle
Date:27/07/08
Opening the show was Florida raised, 21st century honky tonk girl, Elizabeth Cook. Recognising that many of us in the audience had already seen her outside on the free stage a couple of hours earlier, she promised us she’d change up the set and throw in a few surprises. Backed by husband and ace songwriter Tim Carroll, Elizabeth effortlessly won the audience over with a selection of tracks from her current album Balls, including the title track which she preceded by saying “Here is the song that started it all. Let’s hope it doesn’t end it too. This is for all the women out there and for their partners - I guess they can learn something!” This sense of humour prevailed throughout the set and soon had the audience feeling they’d known Ms. Cook for a long time. Surprisingly, Elizabeth is also a talented clogger, changing her shoes (whilst joking she wouldn’t disconnect all of Tim’s cables as she had outside earlier when she erroneously danced on a switch!) and clogging all over the stage whilst Tim played one of his fabulous songs, TGV. I have to admit I saw Elizabeth open for ‘Wine Women and Song’ last year and I just wasn’t sure. This time she totally won me over and left me wanting more.
I think she has grown in confidence and found her niche. She sings Honky Tonk like any of her older counterparts, citing Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn as two of her greatest influences, yet adds a modern twist for a new generation. However, for me, she shines when she puts her beautiful Southern voice to a ballad; sung live Down Girl (which gains a whole new meaning when you know it was written about a close friend), Sunday Morning (made famous by Velvet Underground), Before I go that Far and her haunting cover of Merle Haggard’s Today I Started Loving You Again, were the highlights of the set. One of her most striking ballads, Mama’s Prayers, was a notable omission but she later mentioned that her mother had recently passed away, which more than explains its absence. She did, however, take requests, which pleased the audience, and treated us to the first song she ever wrote in which she asks Dolly Parton if she ever found it so hard to make it. Very apt since Elizabeth certainly brings to mind Dolly, in sound, appearance, and her life story!
Suffice it to say, Elizabeth Cook certainly proved that she has talent aswell as balls and if this performance is any reflection I don’t think she will be an opening act for much longer.
As self dubbed Queen of Roadhouse Rock, Eve Selis took to the Stage to rapturous applause, it occurred to me that just two years ago more or less to the day, she was playing the free outdoor Festival stage and now she had almost sold out Hall 2. Testament I think to what this incredible woman has to offer. The first thing that has to strike anyone, is the huge smile lighting up Eve’s face as she takes to the stage; her sheer joy to be on stage sharing what she loves to do, and to be back in a venue she loves, cannot be disguised. Backed by her incredible band, Marc ‘Twang’ Intravaia, Jim ‘Cactus’ Soldi, Larry Grano and Rick Nash (with the notable absence of Sharon Whyte this trip), Eve launched into a rousing version of Angels and Eagles from the new CD of the same title, which pretty much set the precedent for the show. (The song was written by the amazing Kim McLean aka Kim Patton Johnston and I keep hoping one day Eve will twist her arm into coming to play with them.)
As Eve treated us to song after song from her earlier albums; Heart Shaped Tatoo, Russellville, Mr Lincoln, Those Words we Said and a collection of songs from the new album; Cryin’ Days, Better Days, Street I grew up on, One day at a Time and That’s Enough, Marc and Jim regularly traded electric guitar solos, so fast you could hardly keep up with who was playing. All the while they were exchanging knowing smiles whilst Eve danced around the stage between them.
Nobody would have believed, had they not known, that only just over a year ago she gave birth to baby boy, Henry, and last time she graced this stage she was six months pregnant. She commented that it was almost impossible to believe that this was the case, nor indeed that the first time she played here in 2006, she didn’t even have him. Eve’s ease with the audience is incredible, she chats and jokes from the stage as if we are all old friends she hasn’t seen in way too long. Cactus Jim used to play with Johnny Cash, so it is only right that we should get the token Cash song – a rockin’ version of Folsom Prison Blues which had the audience clapping along and tapping their feet.
I got my request when she lowered the tone for a stunning rendition of ballad, Pocket Full of Stones, which I suspect hardly left a dry eye in the house. One of the truly unique things about Eve’s performance is how the uses her hands as she sings, to draw the audience in to her space on stage, and to almost tell the story with her actions. Nowhere is it more powerful than during this song as Eve holds up imaginary stones as she is singing about them. Americana sign-language?!
In four or five performances now over the past couple of years, I have never seen Eve and the band so tight. They were literally on fire throughout this show, working on a totally intuitive level, which was a joy to witness. Obviously, this being the final show of the tour they are now adept at mind reading, and whilst you may expect them to be exhausted by now, they literally gave it all they had for almost two hours. When Eve talked about leaving for home, you could tell it was bittersweet – sad to be leaving the UK which they have obviously grown to love, but she was desperate to get home to baby Henry! Clearly they were on a high after a great tour and that really came across very powerfully.
Towards the end we heard The Gift, written about Marc’s son. Eve told us that her agent was present and getting married in a few weeks#Hope the wedding went well Bob. Ed# and they’d chosen to play 1000 Kisses. She said at first this seemed an odd choice as it was penned about Henry, but she was beginning to see it could have other meanings. Ending the set very fittingly with Passin’ Thru, she suddenly stopped and gave them a chorus of 1000 Kisses, which was a nice gesture.
Returning for an encore we got three songs capped off with her stunning cover of the beautiful Gram Parsons song, She, a song for which her ‘lemonade and whiskey voice’ could have been made, then left the stage to thunderous applause and went to spend almost two hours mingling and signing autographs until everyone had left; further testament to what a lovely lady she is.
There is no doubt that the sound of Eve’s songs were ringing in everyone’s ears long after the curtain went down and she has left nobody in any doubt of two things; 1) She will be passin’ thru again very soon and 2) To quote that Gram Parsons song, My but she sure could sing; Oh yes she sure could sing.”
Helen Mitchell
No comments:
Post a Comment