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Written by Rebecca Carter
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Tuesday, 14 November 2006 |
Southpaw
Brooklyn, NY
November 1, 2006
Steve Earle took the stage as the headlining act of CMJ’s singer-songwriter showcase with little fanfare, but it was clear from the start that all Earle needs is a guitar, a microphone and his words. Earle’s nonchalant delivery combined with tales of Mexico, misrepresentations of Custer and the Civil War easily captivated the audience as he weaved his stories between songs whose lyrics easily melted into his vivid descriptions.
Not to be mistaken for the laidback singer-songwriter stereotype, Earle likes to keep his audience involved and had the well-liquored crowd chanting “F-U-C-K” early in the set during “F the CC.” Earle translated all eras and styles of his career into the one-man, solo acoustic form and with a captivating stage presence like his, songs such as “Copperhead Road,” “Devil’s Right Hand,” “South Nashville Blues” and “CCKMP” became all the more powerful when stripped down to the basics. Earle’s wife, Allison Moorer, whose set preceded Earle’s, joined her husband onstage for “Comin’ Around,” a duet he originally did with Emmylou Harris but which has since become Earle and Moorer’s signature song together.
Surprisingly, Earle kept the political commentary to a minimum—or, at least, to a minimum for Steve Earle. Perhaps he realized he would be preaching to the choir; if you’re already at a Steve Earle show, you know where you stand. But footnotes aside, he was sure to include a block of politically-charged songs with “Jerusalem,” “Rich Man’s War” and “John Walker’s Blues.” The crowd welcomed these songs, which in any other environment might be some tough pills to swallow, and he capped off the night with “Christmas in Washington,” a song that is truly in the tradition of activist folk, especially through its evocation of Woody Guthrie.
Steve Earle’s delivery is unique: intense, yet at the same time you could easily imagine all of his songs starting with “Hey man, I want to tell you something.” Although this ease often invited some baiting from the crowd (one man in particular kept yelling out for “Freebird” until Earle flipped him off saying, “Here’s your free bird.”) it is the trademark of a true rebel folk musician. Whether it’s the facts behind his politics, or the character backgrounds in “Dixieland,” what may seem like rambling is deliberate and often poetic: “This song is about the same unknown woman; different harmonica, though.”
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 14 November 2006 )
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