Photos by Jason Tang
I just want to premise this post by saying thank you to local photographer Jason Tang for oking the use of his great photos, and a big thank you also goes to Sandy Anderson for not only writing a great review of Brandi's instore but also volunteering it to Seattle Rock Guy in the first place. I love guest contributors, especially ones with unique insight. I have to admit Brandi Carlile's music is a little outside my normal tastes but the event that when down at Queen Anne's Easy Street Records is something you just can't ignore. Brandi is one of most popular and talented performers to come from the Seattle area and...well I'll let Sandy tell the story. Cheers!
November 20th, 2009 - Brandi Carlile @ Easy Street Records
Brandi Carlile, singer/songwriter and Maple Valley native, recently finished the first leg of her tour for her third album: Give Up the Ghost, a collection of timeless alt-country tunes, both rockin' and vulnerable. Friday's in-store performance at Queen Anne's Easy Street Records was originally scheduled for October before her sellout Paramount show, but was pushed back a month due to rumors of Brandi's voice being road-weary. And if you've heard her voice, you'll be glad she rescheduled and was able to give it her all as part of Seattle Weekly's Reverb event series. She'll be touring again next year, including a Bellingham stop at the Mt Baker Theatre in March, and before that, she'll appear at The Mountain's Winter Warmth Concert at The Moore on December 6th.My husband Donny and I couldn't pass up a free mini-show in such an intimate setting after seeing her at the Paramount last month. It was a cold, windy night downtown, and after a couple of Pagliacci slices and Elysian ESBs, we headed to the record store to wait. One hour before starting time, and the place was not quite half-full, but soon would be at capacity. We staked our spots, and listened to the conversations around us, including a guy who had Brandi's middle school yearbook and was showing pictures of himself standing near her in 6th grade.
Just after 7 PM Brandi took the stage with "the twins" - Tim and Phil Hanseroth on guitar and bass - and Josh Nuemann on cello. No drums, but none needed. They rocked it. Dying Day was first up, followed by the very pretty I Will. On to Touching the Ground, and then the single from Ghost: Dreams. Always a crowd-pleaser with the most evocative rhythm - even without the drums - and a song which Brandi admitted in a video interview was about sex dreams. Makes me love it even more. Next was Pride and Joy, a gut-wrenching but soaring song about longing for approval, and one of my favorites live because it includes a great jam session - propelled by the cello - which is sadly missing from the album. Brandi brings it with Pete Townshend-esque windmills if you catch her on the right night. I couldn't see more than their heads most of the time, so not sure if she pulled those out or not.
The Story. Who doesn't love this song? An anthem that is never without accompaniment from the audience. But who could belt out the lyrics "all of these lines across my face tell you the story of who I am, so many stories of where I've been, and how I got to where I am" in a voice that rivals Brandi's? I save trying to hit these high notes for my car, only when alone, and with the volume all the way up. How does she at one moment sound like a yodeling angel, and the next give me chills with a voice that seems to come from the depths of her soul?
The next two songs were Brandi alone, and were introduced with a peak at her creative process. She said the first song was the littlest, saddest song on the album, which is true. That Year. And she said the second was her attempt at a happier song. She said she mostly draws inspiration from her darker moments, hence typically moodier songs. She said she often tries to write happier lyrics, but they always take a turn. To paraphrase her: "...they start with I love you, but then I miss you. Or I love you, sorry we had to break up. Or I love you, wish you hadn't had to die..." That got a laugh. The song If There Was No You was the result of this attempt to be more chipper. Both songs are quiet, but she has no trouble being vulnerable up there on stage with just a guitar, singing of suicide and love. And in my experiences, Brandi has the best audiences, who couldn't be quieter on these acoustic tunes - no one even singing along audibly. Just enjoying.She left the stage, but the audience stayed put. All four returned and rocked out properly to a Johnny Cash medley: a shortened Jackson and a rollicking Folsom Prison Blues. She sings it just as well as the original, I think. Sorry Johnny. And here the energy of the crowd ratchets up and they clap in rhythm the whole song. The last song of the evening was Turpentine, another special treat live. Her and the twins divide the audience into three parts and teach them the wordless harmony at the end of the song. If you're lucky you get in Tim or Brandi's group, because Phil has the high notes. But it sounds awesome to hear the crowd, turned choir, as they sing with the band, their choir directors. And it makes you realize the challenge of harmonizing. But if anyone can do it better than Brandi and the twins, I'd like to hear it. They are fabulous together.
Brandi and her band never disappoint. The owner of Easy Street, Matt Vaughan, said it was the biggest and best in-store performance ever. And an encore for just such an event!? Does that ever happen? She said it was being recorded so we'll hope for another Easy Street release like in 2007. She didn't leave though without a huge thanks to the record store, a Seattle institution, and she encouraged everyone to buy as many vinyls and indie-band records as they could, "and fill your house with them", before our independent stores no longer exist.Everyone that I ever introduce Brandi Carlile to just falls in love with her music. After the show, Brandi came out front for a signing. Seems so quaint once you get used to going to arenas to see your favorite musicians. I didn't have anything for her to sign, but that's just an excuse. I'm just too shy to say hello to my biggest girl-crush. Maybe some day I'll wish I had, as her star rises and she possibly becomes less accessible, but then again, I'm just glad to have seen her in small, awesome venues around Seattle and Bellingham, and I wish her all the success she desires.
Set List (hope I'm remembering the correct order):
Dying Day
I Will
Touching the Ground
Dreams
Pride and Joy
The Story
That Year
If There Was No You
Jackson/Folsom Prison Blues
Turpentine
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