Sunday, September 12, 2010

MARY GAUTHIER at Cactus Cafe 9-10-10

Great, great show!  Hadn't seen Mary in a few years, for sure.  I was aware of the new record she recently put out, but hadn't bought it.  Knew it was the story of her life; being given up at birth, the orphanage, adoption, finding her birth mother.  Boy,  you write it all in one sentence like it's so simple when it is anything but.  The name of the album is "The Foundling."  Enough said, right?
She played 7 or 8 songs off the new cd.  Really, really good.  Intense, most definitely.  These songs grab you and don't let go, but in a good way.  Great songs.  Bought the cd after the show without hesitation.  Singing the songs live, I'll tell ya, she was completely mesmerizing.  And, she was accompanied by Tania Elizabeth on fiddle and harmony vocal.  You know how some people get up on stage and play while others get up there and have so much personality that comes flowing into the audience?  She's the latter.  A joy to see and hear.  Her voice really gels with Mary.  The fiddle was perfect.  Her emotion was all there.  The two of them together make a wonderful duo.  You don't need drums, bass or anything else.   Their 2 voices, an acoustic guitar and a violin will take you around the world of song.
As usual with Mary, the writing is topnotch.  There was a phrase and a line from 2 different songs that stayed with me as soon as I heard them:
"I'm gonna walk in the water til my hat floats away."  What an image.  I'll bet when she wrote that line she must have smiled, knowing she nailed one!
The second, a phrase, "another truly troubled troubador."  Nothing like great alliteration!  Love it!
So, for $17 we got an hour and a half of one of the best shows I've seen this year.  Another cool thing, as far as being in Austin goes, before the show I looked around and there was Carrie Rodriguez!  Great herself, she was there for the entire show.  She has good taste : )

No comments: