Around 3:00 p.m. on March 10, 2009, Jim and I met up with Julie and Mike for the hour and a half drive to Louisville. We stopped for dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack right on the riverfront and as we ate we watched barges slowing down just in front of us to make their swing into the McAlpine Lock. Leaving the riverfront, we drove into the center of town, found a spot and walked a few blocks to the theater. Standing in the lobby, I enjoyed chatting with the ushers waiting outside of the doors. Being an usher myself, its fun to share experiences, similarities and differences in our theaters.
When we found our seats and the lights dimmed in the Brown Theater, a familiar face took the stage. Stacy Owen, former WNKU personality and now with a Louisville NPR station emceed the evening, welcoming us with her soft voice and sweet smile. The Brown Theater has recently been restored and the ticket office did not exaggerate when they claimed there was not a bad seat in the house. Our seats in the fourth row of the balcony had a wonderful view of the stage with just the right elevation so that the head in front of you did not block the view.
Joan walked onstage to a standing ovation then smiled, thanked us and picked up a parlor size guitar for her first song. Dressed in jeans, a men’s style jacket draped with an aqua blue scarf, she brought the Louisville crowd to their feet again with “Lily of the West”. She talked between songs describing times, places and events. Her second song, “God is God” was written by Steve Earle who also produced her latest release “Day After Tomorrow”. She promised to weave through the decades of her career and went straight to one of her oldest and most loved “Silver Dagger”. We were all moved to tears by “Come Back Woody Guthrie” followed by “Joe Hill”. Joan told stories of her experiences at Woodstock and then sang Donovan’s “Catch the Wind”. She gave credit to each songwriter and explained why the song was special to her. Except that is, about midway through the evening when she sang Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” and “Don’t Think Twice”, punctuated with her own “Diamonds and Rust” and no explanations were needed. The crowd was moved by “Jerusalem” which I think was also written by Steve Earl. She ended her set with “Imagine” by John Lennon as she fed us lines to share the song with her.
I worried for a minute when she took her bow and walked over to accept flowers from a fan. She seemed to be walking a bit stiff and uncomfortable. I thought to myself she was showing her age. However, when she came back on stage, she had her jeans rolled up and her feet were bare looking quite spry. She admitted that her shoes were killing her feet and any worries about her age rolled away. Still breathtaking at 67, her smile lit up the theater. She seemed small standing among her backing musicians, even in her uncomfortable heels. Her silver hair was illuminated by the light a
nd her trademark silver bracelets somehow stayed out of the way of her guitar playing.
She introduced her band and even her tour assistant, Stephanie Hudacek, who switched Joan’s guitar every few songs. John Doyle was on guitar, mandola and Dirk Powell was on piano, mandolin, fiddle and banjo and Todd Phillips played upright bass. Each of these fine musicians added harmony and backing vocals, too.
After an encore of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” she led us all in “Amazing Grace”. I was honored to again be singing that timeless song with a folk icon who has inspired me for more than 40 years. As all musicians should, she made the song her own and we sang it just a bit differently than we had with Jean Ritchie, Pete Seeger or Judy Collins. It was the perfect ending to a perfect evening.
When we found our seats and the lights dimmed in the Brown Theater, a familiar face took the stage. Stacy Owen, former WNKU personality and now with a Louisville NPR station emceed the evening, welcoming us with her soft voice and sweet smile. The Brown Theater has recently been restored and the ticket office did not exaggerate when they claimed there was not a bad seat in the house. Our seats in the fourth row of the balcony had a wonderful view of the stage with just the right elevation so that the head in front of you did not block the view.
Joan walked onstage to a standing ovation then smiled, thanked us and picked up a parlor size guitar for her first song. Dressed in jeans, a men’s style jacket draped with an aqua blue scarf, she brought the Louisville crowd to their feet again with “Lily of the West”. She talked between songs describing times, places and events. Her second song, “God is God” was written by Steve Earle who also produced her latest release “Day After Tomorrow”. She promised to weave through the decades of her career and went straight to one of her oldest and most loved “Silver Dagger”. We were all moved to tears by “Come Back Woody Guthrie” followed by “Joe Hill”. Joan told stories of her experiences at Woodstock and then sang Donovan’s “Catch the Wind”. She gave credit to each songwriter and explained why the song was special to her. Except that is, about midway through the evening when she sang Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” and “Don’t Think Twice”, punctuated with her own “Diamonds and Rust” and no explanations were needed. The crowd was moved by “Jerusalem” which I think was also written by Steve Earl. She ended her set with “Imagine” by John Lennon as she fed us lines to share the song with her.
I worried for a minute when she took her bow and walked over to accept flowers from a fan. She seemed to be walking a bit stiff and uncomfortable. I thought to myself she was showing her age. However, when she came back on stage, she had her jeans rolled up and her feet were bare looking quite spry. She admitted that her shoes were killing her feet and any worries about her age rolled away. Still breathtaking at 67, her smile lit up the theater. She seemed small standing among her backing musicians, even in her uncomfortable heels. Her silver hair was illuminated by the light a
nd her trademark silver bracelets somehow stayed out of the way of her guitar playing.She introduced her band and even her tour assistant, Stephanie Hudacek, who switched Joan’s guitar every few songs. John Doyle was on guitar, mandola and Dirk Powell was on piano, mandolin, fiddle and banjo and Todd Phillips played upright bass. Each of these fine musicians added harmony and backing vocals, too.
After an encore of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” she led us all in “Amazing Grace”. I was honored to again be singing that timeless song with a folk icon who has inspired me for more than 40 years. As all musicians should, she made the song her own and we sang it just a bit differently than we had with Jean Ritchie, Pete Seeger or Judy Collins. It was the perfect ending to a perfect evening.
1 comment:
Prudence - what a lovely picture you painted. It was almost like being there. I'm sure "singing" with Joan Baez was amazing. :)
BTW - did you get to speak with Stacy Owens? She is a kind person.
thx for sharing.
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