Laura plays NY, 10 Nov. 07

[johnfoyle]

http://www.mercuryloungenyc.com/calendar/show/761/

Early Show
Laura Cantrell 8:00
Sat 11/10
$15 tickets

Mercury Lounge
217 E Houston St, New York, NY
(212) 260-4700

[johnfoyle]

So , is anyone here going? Does anyone else read this ?

[johnfoyle]

http://thelasttownchorus.wordpress.com/2007/11/10/new-york-ny-lower-east-steel/

Nov 10, 2007

Posted by meganfromthelasttownchorus

Braving the Lower East Side on a weekend to meet Amy at Mercury Lounge to hear Laura Cantrell play. Laura and Amy recently co-wrote a lovely song called ‘Can’t Wait,’ which was premiered tonight and sounded fab. Mark Spencer brought a lap steel just for one tune. I always love hearing him play.

Amy....Amy Rigby, perhaps? She may write about it here -

http://www.amyrigby.com/diary.html

[OneL]

The Amy in question is Amy Allison. Laura did sing Amy Rigby's Don't Break the Heart. But Ms. Rigby is currently in France, where she lives these days.

[johnfoyle]

Thanks!

Ms Allison is a darling , happily putting up with the slightly inebriated state of a few of us fans after a show in Dublin last year. Herself and Laura would be just perfect as a musical force - can't wait to hear the new songs.

Any more details on Sat.'s show - much of a turn out etc.?

Rattle My Cage blogs -

http://rattlemycage.wordpress.com/2007/11/12/laura-cantrell-at-mercury-lounge/

Laura Cantrell at Mercury Lounge

lLaura Cantrell is by far my best independent music find. Ever. And last night (11/10) was the much anticipated Laura Cantrell show at Mercury Lounge with a vocal but very friendly crowd. Overall, I have to say that I think the concert was a mixed bag. The texting on stage pre-set, thousand mile stare, and forgetting some words to Don’t Break the Heart were disappointing and the band did not seem particularly tight. But after Laura warmed up and got more comfortable on stage (about the time of the new Can’t Wait), she was sublime. The first minute or so of Bees was breathtaking. After that it was all guitar all the time as Mark Spencer was smothering the mandolin rifs like Waffle House grits. Others with me thought they were interweaving beautifully, but I felt there was a little alpha-male action on the part of the Spencer as I did the first time I saw Laura (at the now defunct Mo’ Pitkins House of Satisfaction), but it could just be me.


Regardless, the show was not a disappointment. Yonder Comes a Freight Train was blistering and was the best combination of vocals and virtuosic bluegrass guitar I’ve ever seen (Kentucky Thunder’s Cody Kilby had Mark Spencer beat for sure, but no one can beat Laura’s purity on pipes). Bees as I said began wonderfully and was an amazing contrast to the pace and mood of Freight Train. The set continued strong but never hit those highs again. The “encore” of Trains and Boats and Planes, Two Seconds, and Not the Tremblin’ Kind, however, was an especially nice way to finish off the night.

Overall, I’m glad I went. I got to hear some new tunes from her upcoming EP and the warmth of her voice was just awesome at moments. I’ll still be looking forward to seeing the band on tour with some more practice under their belts after they release the EP some time next year.



Laura’s Band:

Laura Cantrell - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar

Mark Spencer - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Electric Dobro?, Something Else Like a Dobro, and Vocals

Jimmy Ryan - Mandolin and Vocals

Marc Goulding - Drums

Jeremy Chatsky - Bass Guitar

Laura’s Set List:

* Churches Off the Interstate
* Don’t Break the Heart
* Pile of Woe
* Can’t Wait (new - co-written with Amy Allison)
* Smiling Down (new - co-written with Jimmy Ryan)
* Silver Winds (on upcoming EP - by Merle Haggard)
* 14th Street
* All the Same
* Yonder Comes a Freight Train
* Bees
* Old Downtown
* Trains and Planes and Boats
* Two Seconds
* Not the Tremblin’ Kind

Janet blogs -


http://limnrix.livejournal.com/176247.html


Went to see Laura Cantrell last night. She played two new songs, and surprisingly those were the only two I didn't know. That and the covers of Merle Haggard and Burt Bachrach, which were on a travel theme, primarily about other people traveling. She says she'll probably put out an EP of vicarious travel songs. She is a charming and agreeable lady with an amazing voice, and she forgot her lyrics once or twice. She gots a purty mouth.

[OneL]

I'll just add my two cents to the above reviews:

Laura drew quite a crowd and the Merc was packed.

The drummer was Steve (not Marc) Goulding (formerly of The Rumour and The Mekons).

Jeremy Chatsky played an electric bass instead of his usual acoustic one.

At the start of the show, Laura said that she was going to play familiar songs.

In all, it was a pretty good show.