Shawn Colvin live in T.C.

Oct. 18, 2009

Shawn Colvin: Live in TC
By Kristi Kates 10/19/09

After winning Grammy Awards in 1991 and 1998 (for Best Contemporary Folk Album (‘91) and both Record of the Year and Song of the Year for 1998’s “Sunny Came Home”), Austin, Texas singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin kept reliably crafting songs for her fan core; but she stagnated to some degree as a performer.
Colvin’s music slowly faded into the background of the charts as more dynamic folk-pop artists like Lisa Loeb, Michelle Branch, and Sarah McLachlan took the forefront, even though Colvin showed so much potential early on.
But she’d be back.
It’s now 18 years after her initial success, and Colvin’s appeal today is still more like that of a neophyte, not quite as complex version of Joni Mitchell (whom Colvin cites as an influence) - spare arrangements, sincere delivery, and songs that tell tales.
The comparisons are interesting. Where Mitchell would be the hit of an environmental outdoor concert, Colvin would be the perfect live entertainment at a dinner party. Mitchell’s wistfully strong music commands attention immediately, while Colvin’s tunes takes a more covert approach as she quietly performs... and then you find yourself humming her song two days later while you’re at the grocery store.

DIVERSE DETAILS
Mitchell has a more unique vocal cadence and more experimentation in her music, and her poetic lyrics are often deft statements, colorful descriptions, or social commentaries; while Colvin’s wordplay is insightful and poetic, such as “Steady On” as written with co-writer John Leventhal. Sometimes those lyrics seem to need a little work - as on her song “Tennessee” which is simply a rundown of overwrought cliches from the American South - but overall she’s well known for her ability to patch diverse details into a cohesive tune.
Colvin seems perfectly at ease now in her tried n’ true coffeehouse singer-songwriter role - albeit one of the most polished coffeehouse singer-songwriters you’ve ever heard - performing either cover versions or her own compositions with her lilting vocal tones and cyclical guitar strumming.
Speaking of cover tunes, that’s the direction Colvin’s going in lately. Her new album, simply titled Live, mixes covers and acoustic versions of Colvin’s own songs (it’s not a full-performance set; it’s just Colvin and her guitar.) The set was recorded in 2008 during a special three-night run of solo shows at a San Francisco jazz club, and was co-produced by Colvin and longtime collaborator Leventhal.
Fifteen songs share space on Live, among them her take on Robbie Robertson’s “Twilight,” a sentimental cover of Talking Heads’ “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody),” and Colvin’s blues-inflected version of Gnarls Barkley’s infectious “Crazy,” the song that made the trendy rounds on several stages at 2008’s Lollapalooza fest (including impromptu covers by The Raconteurs and Ray Lamontagne).
Her live versions of her own songs on this CD are likable, as well, although the unplugged version of the catchy pop tune “Sunny Came Home” definitely needs those additional musical elements and the backing vocals that helped it become a chart hit back in 1998. But Colvin’s other original tunes, such as “Shotgun Down the Avalanche,” the peppy “Fill Me Up,” and “Polaroids,” work very well in this acoustic format, as their melodies can stand up by themselves with little assistance.

... AND ON THE ROAD
Colvin definitely had some pretty great assistance on her recent “Three Girls and Their Buddy” tour, which she undertook throughout June and July with talented pals Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, and Buddy Miller, a standout trio that must’ve kept Colvin on her musical toes.
Once the quartet’s tour stops concluded, Colvin continued on the road on her own, with a series of solo tour dates including shows at a Vermont ski resort, an Illinois arboretum, a San Diego jazz club, a New York winery, and of course her upcoming “Evening with Shawn Colvin” event at Traverse City’s own City Opera House.
So what to expect live? Well, as mentioned before, Colvin’s performances, whether on record or in-person, sneak up on you. Not one for hopping around or pulling any Pete Townsend-style guitar maneuvers, she usually can be seen standing or sitting on a stool, weaving personal anecdotes and stories in between her song performances. Some of Colvin’s tales will actually be surfacing in book form fairly soon, as she’s reportedly signed a deal with Harper Collins publishers to write a memoir; so keep an ear out during her show, as you might be able to pick up the stories you see later, in the form of her upcoming novel.
At the very least, you’ll take with you a head full of her folky melodies to keep you company at that grocery store and beyond.

Shawn Colvin’s show at Traverse City’s City Opera House - the oldest of three historically-intact Victorian opera houses in the state of Michigan - will take place on Friday, October 23, with doors opening at 7 p.m. and Colvin kicking off her show at 8 p.m.; general admission presale tix are $28. For more information, visit www.cityoperahouse.org.