reviews

Patti Smith and Lucinda Williams: Highlights, Twilights and Sunsets

 Every year, Charleston, SC hosts a 17-day Music and Arts festival, lovingly called the Spoleto Festival. During this stretch yearly, the organizers seek to bring to their audience performers of renown. Be it the theatre, ballet, orchestral music, dance or the visual arts, there is something to capture the attention of nearly everyone who travel near and far to revel in the cultural wonders presented.

Amongst this year’s performers in the live music category were two ladies whom I have longed to see perform, but which opportunity has escaped me. Not this year. The lineup of artists who were to descend on the stage at the Cistern, on the campus of the College of Charleston, was impressive. Among the performers were the Band of Horses, a solo performance by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Yo La Tango, Patti Smith and Lucinda Williams. I was fortunate to see Patti Smith and Lucinda Williams, separated by 5 days. One feature that made these outdoor shows so special was the setting of the Cistern, a walled space graced by magnificently mature live oak trees, complete with outdoor lights and comfortable chairs.

The Cistern deserves some special recognition for the climate it creates. This space gets use at graduation for a few days and serves the College for varied purposes throughout the year. But for nearly two weeks each year, it is transformed into an intimate, outdoor space for great performances.

Truth be told, I have never seen either artist throughout the careers. I wanted to experience the Queen of Punk Rock, Patti Smith and the Country/Folk/Rock artistry of Lucinda Williams. Both performances went on without the weather limiting the time we could spend with these artists.

For those who may not be unfamiliar with either artist, let me make the introduction.

Patti Smith is the mother of Punk Rock, hailing from S. Jersey. She’s been at it for over 50 years and laid the path for so many female rock/folk artists to come. She made famous her version of Bruce Springsteen’s, “Fire” and her biggest hit is a protest anthem, “People have the Power”. She puts her activist feelings into note and verse. Her voice is still strong and her energy level is exemplary for someone in their late 70s.

Lucinda Williams has been captivating audiences for more than 40 years. The singer songwriter hails from Lake Charles, LA. Her songwriting, whether for herself or another artist, is well crafted and begs for your attention. One of her best received albums was 1998’s Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, which won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album that year. Over the years she has gathered seventeen Grammy nominations. She wrote The Night’s Too Long for Patti Loveless in 1990, Passionate Kisses for Mary Chapin Carpenter in 1992 and Crescent City for Emmylou Harris in 1993.She has been adored by concert goers for as long as I can remember. In November, 2020 she suffered a stroke which affected the left side of her body. She was discovered with a blood clot on the right side of her brain. She underwent extensive rehabilitation and she has made a remarkable comeback, judging by her performance this month in Charleston.

As the last verses of Lucinda Williams set closer, Rockin’ in the Free World by Neil Young, got us out of our seats, I couldn’t help but think of what I had witnessed these nights in early June.

Keep up the good work, ladies!

#pattismith #lucindawilliams #thecistern #doyoubelieveinmagic #spolettofestival2025

January Concert review: not what you expect

This past January, I saw five performances in Charleston, SC. Among the artists were Greensky Bluegrass, Susto en Muerto (plays the Dead), the Chris O’ Leary band, the Mavericks and local musicians performing original music at homegrown breweries. I have seen Greensky Bluegrass, the Mavericks and the Chris O’ Leary band several times before this month and every show was memorable for the level of artistry that each brought to the stage. But since I have to choose one, the Chris O’Leary band takes the spotlight as the best concert I saw in January.

Why, you ask? Who is Chris O’Leary and why is his performance worthy of being at the top of the heap in January? To begin, Chris was the lead singer and front man for Levon Helm’s band the Barnburners, for six years back in the 2000’s. Chris continued his association with Levon during his Barn Jam days. Chris’s talents have been on display with a variety of artists that included Bobby Keys, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jimmy Vivino, Jeff Healey, Dan Akroyd, Albert Lee, Dave Edmunds and James Cotton, amongst others. Chris sings and plays blues harmonica with genuine emotion. Through the years, his voice, harp and stage presence has thrilled crowds all over the country.

On this particular night at Montreux, a local bar in my hometown, Chris brought his quartet to the cozy confines of this bar. The band features Chuck Cotton on drums, Pete Kanaras on bass, Mike Lynch on lead guitar and Brooks Milgate on piano. For nearly three hours, they had the capacity crowd in the palm of their hands, grooving to their classic blues tunes and hard driving rock and roll. Chris’s bandmates are top notch and really complement his vocals and harmonica. The band paid homage to Levon Helm, led Zepplin, many of the greats of the Blues and offered up a good dose of his original music. What impressed me was the crowd. This was Chris’ third visit to Montreaux in the past two years and the word has gotten out about this band. We showed up a half hour before the show and the bar was full. The crowd consisted of folks 50 and older, on average, and they were into it! They loved the show, bought his merch and stayed till the end of his show. If this band comes to your town, run, don’t walk, to their performance. Check out chrisolearyband.net for show schedules and everything you need to know about this band! #chrisolearyband #montreauxbar #summerville