Poetry and electric guitars: Lucinda live in Red Bank

Lucinda Williams learned a lot from her father.

The country-rock songstress — is it country or rock or some other genre? — is one of the few songwriters who can rightfully claim to be a poet of the pop song, crafting lyrics of detail and exquisite wordplay that demonstrate a direct link to her father, the poet Miller Williams.

Last night’s set at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank offered a cross-section of her career and a healthy dose of songs from her fine new record, Blessed, possibly her best recording in a half dozen years (and that says a lot).

And there were a lot of loud, guitars — courtesy of the great Val McAllum, who took over lead guitar responsibilities for Lucinda several years ago when she brought Buick 6 on board as her backing band. While I loved Doug Pettibone’s playing, McAllum has more range and seems more willing to expand the songs, to take them to a new place live. McAllum’s expansive, electric playing never overpowered the band — anchored by the fabulous Butch Norton on drums and steady David Sutton on bass.

Set list (as tweeted during the show):

    1 & 2: “It’s Over” and “People Talkin'” to start
    3: “2 Cool 2 B Forgotten”
    4: Guitar solo on “Tears of Joy” wow
    5: “Pineola” — after five shows. A dreadful, powerful story. Amazing.
    8-11: Bunch of the new: “Don’t Know How You’re Living”; “Copenhagen”; “Born to be Loved”; “Convince Me” 
    12 & 13: “Out of Touch” w/guitar solo followed by heavy blues of “Unsuffer Me” 
    15: Fats Domino cover — “I Live My Life” 
    16: Oops — words forgotten to “Righteously”! 
    17 & 18: “Change the Locks” & “Honey Bee” — guitar slinging 
    19: Encore: “Blessed” 
    20: From Essence “Get Right with God”, w/Dylan LeBlanc (An aside: If LeBlanc would have shown a third of the energy he displayed with the guitar on this song during his opening set….) 
    21: We found her “Joy” in Jersey! 
    22: “For What It’s Worth” for the Wisconsin protestors — encore 2 (actually, for all workers)

  • Read poetry at The Subterranean.
  • Certainties and Uncertainties a chapbook by Hank Kalet, will be published in November by Finishing Line Press. It can be ordered here.
  • Suburban Pastoral, a chapbook by Hank Kalet, available here.
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Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie.

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