I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: August 24, 2022] Kathleen Edwards

Back in 2019 Kathleen Edwards came out of “retirement” after spending five years running a coffee house in Stittsville, Ottawa called Quitters.  She has since sold Quitters and it is now something else.

She announced a few shows in 2019 and then a small tour in 2021.  I hoofed it into New York City to see what I imagined would be my only time seeing her.  (She was also opening for Jason Isbell, but I didn’t want to see her as an opener nor did I want to see Jason Isbell).

But then she announced a full tour in 2022!  A few years ago I thought I’d never see her live and here we are and I’ve now seen her three times in under a year.

What was also pretty interesting was that this band line up was almost entirely different from the last time (which had been different from the first time).

The first time it was a five piece with two guitars (and a keyboard), bass and drums.  The second time it was drums, bass, pedal steel guitar and violin/keyboard.  So no lead guitar (all leads were on the pedal steel).  For this third show there was no bass or drums.  So, we had the same two “new” members from the show just a month earlier: Aaron Goldstein on pedal steel and Kinley Dowling who played keys and violin.  And we were once again joined by Colin Cripps (her ex-husband).  He played with her back in the old days and also when I saw her in NYC, but not a month earlier).

So there was no rhythm section or low end, which made the entire set feel almost unplugged, even though it wasn’t.  It also meant that they never rocked quite as hard as they had at the other venues.  But the songs still sounded great, with three excellent musicians there to take lead solos.

I wondered how much this would change her setlist.  But I’m pretty sure Kathleen can play her songs with any accompaniment (and certainly with none).

The opening was more or less the same as the last time I saw her, with the exception that she didn’t play “Change the Sheets” (a personal favorite, but one that lends to a more rocking sound).   It seems like she would play a few more songs from Failer, since this is the anniversary, but her shows are never all that long, so she’s got a lot of albums to represent.

The audience was respectful (but the show was far from sold out which really saddened me).  Although we were stuck in front of a guy who yelled “yeah” a lot, which just sounded kind of weird.

She played acoustic guitar for the first four songs.  Then she switched to an electric (with her “Kitty” guitar strap) for “Birds on a Feeder.”  This didn’t ratchet up the sound all that much.  In fact it was interesting how subdued the show was.  Not in a bad way, but comparing it to the previous show, for instance, “Glenfern” which had an intro solo from Crips here, did not take off, but settled into a comfortable pace.

Then Matt Sucich came out and played and sang a few songs with them.  The first one was an Emmylou Harris cover of “Evangeline,” on which Crips played mandolin.   Sucich had told us how much he loved playing her songs–in fact he said he was something of a stalker because he knew all of her music and would happily play any of it with her.  He also told us that they’d met in New Jersey at a party many many years ago.  So they had a New Jersey connection.

Unlike last time, there was no introduction when she played “Hard on Everyone,” but Kathleen switched back to an electric guitar and the song definitely rocked more–especially with Crips soloing.  I love the way she walks over to him while they jam–they share a connection even is she seems annoyed, I think she’s just in the zone and rocking with him.

Dowling provided keys and strings and backing vocals.  And her addition is really terrific.  Although I did enjoy Sucich’s backing voclas on “6 O’Clock News.”  She closed the set with “Asking for Flowers.”

She came back for an encore and after a lengthy violin intro, she played the lovely, quiet “Goodnight, California.”

She then talked about a festival she played where she played with AC/DC.  It was a really funny story (she commented about how short they all are).  She said she’d played their song “Moneytalking” and after much cajoling, she gave us an introductory bar of it and then laughed and said the song was so stupid, no wonder he (Brian Johnson) hated singing it.

She said she’d dignify the night by ending with some Neil Young.  I knew she’d been playing the occasional Neil Young song, so I didn’t tell S., who loves Neil.  When they started “Comes a Time,” the whole room seemed to smile.  Especially S.  The song was completed with solos from everyone–a lovely folk jam.

Once again, I really hoped she’d play “I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory.”  In fact I had considered sending a postcard request ahead of the show (figuring SOPAC would get it to her), but I forgot.  I see that she doesn’t play it all that much, although she did play it a few shows after the show I saw in August, darnit.

So I guess I really don’t need to see her again.  But if she comes out with a new album and a tour, I’d happily see her again.  She’s become like an old friend now.