Musical Night Out!

I had a bit of an adventure this weekend--unusual for a mom of a three-year-old and very revitalizing! I went on a roadtrip with my friend, Bree Clime-White, who I mentioned in my last post, to the nearby town of Dubuque, Iowa. Bree was playing at Isabella's, a popular music venue there. The area around Dubuque is one of the least-flat, most beautiful areas of Iowa, with tall rocky bluffs overhanging the Mississippi River, where bald eagles fish in the unfrozen spots. The drive up was lovely, though Bree and I were chatting so continuously we probably missed a lot.

Isabella's is located in the basement one of the many ramshackle, turn-of-the-century mansions that fill the streets of Dubuque. It was a softly-lit cellar-like space, with big comfortable chairs, local artists' paintings on the walls, and, oddly, a big dictionary on a stand by the door. A very cosy place to sit back with friends and listen to music. Bree plays acoustic guitar and sings her own songs, mostly in a contemporary folk music style. It's hard for me to write an objective review since I've known her for so long. She really is good though! She's always had a beautiful voice--pure and clear--since we were children, but she only learned to play guitar about five years ago. She is very adept, however. And, while her voice is still lovely, it's stronger now. She alternates easily between soft and sweet, and an angry power. There is a real emotional intimacy to her song lyrics, as well as her stage presence and her style of singing. She opened with "Anymore," a song about a failed relationship which somehow manages to be both bitter and sadly tender at the same time. Another favorite of mine which she sang during the evening, "1000 Brown," tells the story of an Iowa City icon, the Black Angel monument at the Oakland Cemetary. She makes this local historical legend into a universal anthem of loss and undying love.

Bree was only the warm-up act for this show; after she sang for about an hour, the main act, The Awful Purdys, came on. They are a five-member band who also come from Iowa City: all women and an amazing array of instruments including a guitar, fiddle, cello, classical harp, xylophone, tin whistle, and probably a few others I have forgotten. Needless to say, their sound check took a very long time! And their music was just as eclectic as their instruments: it ranged from foot-stomping bluegrass, to soulful ballads, to a great cover of the Violent Femmes alternative rock classic "Blister in the Sun." They had the audience with them right away; there was lots of clapping and singing along. It was a very energizing, engaging show on many levels. At several points, I had to stop myself from getting up and dancing. At other times, particularly during the achingly lovely songs "All the Homesick Birds," and "Love" (not sure I have these titles right) written by band member Katie Roche, I found myself near tears.

It was a wonderful evening all and all, and lots of fun for this non-muscian to be "with the band." I won't say how late I was out, but it was much later than I have been in the past few years!

3/11/08 Blog Topic for P1 Reading and Writing:
Write a review of the event you attended in the past week. Describe the movie/show/concert/play/etc., tell us about your experience, whether you liked it or not and why.