Grammy award winning artist, and, music legend, Lucinda Williams graced The Kent Stage for a sold out show last evening. For me, it was a “concert bucket list” that I have been waiting for decades to see. The wait was well worth it as Lucinda Williams gave her fans a two-hour set of songs spanning her career, and the stories of her career.
The show followed her book “Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You: A Memoir” and with getting to hear the songs as her career progressed, it was a perfect pairing. She talked of her family, her very first record contract (With Folkways Records.) that earned her a check for $250. She was very cordial, and, yet, was obviously having fun telling her stories. One of those stories was about taking a chance to move to California to try to make a big break in her career. She said all of her friends in Texas told her not to move out there, “They will eat you up and spit you out!” “And, more importantly, they put sour cream on their Mexican food!” Lucinda Williams laughed as she told this story and said she got her first major contract with an “indie” record company in England and she loved eating sour cream on Mexican food!
She was really engaging the crowd, and you could have heard a pin drop as their while she was talking but after her songs, there was a loud clapping sound coming from every single person in the crowd. Her band was just incredible and enhanced her singing with a force to be reckoned with.
If you did not know, Lucinda Williams had a stroke a few years ago which left her unable to play guitar. That did not stop her and she still puts on an incredible concert. She did some songs sitting, and, sometimes she would say, “I have to stand up for this song” and did so. She has played with the legends of music and her music has been recorded by the new legends of music. An incredible inspiration of fighting through adversity, Lucinda Williams is not letting anything stop her from performing her music and recording new music. An incredible artist that has earned her legendary status. It was outstanding and an honor to see Lucinda Williams.
Opening for Lucinda Williams was former Ohio native, Erika Wennerstrom. You may know her from her band, Heartless Bastards. Last night, it was Erika Wennerstrom, with her acoustic guitar, performing songs from the Heartless Bastards in addition to songs from her solo album. She had a lot of fans in the crowd and made some new ones too. I happened to be at her “merch” table after the show and one of those “concert moments” happened. A young lady came up to Erika Wennerstrom and asked if she could get a picture with her. As they were taking the picture, the young lady told Erika Wennerstrom just how much her music meant to her and had helped her through some very hard times in her life. As she was saying this, tears were welling up in her eyes.! Erika Wennerstrom embraced her and thanked her for the story. I almost cried as the emotion this young lady possessed was just overwhelming. The “gift” of music!
