Show Review: Laura Marling @ Central Presbyterian (11.6)
The last place I expected to find myself on a Wednesday night was in church, but I had good reason to be there: Laura Marling. The unique songwriter was holing up at the Central Presbyterian Church for the night, and the acoustics alone guaranteed great sound, so we had to be there (I didn’t burn!).
Read on for thoughts and excellent photos.
Willy Mason was the chosen opener on the night, and the lone songwriter provided the perfect appetizer to the evening. Armed with little more than his guitar and a stompbox, Mason introduced himself with a blend of troubadour songs, leaning towards the historic sounds of Texans. It’s amazing what a looming church can do to a crowd, silencing the entire audience, which made it perfect for Willy’s voice to carry into every nook and cranny of the church. I’ll admit that I had little experience with Mason and his music, though I’ve spent my morning going through available tracks…such is the power of a soaring voice on a hushed crowd.
And twenty minutes later we had Laura Marling in front of us. Again, armed with nothing but her voice and her guitar. I think the setting was exceptional, but not just because there’s an evolving spiritual quality to her music. Amazing sound in an amplified church allowed for the each nuance in her voice to be heard. At times her songs offer rapid spoken word, bleeding into a stretch in pitch, displaying her voice in such a manner that only befits a church hall.
It’s interesting to note that Marling remarked how poor her stage banter was, yet between songs she often offered various facts on hemp that she had picked up from a flier earlier in the day. I found it quite charming, as I’m sure everyone else surely did. And I imagine that it’s definitely a different dynamic as a sole performer, standing there naked, so to speak, before an audience intently focused on every note and every move, yet she handled it with grace.
Her set was filled with songs from across her catalog, though a great deal of time was spent with newer tracks from Once I Was an Eagle. My personal highlight, however, was her cover of “Colorado Girl” by Townes Van Zandt. Including such a song in her set emphasized her diverse style, but also her awareness of the history before her…especially in Texas. While it’s not every day that I walk into a church, I was grateful to be there to watch two incredible songwriters on Wednesday night.
More pics at the photo site…
I’m a Townes fan and she did good take on Colorado Girl but my highlight was when she strapped on the Fender. She doesn’t do that much and i’m ready for her sound to mature and maybe like Dylan she’ll go electric. Would be nice.
It’s really interesting to me to see her growth….I first encountered her when she was in Noah and the Whale long ago, and she was shy and quiet, and though she’s still got that, she’s definitely blossomed into quite a songwriter.
And quite the guitar player. Hope she doesn’t write in so many tunings she has to quit like Joni did. Her shyness came out in folds at Lamberts last year.