Lucinda Williams
Great Park – Irvine
August 13, 2011
It was a perfect night; clear sky and a full moon. Children and dogs ran quaintly amongst the illuminated palm trees and playground, and numerous Orange County parents quickly “ear-muffed” the toddlers they brought out to the free concert in the park when about a minute into Lucinda Williams' set she silenced her band and said “Fuck… I'm sorry ya'll, but this shit is so fucked.”
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Often described as part Hank Williams and part Keith Richards, Lucinda Williams brought her ability to personify the genres she embraces to Irvine's Great Park Saturday night. After a couple of apologies and false starts due to sound issues, Williams characteristically said “fuck it” to the monitors and played on.
Opening with “Can't Let Go,” you would never know that there were any sound problems on the audience's end as her voice was as strong and passionately weathered as ever. The set included selections from her more than thirty-year career and ranged from dark, drinking-alone-in-your-room type songs like “Pineola” and “Fruits of My Labor” which left the crowd silent in the gravity of each word, to the take-no-shit-blues style of “Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings,” “Joy” and “Honey Bee.”
Also included were cuts from her most recent album Blessed and a cover of Fats Domino's “I Live My Life.” The highlight of the set came with “Changed the Locks,” with the end of every line belted out to perfection.
Backed brilliantly by a three piece band, every song had the perfect mix of clean country and heavily distorted rock. With the label “singer/songwriter” so quickly attached to anyone with an acoustic guitar, Lucinda Williams is the real deal; honest in every aspect and seemingly unaware of just how poignant her music and delivery is.
Set list:
Can't Let Go
Buttercup
I Lost It
Pineola
Fruits of My Labor
Ventura
Born to be Loved
Ugly Truth
Hot Blood
Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings
Essence
Changed the Locks
I Live My Life
Joy
Honey Bee
Blessed
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