Lucinda Williams @ Radio City

February 23rd, 2007 - by John

Alt-Country, NYC, Shows

Lucinda Williams was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1953. She reminised, this past Friday night at Radio City Music Hall, that she had lived in New York City in the late seventies and would play out on the street. She’s come a long way.

Lucinda was backed by a more than capable three piece band including bass, drums and Doug Pettibone on guitar and pedal steel. The threesome was joined about halfway through the set by Jenny Scheinman on violin. Both Pettibone and Scheinman played extenisively on Williams’ new album West and the set drew most heavily from that release including: “Unsuffer Me,” “Everything Has Changed,” “Come On” and “Where Is My Love” which Lucinda said was inspried by Nina Simone. Perhaps the highlight from the new album was cautionary “Fancy Funeral” which was introduced simply as “about my mother.”

There was also of plenty of classic Luncinda material including: Essence, Drunken Angel (her ode to Townes Van Zandt / Blaze Foley), Fruits of My Labor, Righteously and Ventura. She closed the set with Joy from 1998’s Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, noting that the track has been covered by Bette Lavyette (if you haven’t already- check it out it’s excellent). Erica from opening act The Heartless Bastards (also very good) joined the band for the closing number. The high point of the set, for me, was Lake Charles which Lucinda introduced as being based on a true story- el camino and all. It gave me chills- that’s a good sign.

The short encore included West and also the classic blues Hard Time Killing Floor Blues originally written by Skip Jones (I think) which Lucinda had recorded for Martin Scorsese’s The Blues series on PBS.

It was a great night of music. As with many performers who I have seen play Radio City Luncinda seems a bit overwhelmed by the grandiose nature of the venue. She was extremely gracious thanking the fans for her success and for their patronage.