XDA

Went with the Boulder cousins to Shawn Colvin and John Hiatt at Chautauqua. Colvin shined--Hiatt left me absolutely cold, and sleepy. It was just they and their guitars (or fender rhodes with Hiatt). Colvin sang at least two songs less due to her incessant tuning and breaking a G string. Hiatt was complaining that we could have high mileage cars if some miscreants (Hiatt was blunter) would do their jobs. He said that he could make such a car even though he only recently graduated from high school. I guess it was his confessed ability to steal cars which equipped him for the engineering challenge. What a maroon!

Colvin was wearing a stupid big white cap (think Artful Dodger in Oliver) and a big A-line, African print summer dress which well disguised her massive thighs. She still looked good although age has at last sunk her eyes. She finally sang my near favorite Shotgun Down the Avalanche and it was wonderful. Maybe one day she'll sing I Want it Back. Her guitar work just gets better and better and her voice seems lighter and more agile every time I see her. No new songs I could discern.

Hiatt had on a redneck's idea of good looking cloths. His guitar work is OK but less subtle and satisfying than Colvin's. He puts on an energetic show but, having seen him the last two years, it just seemed the same old thing without the help of the North Mississippi Allstars. Good that he pointed out the lyrics Bonnie Raitt left out of her version of Thing Called Love. Can't say they are important lyrics though. The highlight was he and Colvin singing on encore Slow Turning, which I still think is his best song, so I left with a smile on my face.

Labels: Colvin Hiatt concert