A Steamy and Slow Night at Wolf Trap

Lucinda Williams w/ Amos Lee,
Wolf Trap, Vienna, Virginia. July 19

Recommended beverage: Water.
It was too damn hot and humid
to drink much else.

One never knows what side of Lucinda Williams will emerge at her shows. Thankfully, last night, she was more bluesy than country. Unfortunately though, her much-too-short set was way too mellow and, given the extreme heat and humidity, I found myself unconscious for whole parts of it.

I expected Lucinda to headline with a long, raucous set. The show instead turned out to be a co-bill, with Lucinda and Amos each playing about 1:15.

On the one hand, Lucinda’s sultry voice laced with that southern drawl is always a joy. But she never really picked up the pace and rocked out. She opened with one of her best-loved and well-known songs, “Can’t Let Go,” on which her voice was strong but the song lacked its usual energy.

It was also surprising, given such a short set, that she performed nearly half of her new album. For that, I did not feel “blessed,” but rather thought, “unsuffer me.”

The hero of the night was Amos Lee, whose rich, gorgeous vocals and heartfelt lyrics resonated throughout the venue. He and Lucinda each played a song during each other’s set, which was refreshing.

I came ready to rock and roll and was a bit disappointed Lucinda never really brought it home.