L-R, Bruce Robison, Kelly Willis, Warren Hood and John Ludwick.
By Paul T. Mueller
– Houston — When a show opens with “Please, Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas),” it’s a pretty good sign that everyone in the room is in for a good time. Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis made good on that promise December 7 at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck in Houston. The lively 17-song show, part of the annual Bruce and Kelly Christmas Tour, included holiday numbers – some original, some covers – and other material drawn from the couple’s extensive catalog.
Robison and Willis have been performing their Christmas show for some years now, and it’s become a tough ticket. The tour’s Houston stop included four shows over two nights, and all were standing room only.
They’re both fine entertainers on their own, but it’s a special treat when Robison and Willis blend their vocal styles and perform together. They get excellent support from their band – Geoff Queen on electric guitar and pedal steel, John Ludwick on acoustic bass, Sweney Tidball on keyboards and Joey Shuffield on drums. An added attraction on this night was a guest appearance by ace fiddler Warren Hood, who also played mandolin and contributed fine harmony vocals. His fiddle added a flavor of Texas swing that worked nicely with Robison’s Telecaster twang and the high, lonesome sound of Queen’s steel guitar.
Seasonal selections included “A Winter’s Tale” (written by Knoxville’s RB Morris), the riotous “Oklahoma Christmas” (the true story, Robison said, of his first holiday visit to his wife’s family’s home), and Willis’ sweetly sexy take on “Santa Baby.” The band played “The Christmas Waltz” as family videos were shown on a temporary screen next to the garland-draped stage. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Bruce and Kelly Christmas show without their always-terrific duet on the classic “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”
The set list also included several songs from the pair’s upcoming CD, Cheater’s Game, due for release in February: a lively cover of Dave Alvin’s “Border Radio,” a sweet-and-sad rendition of Hayes Carll’s “Long Way Home,” and several songs written or co-written by Robison, including “Leavin’ ” and “But I Do.” There were some older favorites as well, notably Robison’s “Traveling Soldier” and “My Brother and Me,” each heart-wrenching in its own way, and “Wrapped,” which Robison turned into a happy sing-along.
After closing with “Lifeline,” the band returned for an encore, albeit without Willis, whose voice by that time was sounding a bit strained. A plaintive request from the audience – “Could she just come stand there?” – went unrewarded, and the rest of the band tore through the trucker’s anthem “Born to Roll” before calling it a night.
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