Mary Chapin Carpenter at the 30A Songwriters Festival
By Ken Paulson
— Mary Chapin Carpenter’s first band date of the new year came this afternoon at the 30A Songwriters Festival. She’s still touring in support of Ashes and Roses, an album she described today as being dark and serious in tone. Still, she said, the album does take a hopeful turn midway through. That said, she proceeded to play one of the saddest songs on the album, “What to Take and What to Throw Away.”
Carpenter has had a long and successful touring career, and she once again demonstrated why, sprinkling new and more challenging songs among hits like “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her” and “ I Feel Lucky.” She was joined on the latter by Tift Merritt and Marti Jones.
Carpenter still has a terrific band with John Jennings on guitar, Jon Carroll on keyboards and Don Dixon on bass. Still it was a surprise to hear Lucinda William’s “Passionate Kisses” and “The Hard Way,” both long-time concert favorites, turned down a notch, and played at a slower tempo.
Overall, it was a compelling set and at time playful. Lyle Lovett and Dwight Yoakam, it seems, have lost their appeal for the woman who name-checked them in “I Feel Lucky.” Her new heartthrobs? The stars of “Dexter” and “Breaking Bad.” Clearly, times have changed.
(Photo copyright Ken Paulson 2013)
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