By Ken Paulson—Maia Sharp teamed with guitarist Linda Taylor in a surprisingly rocking set at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.
Maia told the audience they wanted to prove you could rock without drums, a bass guitar – or guys. They backed it up.
Much of the evening’s set was drawn from Maia’s upcoming album Change the Ending. It sounds very promising, particularly the single “Me After You.”
“Red Dress” was a highlight, although Maia felt compelled to disclose that she had worn a dress just twice in her life. She said when she was a little girl her grandmother bribed her with $5 and she used the money to buy a baseball glove. The second occasion was for the cover of the Really Fine Citizen album in 1995. “I kind of look like I’m in drag,” she said. “Is that possible?”
Sharp talks throughout her set about the depressing nature of her songs and she has a point. “She describes ‘You Can’t Lose them all” as her sole upbeat song, and it’s barely that. Yet she had a lot of fun on stage, including a Lou Reed impression, a bit of “”Walk on the Wild Side” and terrific rapport with the very talented Taylor throughout the night.
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