Overwhelming original songs - live?

Subject: Overwhelming original songs - live?
From: Jo King
Date: 05 Nov 00 - 03:59 AM

Hello Folks

I love live music. Tonight I had the good fortune of seeing Heather Bishop perform in a coffee house environment. It was a fabulous performance. Her mixture of riotous humour, genuine banter, focussed messages, powerful personality, and strong song writing was highly inspiring. I knew of her, but was not familiar with her music prior to tonight. She is a prairie-based Canadian singer/songwriter. She performed an original song ("The letter" - I think), this song overwhelmed me. I was choking back tears, unexpectantly. It deals with a series of letters between a mother and son who have been purposefully distant for some time. The reasons and results of the years of non-communication become painfully clear to the listener.

There were several people near me that were drying eyes and sniffling back the raw emotion of the moment that Heather had created.

On a lighter note another memorable song she performed that poked some fun at co-dependancy had a great line that went something like "If you're gonna leave me, can I come with you?"

I'm sure tons of Mudcats have similar experiences (this has likely been a thread before, but I'm new), I'd like to hear about them.

Be Well, JK

Subject: RE: Overwhelming original songs - live?
From: Jeri
Date: 05 Nov 00 - 09:57 AM

Someone (??) at the Getaway did a Dar Williams song, "When I Was a Boy." They introduced the song by saying something about "how could Dar Williams write about my life like that?" Wasn't just her life - I think the song speaks to most women (and men), and gives voice to a feeling that people haven't quite noticed until hearing the song.

You can protect the guts you think a song's going to hit, but every now and then, someone finds a hidden place that's still unguarded.

The lyrics are here, but it's not quite the same as hearing the song.

Subject: RE: Overwhelming original songs - live?
From: GUEST,Pixie
Date: 05 Nov 00 - 10:54 AM

Last night we saw Dan MacKinnon at a small local pub in Dartmouth (part of the Harbour Folk Pub Night) and he did a song called "From the Hearth/Change for the Better" that was very moving and has universal application. The lyrics combine pathos and optimism of someone who is currently "there". This only adds to the the emotion of the song. I would like to add that this was only one of many songs in a fine performance in the best possible way to see and hear Dan. I hope he reads this, because even though I had an opportunity to tell him I found his music fantastic, that is such a trite way to describe the way I felt about the evening. I know I was not alone in the way his music and stories impacted on me. If you get a chance to see this guy (he's often in the UK) do it. I want to avoid a comparison to Stan Rogers, because I think this man deserves to be recognized as an individual. (I hope that was subtle enough?).

Awestruck!

Pixie

Subject: RE: Overwhelming original songs - live?
From: Ely
Date: 05 Nov 00 - 01:36 PM

I love both "When I Was A Boy" and "Iowa", although I am not the biggest fan of Dar in general. I had never heard of her until she performed at my college a few years ago, and the whole audience was singing along with her (even me, and I didn't know the words--I couldn't help myself).

Subject: RE: Overwhelming original songs - live?
From: Matt_R
Date: 05 Nov 00 - 01:42 PM

I've only been to one live concert. It was Clay Walker, country singer, about 5 years ago.