LIVE REVIEW: Lucinda Williams in Groton, MA (05.21.16)
On a recent Thursday night in Groton, Mass., Lucinda Williams opened a sold-out show with a rousing “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” and a flawless “Can’t Let Go.” Unable to play live guitar after a 2020 stroke, Williams held strong to the mic stand throughout the night. Although she walked onstage with the assistance of one of her crew, nothing slowed down the 73-year-old singer/songwriter during the ninety-minute set.
Bolstered by a four-piece band, the Americana icon burned through a 16-song set, which included songs from her most recent release, World’s Gone Wrong. “I wrote all these songs because they needed to be written,” Williams told the enthusiastic crowd at Groton Hill Music Center. She sounded strong and clear as she sang the title track to that album, which she described as a topical protest song. The left-leaning crowd welcomed both the music and the protest parts. She introduced the song “Low Life” as having a “different vibe.” She said she was thinking about New Orleans when writing the song, and by mentioning the hurricane cocktail, she was also referencing the weather phenomenon.
Williams noted that the song “You Can’t Rule Me” fits well as a topical song in this NO KINGS era. Out at the merch stand, you could purchase black t-shirts emblazoned with YOU CAN’T RULE ME as well as WORLD’S GONE WRONG– all unfortunately apropos during this administration. Williams told the crowd that there’s a “certain good feeling when you sing these songs with people of like minds.”
Williams is a stellar songwriter. She’s astute and takes you on a vivid journey through her songs. Her storytelling skills are top-notch. That’s why she’s so popular and has won several Grammy awards–Best Contemporary Folk Album for Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1999) and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for “Get Right With God” (2002). Williams also won a Grammy in 1994 as a songwriter for the Best Country Song “Passionate Kisses” sung by Mary Chapin Carpenter. Williams has been on the music scene since the late 70s and has released 17 studio albums. Her music blends a signature bluesy, melancholy vibe and raspy, deep vocals with classic country, Americana, folk, and rock.
There were several covers throughout the evening, including the Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and a lovely version of Bob Marley’s “So Much Trouble in the World.” The last song of the three-song encore was a rousing cover of Neil Young’s “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World,” which brought the mostly middle-aged audience to its feet. After the band left the stage, Williams lingered to profusely thank the crowd for their engagement, enthusiasm, and appreciation. She clearly felt all those things and thoroughly enjoyed performing.
Featured image by: Mark Seliger
