Noli Me Tangere

Sandra and Derek

Sometimes I ask myself why I'm still living in Atlanta. I'm not really a Buckhead guy, nor do I like traffic, or even a fast-paced lifestyle. But then today I had to choose between a Pedro the Lion/Death Cab for Cutie concert and the Sandra McCracken show and I remembered how many good concerts I went to when I lived in Warner Robins. (hint: I saw steve "ken doll" green at the civic center)

Alas, like all musical decisions, it was a financial decision and Sandra and her personal roadie/guitarist/foil/groupie Derek Webb were only charging $7 to get in. Can't beat that.

Derek is in an enviable position, I think. Free from the cumbersome constraints of being in a LARGE band with a small vision, he's able to play what he wants, when and where he wants. Much of his energy of late seems well spent preaching, teaching and singing about the Church. He's well-suited: his status as a performing songwriter gives him cred with the college kids, most of whom grew up in the church but somehow missed great swaths of true christianity. And he's good at distilling, which is all-important in a psuedo-christian society like ours where cosmic truth and cultural norms get mixed up together in the Invisible Expectation list they give you as an American.

Derek is also blessed to get to play music with his wife. They don't have the same style, but they are very much on the same page in their development and musical instincts. Sandra's a more intuitive writer, I think, but Derek is more comfortable on the guitar and brings more intensity, etc... Their voices blend wonderfully. They make a good team. They have a vibe a little like Buddy and Julie Miller in that they get a lot of mileage out of the married give-and-take shtick (except that Sandra is not near the space cadet that Julie is).

Part way through the show, Amy and Julia remarked that the energy and tone of the show had been pretty flat. It was true; nice as Sandra's songs were, they weren't all that dynamic. And her style, while appealing, never rose to provoke or strike you. So at the end, you sort of put your hands in your pockets and say, "that was nice. she has nice songs," and you shuffle home, but really can't remember anything that she sang about or did beyond the husband jokes. It's funny, because she's a great writer. Her songs are singable, fluid, and full of nice-sounding earthy lines, and her voice is strong and expressive. So what's missing?

I'm not sure, but at our table we agreed that some performers have the x-factor that rivets attention instantly. Margo Timmons has it, according to Julia. Grant Lee Phillips has it, according to Amy. I thought of Bill Mallonee, because his stage presence is so quirky and caffeinated. But it's not just a matter of having hummingbird energy; Harrod and Funck could almost put you to sleep with their phlegmatic humor and frill-less approach. But even then it was more like being hyptnotized (rather than lulled) to sleep. You were still captive to what they were making.

At this point I remembered playing at an open mic the night before and being deflated by the conversations that were taking place during my songs. "They just don't realize that I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY," I thought to myself at the time. But I probably wasn't saying it well. Also, I'm a narcissist, but that's another post for another time.

But I enjoyed the show. Sandra's songs made me want to write some more americana-ish songs. They're so simple, but they work. And the better I get as a musician, the more I prefer ideas that work over ones that are elaborate. And I was glad Przemek could see it. His interest in accoustic americana music is surely dismantling my belief that Europeans dislike anything that can't be played in the discotheque.

I also received some cryptically clairvoyant text messages during the show. I had thought it was Sprint telling me that my soul was not quite fully sold yet. But now I suspect that Erin sent them to freak me out. Nice try, Erin. But seriously, how did you know all that stuff?

Posted by aokie at April 22, 2004 01:49 AM