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Rodney Crowell

Venue: Seamus Ennis Centre
Town: The Naul,Co.Dublin.
Date: 20th October
Website: http://www.rodneycrowell.com/

It's a couple of years since I've heard Mr.Crowell,back on these shores to publicise and tour his Chinaberry Sidewalk memoir.Armed with just a guitar,a book and a bottle of water-which later metamorphosed into a pint of Guinness,he held a capacity audience in thrall for more than two hours with a finely crafted mix of songs,anecdotes and readings from the memoir,so that the four of us-and the rest of the audience- went home smiling,marvelling too at the quality of what we had just heard.

Close examination of his work reveals Rodney to be a writer of prodigious talent;from my first sighting of him in '75 in Dublin's Carlton Cinema(with Emmylou)his writing has always impressed me hugely.He writes from the heart,from experience,and the imagination,exploring -as others do-universal themes ,but whereas many other writers hug their songs to themselves like comfort blankets,Crowell sings to us,fully involved ,and in so doing,particularises the general.One is left thinking ,after pretty much any song"how did HE know that"?!!

All the hits,and then some,were played during the evening,and when he ran out of the setlist,we the audience,were enlisted.This yielded stuff like A Song for The Life,California Eartquake,another reading from the memoir,and for encores,a final roundup,including a Hank Williams cover with his daughter Chelsea,herself,as evidenced by her support set,an emerging talent of note.

As songwriters go,he ranks with finest America has produced;as evenings go,this one,in the company of friends was peerless. A triumph ,and no mistake.

Oliver P.Sweeney. ©2011