Louisville, KY, June 19th Headliners
Man, I am soooo attracted to music that’s just a little off, has a little wabisabi—you know, music that isn’t necessarily beautiful or tight but, for lack of better terms, honest and real. That’s what I love about Catherine Irwin—she doesn’t have the most beautiful voice you’ve ever heard, and it doesn’t have a huge range, but my god, it is intense and utterly vulnerable sounding. It’s better than beautiful. This is what I was thinking as I stood there, two people back from the stage, watching her with all her idiosyncrasies and out of my mind in an aural high at Headliners in Louisville earlier tonight.
That sound, btw, does not translate accurately in recording. You just have to see the package deal and hear it in the flesh. And d*mn is she fun to watch. I love her little bounce of hair in the back when she has it swept up like she did tonight, and how you just know it’s long as hell (well, I know ‘cause I’ve seen it down). She sings out of the side of her mouth a lot and sometimes you just swear to god she’s fighting with that dang word; it looks like it struggles to get out, and sometimes her eye crinkles up, like it’s killing her to sing it.
Dave Gay played with her tonight and it was cool watching them interact onstage. He kind of buried his chin and looked at her gravely with these huge pools of shadow under each eye (because of the light and the angle), and she occasionally would look over, they’d lock eyes and play to each other for a moment. Not something you’d notice if you weren’t paying attention, but I was. I also noted how her hands handled and played her guitar—d*mn, she’s good. She plucked that little bugger so lightly at times, almost reverently, and other times she strummed it pretty hard to great effect. Her talent I think is being in the moment—she’s found her balance between Catherine the guitar player and Catherine the singer and pulls it off flawlessly, at least to my estimation, though I confess prejudice.
I didn’t even know about this show. I missed a Derby Eve gig because of complications with finals and because I’m an agoraphobic moron sometimes. I happened to be out with a friend tonight, a rare trip across the bridge anymore, and ran into another friend who knew about it. I couldn’t even afford the $8 cover because I’m a working girl, tomorrow is payday and I live paycheck to paycheck right now, but this girl, this lovely lady friend of mine offered to buy my ticket! What serendipity, what awesome luck, what a f***ing great time. Thank you Rose.
The show itself was a benefit for Appelshop, an Appalachian based production company, and Catherine opened for Will Oldam. Now, do not be alarmed by what I am about to say. I did not stay for Will’s set. I know, I know, tons of people are fans, and while I like him, he just doesn’t get all up under my skin like scabies and infest me like Catherine and Freakwater do. It just doesn’t have the wabisabi, ya know? Maybe not, sorry.
Anyway, she didn’t play a very long set. I’ve listed the songs I remember, but there were probably one or two more, I’m just still a little buzzed (mmmm. beer.).
Needle In a Haystack
Cry Our Little Eyes Out
Will You Miss Me
Dirty Little Snowman
Forgettable Song
Swan Dive