High Bias stagestruck

STEVE EARLE AND THE DUKES/GARRISON STARR
@La Zona Rosa, Austin, TX
January 17, 2003
Tonight was Steve Earle's birthday. He turned 48 onstage, which seems appropriate, and his Austin fans gave him the kind of gift a hard-touring performer like himself can appreciate: a sold-out show. (The crowd also sang "Happy Birthday" to him, which seemed to surprise him.) He in turn rewarded the audience with a varied and fiercely rocking show. In the course of two-and-a-half hours and 29 songs, Earle and his band the Dukes (guitarist Eric "Roscoe" Ambel, bassist Kelley Looney, drummer Will Rigby, plus Earle's younger brother Patrick on extra percussion and his son Justin on occasional guitar and keyboards) managed to touch on every album he's made, including fan favorites from across the spectrum of his remarkable career.

Of course, the main reason for the tour was to promote his latest record, the controversial Jerusalem, and he included a generous helping of that album's sociopolitical rock songs in the program. The opening trilogy of "Amerika v. 6.0 (The Best We Can Do)," "What's a Simple Man To Do?" and "Ashes to Ashes" delivered a powerful triple-cross punch, setting the tone for the show: hard, catchy, smart rock & roll, with Earle's melodic rasp leading the way and the guitars at full volume. Though still known as a country singer, despite the variety of styles he's explored over the years, tonight he was most definitely a rocker; recent pounders like "N.Y.C.," "Here I Am" and "Some Dreams" joined classics like "Transcendental Blues," "The Rain Came Down" and Good Ol' Boy (Gettin' Tough)" as examples of how powerful and exciting great roots rock can be. The musicians didn't just beat the audience over the head with riffs, however. Earle found plenty of room for his quieter, more thoughtful material, from protest ballads like "Billy Austin" and "John Walker's Blues" (the infamous tune that appeared with nary a comment from either Earle or the audience—who exactly manufactured the controversy over this song?) to love songs like "I Remember You" (as a duet with opening act Garrison Starr) and bluegrass like "Harlan Man" and "Mystery Train II" (the latter recast as sprightly country rock). The main set ended with a powerhouse rocker (the name of which I didn't catch), leaving both band and audience seemingly exhausted.

But of course the show wasn't over. After all, Earle hadn't yet played his two most famous tunes. He returned to the stage for his usual political rap preceding "Christmas in Washington," which he clarified by saying it was less about politics and more about heroes. Then he gave the audience what it wanted: dynamite takes on "Guitar Town," his first hit and the song that launched him to stardom, and "Copperhead Road," in a sprawling version featuring Earle on mandolin and Ambel crashing out the chords like his Les Paul was a hammer. But even then it still wasn't over. The crowd's wild enthusiasm called the band back to the stage yet again, and it was rewarded with a punishing run through Nirvana's "Breed," with squalling guitar peals from Ambel and a snarling vocal from the bandleader. ("Thanks, I needed that," he deadpanned after the song.) In case no one has caught it from the blatant 60s references on his last couple of studio records, Earle reaffirmed his roots in that era with covers of the Chambers Brothers' "Time Has Come Today" (an improvement on the turgid original) and the Youngbloods' "Get Together" (which is what it is, a hippie anthem, no matter who does it). It was a bit anticlimactic, but coming after such a strong show, anything would have been.

Opener Garrison Starr played a short set of rootsy power pop tunes that highlighted her command of tuneful song structure and chunky, no-nonsense guitar figures. Drawing from her latest Twangtrust-produced albumSongs From Take-off to Landing, she wasn't bad, despite a simmering tendency toward Melissa Etheridge-like vocal histrionics, but she wasn't really allowed the time to truly show what she could do. Still, she has definite promise, and the crowd appreciated her effort. Michael Toland

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