The first opening act on Friday was Ohio’s Jessica Lea Mayfield, a waifish songstress I’d previously seen open for Ray LaMontagne last April at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. Based on that first exposure, I decided to forgo Mayfield’s set and spend a few extra minutes hanging with the wife at home. After talking with MCB’s Paul Hitz and a couple of other folks who arrived in time for her set, I felt justified in this decision. Although Mayfield definitely has some talent as a singer-songwriter, many of her songs seem to run together. I hope that as she grows we get to see a greater breadth of range from this young performer.
Following Mayfield was roots, traditional singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle. Son of liberally-minded country legend Steve Earle and named after hard-living, country-folk legend Townes Van Zandt, Earle came across as far more seasoned than his 27 years might naturally convey. Raised by his mother, Justin Townes Earle spent much of his adolescence and early 20s developing his songwriting chops while simultaneously spiraling downward into a mess of cocaine, heroin, booze, and crack. Having been kicked out of his father’s band at 20 years of age for excessive drug use and being a fuck up (his words, not mine), Earle has spent the last few years getting his shit together – and it shows. His songwriting is nostalgic yet engaging with contemporary or timeless metaphors uncommonly well-matched with a folk-country style rooted in American tradition. The Majestic’s audience that night was largely comprised of younger bearded white dudes, smatterings of aging hipsters, unhipsters, oldsters, country music and blues aficionados, and various other men and women. Those already there for Earle’s set seemed pretty pleased with the results.
Finally taking the stage at about 11 pm was Dan Auerbach and the Fast Five. Almost exclusively performing songs from Auerbach’s February 2009 release Keep It Hid, the band had the large crowd captivated. Opening the set with the album’s first track ‘Trouble Weighs a Ton,’ Auerbach and Co. set the mood for this soulful, bluesy Friday night. Next up was the harder-edged ‘I Want Some More’ on which the full band’s accompaniment was truly evident and made apparent the contrast with the relatively stripped-down sounds of the Black Keys’ duo arrangements. Other notable highlights included ‘My Last Mistake’ and ‘Mean Monsoon’ in which the powerful rhythm section contrasted with blues guitar riffs and Auerbach’s molasses-tinged baritone vocals. Combining blues with roots rock, Auerbach has found a recipe for success as pounding drums and driving bass intertwined with wailing guitars to bring the soul out of even the whitest people in the room. Although I’m not a blues enthusiast myself, Auerbach’s ability to transcend the genre and appeal to a larger audience whose interests range from jam bands to blues to indie rock (and so much else) is further evidence of his musical and songwriting prowess.
WERD!!
-drew