WAMC Performing Arts Studio
News and Reviews
| Michelle Shocked hits the big note even while ailing with a sore throat By Paul Schwartz (First published in the Daily Gazette of Schenectady, NY: Friday, November 7, 2007) Ninety minutes into Michelle Shocked’s fine set at the Linda Norris Auditorium Thursday, she intimated that she had been suffering from strep throat for three days. Miraculously, she admitted this just after perfectly hitting that big, booming note at the end of “Come A Long Way,” one of her bestknown songs. What’s more, from that point, she went on to sing for another 30 minutes. What’s more, still, the only discernible difference in her voice Thursday was that it sounded a little more soulful than usual, a little more emotional. Performing with three backing vocalists and one electric guitarist, Shocked slipped into her new role as gospel woman, pulling out the many gospel standards that appear on her latest album, the live September release “To Heaven U Ride.” And there was some preaching from WAMC’s Linda Norris stage, too. While her message had an inclusive tone that could appeal to non-believers, and while she still has her progressive politics at the forefront, this Michelle Shocked-aspreacher seems to have come out of nowhere. Yes, the new gospel album was recorded four years ago. But this side of her wasn’t nearly as prominent even months ago when she played the Iron Horse in Northampton, Mass. No matter. The preaching didn’t detract from the show, which was spontaneous and filled with spirited improvisation. Shocked’s signature wit is still there, too (“If it turns out Jesus is an environmentalist,” she said at one point, “I’ve got some bad news for some people.”). She opened by playing the electric guitar on her own “Quality of Mercy.” Full of loose blues riffs, the tune was like acerbic folk, but softened at the edges by Shocked’s playful personality. She then went into Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s “Strange Things Happening Everyday,” with it plodding tempo, a song that featured Shocked’s surprising vocals at their most emotional. Other highlights included a stripped down cover of The Band’s “The Weight;” the poignant, sweet folk of “Anchorage;” the confessional “Prodigal Daughter;” and the bittersweet “Memories of East Texas,” about Shocked’s roots in the Lone Star State. Throughout it all, guitarist/sideman Cliff Black was mostly sturdy and reliable, at times brilliant in his restraint, and at least once a bit clunky in his coloring. The same general thing could be said for the three backup singers, the Shock-alots as they’re called. And while things were loose and spontaneous, there were mistakes, too. But Shocked has an uncanny ability to sell them. During “The Weight,” for instance, she launched into verse while the Shock-a-lots started singing the chorus. It wasn’t the gaff it could have been. “You want to sing the chorus again?” she asked. “OK, here we go.” And when it came back to the verse, she asked permission to sing it. Even her mistakes are fun. And fun is a big part of the Michelle Shocked show. While it might not be fair to criticize Shocked for being Shocked, sometimes it would be nice to see her allow the emotional power of her work settle in before she dispels it all with winks. Back to News and Reviews |
| Used with permission of the Schenectady Daily Gazette. Re-use rights may not be assigned to a third party without prior written permission from the Daily Gazette. |