Wednesday, October 28, 1998
The Robert Ferst Center for the Arts
Atlanta, Georgia
Wedded bliss, motherhood and bodily fluids: these are not the subjects one might expect to hear when attending a performance by the woman whose last album, "A Few Small Repairs," seemed like the final word on broken marriages and shattered dreams. However, that is exactly what Shawn Colvin delivered in a charming acoustic performance that found no detail or emotion too personal.
Having seen Shawn twice with a full band on the Small Repairs tour, I was completely unprepared for how arresting a performer she is with only her angelic voice and guitar. I’d take that any day over the full band sound of the previous shows.
She began the set with a couple of songs from her multi-Grammy Award winning album, including "Get Out of This House" and "Trouble." The latter has always been a personal favorite, with the classic line, "You don’t have to drag me down. I descend."
Shawn was much more chatty than she had been in the previous shows I’d seen. She explained that she’d been off the road for a while because she had gotten married and recently gave birth to her first child. With that, she explained that "Mona Lisa" was inspired by her niece, who had awakened Shawn’s desire to have a daughter of her own.
After all these recent hits, it was time to deliver some classics as we were treated to "Another Long One." This version was slower and instilled with more wisdom that the album take. She even pulled out the surefire "Round of Blues" early to get things rolling.
The show had been billed as a record release party of Shawn’s new album of Lullabies and Holiday Songs. Apparently, this was a surprise to her, as all those songs are set to piano; she only had a guitar with her. However, she did manage to improvise a delightful rendering of "Little Road To Bethlehem." From that small sampling, I’d say this album will be well worth a look-see.
Unfortunately, the prospect of hearing holiday songs in October must have scared off a lot of her fans. The modestly sized, Ferst Center was at about half capacity. Shawn didn’t even seem to notice, though. And truthfully, the smaller audience size added to the intimacy of the proceedings.
About halfway through her set, Shawn proceeded to tell the funniest concert story I’ve ever heard. She complained about a Disney Channel special that she had regretfully agreed to do. As fate would have it, they made her sing onstage with teen pop group, NSync (at least, I think that’s their name). Shawn had us all rolling in the aisles as she mimicked the dance moves she was doing to impress these teenage Casanovas. The final blow came when she explained that because she had recently given birth, all that jumping around caused her to pee herself. We were all laughing so hard, I was afraid we might have a repeat performance.
Anyway, once we all caught our breath, Shawn pummeled us with a barrage of old favorites, including "Steady On," "Diamond In The Rough," "Shotgun Down The Avalanche," "Climb On" and the always awe-inspiring "Polaroids." It’s not until you see her play all these amazing pieces back-to-back that you realize what an incredible contribution Shawn Colvin has made to the craft of songwriting.
The obligations and demands of a family have kept Shawn off the road and a little out of practice. While Shawn may have seemed a tad rusty at various times during the set, one was more than happy to overlook her slight imperfections. What she may have lacked in technique, she more than made up for with spirit and warmth. This is a performer full of life.
I can’t wait to hear what new songs spring from this happier chapter in her life. One thing is guaranteed: it will be a story well-worth hearing.
