John Moreland with Caroline Spence
7-29-15 - Jammin' Java - Vienna, VA
by Matthew Martin
There are shows that are raucous. There are shows that are full of
bros. There are quiet shows full of very respectful and amazing music
lovers.
Then, there are those at a John Moreland show. I could
say that those people going to a John Moreland show are just more
respectful than most concertgoers, but that would be wrong. By the time
the first chord is struck and the first word is sung, the crowd is
already in complete awe. This is just a fact at a John Moreland show.
You shut up because there is honestly nothing more you can do. You are
transfixed on this amazing talent on stage.
But, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Openers are very important and this particular night was no exception.
|
Caroline Spence |
Opening
for Moreland was
Caroline Spence. If you haven't heard of Caroline
Spence, you should really give her a shot. She had a wonderful voice
and is really one hell of a song-writer. Two songs that really stuck
out to me were "Whiskey Watered Down" and "Bless Your Heart." If you're
on this site, reading this review, chances are you are going to like
her. You should buy her new album, Somehow, and go see her if she is
around. I had never heard of Caroline Spence and so as I was doing a
little research on her after the show, I came across this Rolling Stone
article listing her as one of the 10 New Country Artists You Need To
Know: Spring 2015. Don't pass her up, folks!
Maybe 15 minutes
after Ms. Spence finished her set, John Moreland took the stage to a loud
round of applause. As he settled onto his stool, the crowd began
quieting down, then, as mentioned above, Moreland begins and the crowd
is stunningly quiet. I can't recall who it was now, but someone on
Twitter (I believe it was Todd Farrell, Jr.) had said before that their
favorite thing to witness was a crowd realizing they were in the midst
of something special when John Moreland began playing. I agree. 100%.
It is unbelievable. I put it up there with watching Tim Barry.
For
an hour and a half, Moreland played songs from his first solo album,
Earthbound Blues, through the excellent new album,
High On Tulsa
Heat. There were a couple of songs in there that I believe were new as
well. During the show, Moreland doesn't speak much, but when he does,
he is clever, wry, and self-deprecating. Before breaking in to "You
Don't Care For Me Enough To Cry," he states, "This is a song I recently
discovered was too sad for Dallas-Ft. Worth morning television."
This
was my second time seeing Moreland, and I was glad to see that the
crowd for this show was at least triple the size it was last time. I
hope he continues trending upwards, and with the recent success of this
little circle of music we listen to (whatever you want to call it), I
believe he will.
I don't think I need to tell you to go see John
Moreland if he's in your area. You know him, you love him- why wouldn't
you go see him? There are few musicians that I can't imagine missing
when they come to town and Moreland is absolutely at the very top of
that list. Yeah, you'll feel all of your feelings, but hey, that's what
songs are for, right?