I first witnessed the female phenomenon that is Beth Hart at Lollapalooza some 15 years ago when the headliners on the main stage
were Metallica, Rancid, Soundgarden, and The Ramones.
Tucked away on a little stage among the merchandise was this skinny little
hippy girl with cathedral pipes and a throaty wail. Flash forward to last night
and Hart is a full-blown, full-grown woman. The pipes are still there along
with manic intensity that draws you close then strangles you. This chick is
dangerous when she tips her head back and lets fly.
Comparisons to Janis Joplin are to be expected, and shouldn’t be dismissed. I
think Hart is better; I mean when was the last time we’ve heard something new
from Joplin anyway?
Hart played a surprisingly reserved set while warming up the
sold out Kodak Hall crowd. It only gave a glimpse every now and then of her
sheer power. Songs about addiction and lost love were sung with such conviction
and promise that they waxed church-like and tear-jerk. I notice as I get older
I’m more susceptible to these outburst of emotion and welled up at the beauty
and magnitude more than once. I think it’s good for you. Try it and cry. You’ll
see.
Gary Clark Jr. followed by easing into a set of what
is easily to become the next generation of blues thought. He balanced finger
style dexterity with long drawn out sustain and sinister low-register riffs
that personified murder. Clark is a no frills player and performer
prowling about the stage with his Red SG playing exploratory solo patterns
without an ounce of fat. It was terse, economical, and bad ass. This is the
future, and the future is blue.
This article appears in Jun 24-30, 2015.
I thought Gary Clark Jr.’s set was disappointingly subdued. Where was the power and intensity he unleashed on his live album? He didn’t bring it to Rochester. At one point he commented that he’d been keeping himself under control but would no longer do so; I couldn’t tell the difference. Sad to say, but I was underwhelmed.
Beth Hart was amazing. Gary Clark Jr was luke warm at best. He should’ve been the opening act for HER
It is so difficult to sum up the emotion you feel when listening to Beth Hart! In all my years I have never experienced the raw emotion this artist puts into her performances. I leave her shows overwhelmed by emotion and it is such an amazing feeling…Beth Hart is music!!!
Anyone following Beth Hart is usually like the rainstorm after the tornado.