Perhaps a Sunday night at the end of January is not the most sought after date in the calendar of live music events. However, if you were one of the lucky ones to have ventured out on this cold night, you certainly found a rewarding cure for those January blues.
Dublin provided the finishing post for a European tour that included dates at both the AmericanaFest UK in London, and an appearance at the legendary Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow. Touring with Emily Scott Robinson were the multi-talented Violet Bell, a duo based in North Carolina, and Alisa Amador a Boston artist who sang in both English and Spanish.
The concert was split into two separate halves, with both Violet Bell and Alisa Amador performing separate sets before an interval break, followed by Emily Scott Robinson who captivated the room with her considerable talent. Throughout the concert the performers called upon each other, in different combinations, to join in the performance of certain songs. This made for a very fluid and engaging dynamic as the pairings brought rich layers and subtle colour to the superb songs and their performance.
Alisa Amador took the first set and her easy stage presence had the audience on her side immediately. She has a winning personality and a natural charm. Her opening song, a cover version of the 1934 classic, PS I Love You (Jenkins/Mercer), highlighted a sweet jazz influence in the delivery. She also played a superbly seductive Bossa Nova song titled Slow Down, and sang in beautiful Spanish on other songs, Nada que ver, Milonga Accidental and Extrano – all highlighting her lovely pure vocal and deep connection with the music. Another song, Timing was played to great reaction and this is included on her 2021 EP, Narratives.
Violet Bell are from Chapel Hill in North Carolina and they are Lizzy Ross (vocals, guitar, banjo) and Omar Ruiz-Lopez (violin, guitar, banjo, mandolin). They first played together in 2016 on a live recording and subsequently released a number of excellent albums as well as becoming husband and wife. Their performance is beautifully timeless as they dovetail around the sweet song melodies and harmony vocals. The songs are focus on their latest release, Shapeshifter and include Meet Me In the Garden, All the Stars, Fisherman’s Daughter and Junkie. The album is based around the tale of the Selkie, mythological beings capable of changing from seal to human form by shedding their skin. It is bound up in Celtic folklore and forms the basis for many old tales from the sea.
Another song, I Can’t Say Nothing is powerfully affecting; a protest against the racial inequality that is all too prevalent in society. Their set is concluded by a rousing performance of House, a song that captures their spontaneous Folk Roots vibe to perfection. Lizzy has a very impressive vocal range with a lovely tone in her delivery. Omar is richly talented and comfortable on a range of instruments and sings so subtly in support of Lizzy throughout. A very impressive performance and one that was warmly received.
Emily Scott Robinson finds herself at a point in her career when her hard years of selfless touring are beginning to return a deserved dividend. A recording contract with Oh Boy Records was a big stepping stone and her wonderful song-writing gifts and keenly observational lyrical style has placed her in a position of deep respect among her peers. Her vocal tone is quite beautiful with a clear soprano voice that can send shivers down the spine at key moments in her delivery. Her set includes some of her fan favourites in Westward Bound, Things You Learn the Hard Way, Cheap Seats and the song that brought her to the attention of the Prine family and Oh Boy Records, The Time For Flowers. Emily’s latest project is a six-song EP titled Built On Bones. It is a modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and it focuses on the magic and power of women in the guise of the three witches. The cycle of life, death and rebirth is visited and the witches are central in their roles as healers, seers and earth mothers. Tonight the four songs performed are Old Gods, Double Double, Sleep No More and the haunting Men and Moons. The harmony vocals of Emily, Alisa and Lizzy (as the witches), are completely captivating and complimented by the eloquent violin melodies of Omar.
Emily finishes her set with the superb Lost Woman’s Prayer, a celebration to the enduring power of female friendship and kindred spirit. The finale sees Emily joined by Omar on violin to perform Hymn For the Unholy a new song that is both moving and poignant. Another classic from the blossoming talent that continues to engage and inspire all who come together in admiration of her creative muse.
Tonight was all about community and the extended musical family. Even if the musicians have been surviving on a diet of “pure love, excitement and caffeine” while on tour, it proves to be a recipe that can be repeated the next time we are graced by such wonderful, uplifting evenings.
Review and photograph by Paul McGee