It’s been ten years since Amy last performed in Ireland and tonight she is greeted warmly as she takes the stage to reconnect with her fan base. Playing to a full room at this impressive modern venue in the heart of Derry city, Amy is in fine voice and full of playful energy as she relaxes into a night of song and stories laced with insight and wisdom. Her stage presence is beautifully woven with the personal, the comedic and the perspectives gained from her journey as a professional musician. Tonight sees Amy play in Derry for the first time and her concerts these days are carefully planned around her family and her work commitments stateside. She has multiple strings to her bow, including songwriter, poet, teacher, blogger, mentor, mother and performance artist; all of which restrict her trips to Europe these days. Hopefully it will not be as long a gap before another visit to these shores as her creative core has much in common with the artistic leanings of Ireland in story and song, and she is missed in her absence.
We are treated to a peek into Amy’s songbook, crafted over many years, and the setlist visits seven of her albums, across sixteen songs, highlighting the rich talent of this artist. Leading off with the sublime There Used To Be Horses Here, a paean to the past and the price paid for progress, Amy follows with Down the Trail from the same album and it’s a poignant tale of her father’s passing. Her memory of the sad event is told with great tenderness and includes an amazing story where her father repeated the exact words of his older brother, from a dream many years previously. The Sea and the Shore is a superb song and a songwriting masterclass in structure and imagery as Amy juxtaposes the moon, the sea and the shore in a love-triangle of emotion.
Amy has a new album just released and songs from The American Dream are featured with the title track, Homecoming Queen, This February Day and First United Methodist Day Care Christmas Show all impressing greatly. The breath of her writing is displayed across other songs as she performs Weight Of the World, Back In Abilene, Hallelujah Train and Little Red . A standout moment is the performance of Grace Of God which highlights everything that separates this Folk artist from her contemporaries with words of great resonance, powerful reflection and a spirit guide to the road ahead.
Amy is very generous in acknowledging the influences of others and her stories of Nanci Griffith and Judy Collins are heartfelt and enthralling. Having started out as an actress in NYC her ability to hold an audience has become even more compelling with experience and the room hangs on her every word. Amy also tries out a new song for audience feedback and it’s a prime example of her creative process unfolding. On A Monday In London was written in a 30-minute burst of energy as she waited to go onstage recently and she asks for a response to the lyrics. There are several suggestions regarding a part that concerns a pub in Kensington and its place in the rhyme… The song is excellent and gives a fascinating look at Amy’s inspiration and muse at work.
Also included in the set is a tribute to Nanci Griffith and a cover of her song It’s A Hard Life Wherever You Go - played as a rueful comment on the fractured society that we all experience today. She also plays Hymn For the Crossing a co-write with Irish artist Ben Glover from some years back and she explains that it was written in memory of Pete Seeger. The encore is another Ben Glover song titled Kindness and it is a prayer sent out to the universe concerning the real glue that binds us all together as humans. It is an appropriate message of loving awareness and perfectly captures Amy’s sense of self and her place in bringing joy to her admirers. We are privileged to witness her burning light, honed over decades of performing to innumerable audiences over countless venues. Hurry back soon.
The support act tonight is worthy of special mention also. Without Willow are an Irish acoustic folk duo from Donegal who make music of a timeless quality, coloured with fine melody and lyrical poise. Highlighted by the heavenly vocals of Karen Kelly, the seven-song set illustrates her lovely tone and their tales of love lost and unrequited yearning. Her musical partner is Simon McCafferty who is a real guitar virtuoso, playing with great dexterity and also singing in a voice that perfectly compliments Karen as she soars around the melodies. They play four songs from their recently released debut album Left Behind and As Autumn Falls, Heather Field and Lay Down Your Troubles are all received with an enthusiastic response. New songs are also included with The Way Back, Love You Last and Sink My Teeth particularly memorable. Please support local music and purchase this fine music via the band website at www.withoutwillow.com - A very impressive performance tonight.
Review and photograph by Paul McGee