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Friday, March 29, 2024
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Carlile proves staying power

Raw talent captures 9:30 audience

Critics and fans alike have found it hard to group singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile into a single genre. She’s been described as rock, folk, alternative and even country. After watching her perform at the 9:30 club Wednesday night, it’s easy to see why Carlile cannot be contained to one set of rules.

Musician Katie Herzig opened the show with a short set of songs from her albums “Weightless” and “Apple Tree.” Herzig’s music falls under the mellow-but-still-slightly-techno category that has recently taken over the television airwaves on shows like “Smallville” and “Grey’s Anatomy” — programs in which her own music has been featured.

With a voice part-Jewel and part-Anya Marina, Herzig’s breathy delivery was unique but enjoyable, especially on the more rock-heavy “Hologram,” a song she introduced as her angry break-up tune. The eclectic mix of sounds in her set, with instruments ranging from clarinet to accordion, proved Herzig is entertaining and talented, but one could tell the crowd was waiting for the real star of the show to begin.

The crowd went crazy with applause once Carlile took the stage. Without wasting a minute, Carlile and her band delved into an a cappella version of “Oh Dear,” from her newest album “Give Up the Ghost.” The five-part harmony was impeccable and proved from the beginning that Carlile’s voice is one to be reckoned with. This was not the only time Carlile sang sans technology in the show, as later in her set her band performed an unplugged version of “Dying Day.”

Despite the naturally raspy tone of her voice, Carlile has the range and delivery of a seasoned professional. Satisfying her fans of varying time lengths, Carlile sang songs from all three of her studio albums, making sure to play hits like “Happy” and “What Can I Say” from her first self-titled debut, as well as her newest single, “Dreams,” and various tunes from her latest CD, released the day before the D.C. concert.

The emotion evident in Carlile’s voice is perhaps the biggest attraction for fans. Before playing the next likely single off “Give Up the Ghost,” “That Year,” Carlile explained that she wrote the song about a friend who had committed suicide when they were both 16 years old, and how she wasn’t even able to speak his name for 10 years before one day waking up and just writing the song. Carlile looked near tears as she played the acoustic solo piece, and as she ended, one could hear sniffs in the audience as people wiped away tears.

Big on audience participation, Carlile played to the crowd, often standing on the very edge of the stage and playing directly above all the fans singing along. She also kept a bevy of monogrammed guitar picks stuck to her microphone stand that she used and then tossed out into the audience after each song. During “Turpentine,” an audience favorite from her second album “The Story,” Carlile stopped the song to teach the audience a three-part harmony for the chorus that temporarily turned the sea of screaming fans into a D.C. choir of sorts.

Though Carlile’s own songs have been racing up the charts (her newest release hit was number one on the iTunes chart for a few days this week before slipping down to third position), her encore was full of covers of other artists’ songs. A rousing rendition of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” elicited an amazing guitar solo from Carlile’s guitarist Tim Hanseroth. Carlile then sat at the piano for an emotional version of The Beatles’ “Let It Be,” before finally launching into three of her own songs, ending the show with parent-dedicated “Pride and Joy.”

As evidenced by the line wrapping around the block of the 9:30 club to have Carlile sign autographs after the show, one could easily tell that her music truly strikes the heart of fans and her dedication to them is evident. Staying outside for over an hour after the show signing records, picks, ticket stubs and the like, Carlile proved that much like her fans that night, she has staying power.

You can reach this staff writer at cmoore@theeagleonline.com.


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