It is rare to find rock music with lyrics that tell a good story. And even with a good story, it's harder still to find a fiddling country singer who can legitimately rock out.
Luckily, anyone in the Center for the Arts this past Wednesday night was witness to the impressive combination of both.
Lucinda Williams is a veteran of both the stage and the music business. The artist released her first album in 1978, while her latest, "West," came out in February of this year. It was easy to see that her long career influenced her comfortable presence on the stage, as she kept things easy-going with a running monologue throughout the performance.
"I write story songs. I write sad songs, but I'm really a happy person," Williams said as she began another ballad about dying.
The music was country and folk fused with rock, complemented by lyrical tales about real people that had impacted Williams' life.
"This is another song about somebody who died. I clustered them together in a set, so you can get really down," Williams said with a laugh as she sang "Drunken Angel."
Songs from the new album, such as "Fancy Funeral," "Come on" and "Unsuffer Me" accented her newest album's intelligent mix of electric blues and country rock.
Williams seems to be misunderstood, as she made it clear that "Unsuffer Me" is not about a lover, but rather a spiritual journey.
"I didn't like it. I didn't like the lyrics. I heard good things about Lucinda Williams and wanted to give it a shot, but this just isn't my type of music," said Christina White, a teacher from Alden.
A style of music that incorporates folk, rock, country, and blues will undoubtedly be a sound that a person will either love or hate. However, there is no denying the individual crone of Williams' voice.
"I like her voice a lot. I thought the show was really good and the sound was great in (the CFA)," said Matt Hammond, a computer technician from Buffalo.
Carrie Rodriguez opened for Williams, starting a show on quite a different note. Williams sang her praises by bringing Rodriguez back out to play fiddle for "Joy" during the encore.
Rodriguez played several songs from her new album, "Seven Angels on a Bicycle."
"My favorite was 'Got Your Name On It,' it was such an amazing song, beautiful music and great lyrics," said Martina Gray, a teacher's aide from Evans.
Considering the artist she opened for, it seems appropriate that one has trouble placing Rodriguez's music into a ready-made genre. This is a new style of country/bluegrass music for a new generation.
Rodriguez plays a mean fiddle and a small guitar-like instrument called a mandobird, but her voice is filled with a haunting amount of soul. She also has a wonderful Texas accent that comes out in her live performance.
Playing with the experienced Williams seems like a great fit for the newbie, who has only been on the music scene for five years.
Whether it's country, bluegrass, blues, or folk, The Center for the Arts brought yet another great set of musicians to UB, proving to be the staple of quality small venue concerts.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
