It’s a tie. I’ll always cherish seeing Dolly Parton at the Santa Barbara Bowl ten years ago and that will remain number one in my list of favorite Bowl concerts. Now joining Dolly in that number one spot is Brandi Carlile’s September 20 Human tour show. Carlile did a tribute to Dolly with “Islands In The Stream,” bringing the lead singer from opening act CMAT on stage to sing Dolly’s part to Carlile’s Kenny.
The show began with a dynamic violin and cello intro by Sista Strings. Then lights came up on Carlile styling in her best jacket. She mentioned saving it for Santa Barbara, the second to last stop on the Human tour. Because, she said, “When you show up in a town this classy, you gotta wear blue velvet.”
One fun part of the show came early on, taking a couple of audience requests. This proved a challenge for herself and her band. One request she took from somebody because she liked their sparkly hat. “Shadow On The Wall” released in 2014. Carlile and the crew quickly conferred on the tuning and opening chords before proceeding to play the song perfectly. She said she’s considering doing her next tour where the shows are entirely comprised of audience requests.
Her storytelling between sets entertained as much as the songs themselves. She revealed that “A War With Time” from her latest “Returning To Myself” album emerged from memories of her first trip to New York City. That’s the one from the album I put on repeat, because aren’t we all in a war with time? Carlile said her current favorite from the record (Yes, it’s available on vinyl.) is “Church & State,” a rock’n song with a hint of punk. If your only experience with Carlile’s music involves her classic Americana ballads, don’t get fooled. This chick does rock! I’m sure they heard this one on the Westside.
A Family Woman
Carlile’s thirty-minute purely acoustic set focused on her family. Poking a bit of fun at her wife, a Londoner, she pointed out that the cadence of the London accent comes off stuffy, even passive-aggressive, to American ears. She then launched into “A Woman Overseas” which contains the line, “I love to hear her speak.” After switching from keyboard back to guitar, Carlile talked about their two daughters. Her eight year-old acts like a total comedian and her 12 year-old, like most her age, pushes boundaries. Carlile polled the audience on whether to allow a 12 year-old to drink coffee. The consensus said no, much to Carlile’s chagrin. This led into “You Without Me,” about a parent watching a child grow into their own personhood.
A couple of times Carlile shed some tears. She didn’t try to hide or dismiss this. On the contrary, she acknowledged the tears come out of nowhere, part of hormonal changes now that she’s 45. Like Dolly’s complete transparency on stage—“I’m a self-made woman and I’ve got the doctor bills to prove it.”—Carlile projects genuine authenticity. She’s human.
