Alt-country pioneers Old 97's play Bumbershoot
There was a decidedly country feel to Saturday’s final two acts on the Bumbershoot Main Stage, thanks to alt-country pioneers Old 97’s and Missouri’s finest daughter, Sheryl Crow. Between them they offered some of the most polished and vibrant performances on the first day of the music and arts festival, and the vast age range in the audience spoke volumes about their longevity and appeal.
Opening with ‘Dance With Me’, one of the standout tunes from their most recent album Blame It On Gravity, the Old 97’s wasted no time in drawing the crowd from all parts of the festival grounds. They displayed an undeniable vibrancy and buoyancy as frontman Rhett Miller struck wide-stanced poses and threw himself around the stage, working his way through many of the band’s greatest hits alongside one track from his recent solo album, ‘I Need To Know Where I Stand’. By the time they closed their set with the bass-heavy and up-tempo ‘Time Bomb’ there was hardly a still foot in the stadium.
Sheryl Crow clearly knew that she had a tough act to follow, but opening with hit single ‘A Change Would Do You Good’ sent a clear message of intent to the swelling crowds. Crow may have previously appeared alongside Rhett Miller on an episode of 30 Rock, but there were no reenactments of ‘Kidney Now!’ tonight as she worked her way through her catalogue of hits with energy and precision. Covering most of her big singles, including ‘My Favorite Mistake’ and ‘Strong Enough’, she knew exactly how to play to Bumbershoot’s eager crowds.
Rhett Miller strikes a pose on Bumbershoot's Main Stage
Naturally she couldn’t avoid the obligatory references to Seattle’s weather too, and she even lapsed into a brief cover of Johnny Nash’s ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ at one point, but Crow connected most directly with the local fans when she made an impassioned appeal for everyone to pull down the recent posters of President Obama depicted with a Hitler-style moustache. Her observation that ‘no-one here is a Hitler’ met with cheers and applause, and it was encouraging to see an artist of her standing still prepared to speak her mind on stage. Every day may be a winding road for Sheryl Crow, but there’s no sign of her reaching the end of that road any time soon.
The organizers' choice of Crow to close the first day of Bumbershoot may have seemed an odd one, but it paid dividends as she put the finishing touches on an outstanding day of live music under a surprisingly clear sky. Maybe a change did us good after all.
For more info:
More Bumbershoot coverage on Examiner.com
Official Sheryl Crow website
Official Old 97's website
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