Natalie Merchant recently completed a short A Summer Evening With Natalie Merchant tour. During it, she visited several Northeast states, including Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. I was lucky to catch her at Hudson Hall in Hudson, New York for the final performance of the tour on August 9, 2019. On a simple blue-lit stage accompanied only by one musician, she gave an intimate career-spanning show.
Merchant appeared on the stage before maybe a few hundred people, alone except for a piano behind her and her guitarist Erik Della Penna at her side. Throughout most of the show, Penna provided the only accompaniment. But Merchant did not hesitate to stand up and move with the music. She often spoke to the audience, telling stories.
Penna’s guitar work beautifully accompanied the songs, perfectly balancing and never intruding, allowing Merchant’s voice to shine. And it was her amazing voice that mesmerized the listeners. Her distinctive voice sounded much like it did while Merchant was still in her twenties.
The Summer Evening Tour helped promote a recent 10-CD box set that Merchant released covering her solo career since she left 10,000 Maniacs. The Natalie Merchant Collection begins with Merchant’s successful Tigerlily album and includes a new album, Butterfly, as well as a CD of rarities.
Merchant’s career is ripe for the retrospective. If you have not followed her career in recent years, you have missed out on a career that has continued to create quality interesting music. Delving into folk music interpretations, different arrangements like using a string quartet, Merchant maintains her signature sound while also being adventurous.
The Summer Evening Tour did an outstanding job of highlighting the roads of Merchant’s career. She closed with the Maniacs classic “These Are Days.” She had played the song on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show the night before. She played it, she joked, “Because whatever Jimmy wants, he gets.” (Update: Unfortunately, the video of her Tonight Show performance is no longer available on YouTube.)
And of course, there was “Wonder” from Tigerlily. But songs from her other albums stood up with her most well-known songs. Among other songs she played were: “Motherland,” “Nursery Rhyme of Innocence and Experience,” “Owensboro,” “Cowboy Romance,” “Break Your Heart,” a cover of Henry Mancini’s “Moon River” (for her guitarists parents’ anniversary), and “Don’t Talk.”
For the encore she came back onstage, starting with just herself at the piano before being joined again by her guitarist. Other songs included: “Life is Sweet, the folk song “Matty Groves,” “Saint Judas,” “If Noone Ever Marries Me,” “Wonder,” and “Kind and Generous.”
During the long folk song “Matty Groves,” Merchant forgot the lyrics at a few points. As she sought help from her guitarist, she did it all in a funny way that made the audience enjoy it even more.
Because of Merchant’s advocacy for social justice issues in her life and music, it was not surprising that her banter went to such issues a few times. She talked a little about President Trump and his immigration policies when she introduced “Saint Judas.” And earlier she told a story about the city of Hudson’s history in fighting against a large polluting concrete company that wanted to destroy the area before people fought back. Such talk was limited and done in an entertaining way that brought the audience together.
Although Merchant appears to be taking a break from performing and recording, during the show she announced she will be getting the John Lennon Real Love Award in December. The award will be presented by Yoko Ono for Merchant’s activism and music. As part of receiving the award, Merchant will perform with other artists in tribute to Lennon and the Beatles.
Although Merchant may not attract the large crowds she did in her heyday, she still sells out small venues. And the intimate settings highlight her music, her charisma, and her voice. If you get the chance to see her, do. In the meantime, if you have lost track of her recent work, check out the career-spanning box set.
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