The other night Pam and I went to the Greek to see Sugarland. It was our first time. It was a long time coming. It was worth the wait. I hope it will not be our last time.
I have been a fan of Sugarland for years but never saw one of their shows. Then the leaders, Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, decided to take a break from Sugarland and pursue solo careers. Thankfully, they decided to reunite and collaborate on new music and tour again.
Jennifer Nettles is one of the most amazing lead singers I have ever heard. We saw her perform live at the Wiltern Theater when she was solo. At the time, I realized just how good a singer she was, though I did not enjoy or relate to her solo efforts as much as I did when she was paired with Bush as part of Sugarland. The other night, the duo, backed up by the rest of their band, put on a spectacular show, singing a mix of their new and classic material. Pam and I enjoyed it from the outset.
The Greek is one of our favorite venues. It is small. It is comfortable. The sound is good. The issue we have with it is getting there. It is a pain, so we only go about twice per year. It is about eight miles from our house, but it feels like it is about 25. There is no easy way to get there. Parking is always an issue. Thankfully, Pam has developed a good strategy for dealing with getting in and getting out. We get there early. Park in an overpriced lot. Eat while sitting in our car. Continue to sit in the car and watch people streaming by, either on foot or in cars, until it is time to enter the venue . Lastly, we leave a tad early. Relatively minor concessions to ensure that we have good time and want to go back.
We had seen Sugarland’s two opening acts, Clare Bowen and Brandy Clark, before. Clare Bowen is angelic when she sings. She has a beautiful voice, and she is really nice and endearing. I am just not moved by her music, which I find way too slow, uninspiring and unengaging, though she delivers it flawlessly. Sort of like the way I feel about Adele. The other night was no exception. She was, well, Clare Bowen.
Brandy Clark, on the other hand, is one of my favorite singers. Generally, performers need a shtick. Most great ones have a charm, a charismatic style, a ton of energy that pulls the crowd along with them. There are several notable exceptions to this, including Eric Clapton and Chris Stapleton, who can almost stand motionless while they play without losing their audience. Their music is that good. Brandy Clark is a singer, not an entertainer. Though she sings about crimes of fashion, we generally see her perform in basic black. She is almost as motionless as Stapleton and as expressionless as Clapton when she plays, though she does have a nice rapport with the audience when she chooses to use it. In my opinion, she is totally captivating without moving around on stage, and I could spend hours listening to her perform.
Pam and I have seen her four previous times. The first time, ironically, was when she opened for Jennifer Nettles at the Wiltern. As I have written about before, I loved her voice, lyrics and music that night, and I still do, though I prefer to see her when she performs with just an acoustic guitar. I believe that Brandy Clark has the perfect female country voice, pure and twangy. An acoustic guitar for melody is all the accompaniment she needs. The other night she performed with her band and did a great job. But……
And then it was Jennifer time. If Brandy Clark is statuesque in a literal sense and drab in a fashion sense. Jennifer flits around stage like tinkerbell with a wildly colored cape, taking away some of the joy I experience while listening to her. Many times the other night I found myself listening to Jennifer Nettles and watching Kristian Bush, as he stood there strumming and singing with an expression of absolute enjoyment on his face. Kristian Bush is a great artist. He is great guitar and mandolin player and a great songwriter. I like listening to his solo music—maybe more so on my computer than live. I would, though, jump at the chance to see him perform an acoustic set in an intimate venue. One of the highlights of the show for me was when Kristian sang Trailer Hitch, one of the songs on his solo album. He performed it with Lindsay Ell, who made a surprise guest appearance. I love listening to Lindsay Ell. Moreover, I love watching Lindsay Ell shred on the guitar. The other night was no exception, as she and Kristian ripped the trailer hitch right off the bumper with their guitar playing.
But at the Greek, it was really Jennifer’s show. She dominated the vocals with her voice. You knew Kristian was singing because you could see his lips moving and once in a while you actually heard him. Though it was not obvious, you knew he was contributing to the vocals and overall sound, making it better by balancing it with his smooth baritone notes. Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush are good solo artists, but when they are together on stage, they are amazing.