We can't be far off the end of re-staged postponed shows arising from the pandemic. A major one in Birmingham is Gretchen Peters' upcoming Town Hall date. On a smaller scale, Rachel Baiman finally made it to the city with a headline show to offer folks another glimpse of her innate talent. Things have moved on rapidly since this event was first announced. Not only has there been a new album in the shape of 2021's CYCLES but these eventual run of dates are the prelude to another new release due out at the end of March. Other factors have likely contributed to the delay. Since the return of touring, Rachel has played over here with Kris Drever and recently opened for Sierra Hull. This demonstrates a commitment to the UK market, which began when her previous band 10 String Symphony had their music pitched over here.
Rachel Baiman is no stranger to the West Midlands. She has twice played Thimblemill Library in neighbouring Sandwell. The first was a packed 2018 spring Sunday evening in a breathtaking double bill with Molly Tuttle. The following January she brought her trio format for a headline show offering a further insight in what has evolved from a prodigious to blossoming talent. Tonight she performed as a duo with bassist Steve Haan, introduced as her touring partner and a new face from previous shows.
To enhance the evening, and other shows on the tour, Misty River has been invited to open and grasp the opportunity to take her music around the country from her North London base. She played in a duo format with guitarist Adam Morley, who further excelled when turning to Dobra. Misty River is a name being banded around, so it was useful to get an extended listen. Confidence increased during her 40-minute set and by the end you had a good feel for who she is. The hushed vocals were reminiscent of Caroline Spence, seemingly channelled from a place of softened beauty. Songs from her seven-number set started to take hold, so it will be useful to get some recorded material to match the promise.
We had the occasional Kitchen Garden practise of a break after the opener and then a second one splicing the main set. Different views are held on this with various factors coming into place. The artist was cool and it didn't impact upon them delivering an exceptional performance. If anything the second half came across better, but any change was minimal and from a high plateau.
There are so many facets to the music of Rachel Baiman. Instruments settled at three for this show: acoustic guitar for those songs with the general singer-songwriter feel, fiddle for those trips down bluegrass way and a resonator-less banjo to tap into a real traditional old time feel. This sums up the versatility and paves the way to sit right at the heart of the new-wave Americana movement; whole heartedly contemporary but intrinsically influenced by country, folk and acoustic roots music.
Each time Rachel Baiman has been seen, a striking vocal similarity to Maya de Vitry (Of Stray Birds and now solo fame) appears. You can also throw Gillian Welch into the mix alongside many others who chisel an inherent twang into a mountain aura. Tonight was no different as she dealt us a batch of originals with a couple of choice recorded covers neatly placed. The take on John Hartford's 'Madison Tennessee', now her home town, and Andy Irvine's Woody Guthrie tribute 'Never Tire of the Road' showed the breadth of her influences. Bringing things right up to date, 'Annie' from her upcoming album COMMON NATION OF SORROW features Nashville compatriot Erin Rae. Likely to be one of many from her Music City community that recommended playing the Kitchen Garden when next in town.
Not surprisingly several of the new songs were previewed. 'Self Made Man' and 'Lovers and Leavers' were both out of the block early online, with the former encapsulating the theme of the new record, namely the ills of the capitalist system. One of the more striking numbers from the new record heard for the first time this evening was 'Old Flame'. This poignant piece was written for the late Luke Bell. Another highlight from this performance was 'When You Bloom (Colorado)' taken from the CYCLES album and about her sister embarking on new adventures.
There was one final break, albeit less than 30 seconds before the encore call. A request came for 'Thanksgiving Day', a song remembered from her previous show over 4 years ago. Rachel duly complied. Throughout the performance the bond with Steve Haan was noticeable. He played electric bass in contrast to the upright version brought over by Shelby Means in 2019. Probably more practical for hopping around the UK from Shetland in the north to London in the south.
The parting memory from this Rachel Baiman show was how well she blended with the vibes of the Kitchen Garden. Obviously bigger places and turnouts are more lucrative, but something special emanates from evenings like. I'm sure artists concur, those in the prime seats certainly do.
