A guitarist in a diamond tank top. A drummer/vocalist with a beard and mop of hefty hair. A bassist equipped with mullet and baseball cap. A front person steeped in Laurel Canyon mind and glamour. It was like a fictional episode of the Old Grey Whistle Test circa 1973. Folk rock ebbing between quaint singer-songwriter fare and more voluminous servings scaling the decibels. This was no fiction; this was real. Courtney Marie Andrews and band 2023-style portraying a beguiling awe while blending new songs with old to take a contemporary seminal artist onto a higher plane. The feel seemed different to 2021 as well as 2018 and the other times a band led by this Arizona-raised wandering artist has set sail for European shores. Our mind sometimes plays tricks and lauds the present as greater than the past. It's all conjecture though, but there is no harm in hailing this Courtney Marie Andrews band performance in the Trinity Centre in Bristol as the best yet. Mind you I am sectioning the solo stints that are a whole different ballgame for showcasing her musical artistry. The Oxford church shows in 2018 paraded this gem.
The look and the attire vary, but the steely gaze and mesmeric immersion into the vaults of deep song remain intact. Courtney Marie in band mode is one of interaction and intuitive leadership. They know their role and she probes longingly whether armed with acoustic or electric guitar, or the inevitable gravitation to the piano from where she comfortably looks reluctant to move. Tonight there was a significant twist. In the song 'Took You Up' (more on this later), the line 'karaoke on a Monday night' sets the scene. At the end of the show it was 'karaoke on a Thursday night' as her association with opener Robert Ellis uncorked some fizz, and the duo serenaded to the Bee Gees 'To Love Somebody' with lyrics in hand. No guitar or piano required (Ellis commandeered that) just mic and a wandering dancer released from the intensity of mining songs from the heart.
By the way, we all love the latter trait as it defines who she is as an artist. Minus the concluding fun cover, we had nineteen songs spanning the evolving timeline of Courtney Marie Andrews. Over two thirds of the evening was given over to songs from LOOSE FUTURE (the understandable tour centrepiece) and OLD FLOWERS getting some of its best bits scrubbed up. But where else can song reflection start than a slice of Courtney Marie at her very best. It only takes the opening line of 'Took You Up' to stop the car. "Is it the journey or the destination?" says it all about music and following an artist. Strangely she mentioned that this song only seems to get requested over here and therefore a lyric sheet lies by her feet. A few fans would give her a help on that front.
While not underplaying the opening part of the headline set, which was largely new songs getting a fresh premiere at each show on the tour, the light switch moment came during the adorable 'Burlap Strings' extending to 'Break the Spell'. They say sometimes it can take the passing of time for some songs to become firm live favourites and these glided into that category this evening. On the theme of definitive tracks, the airing of 'Table For One' in the encore was utterly divine. It demonstrated an artist totally in the zone and could have drifted on for ever.
One new song has become an instant hit. 'Me and Jerry' claimed the pre-encore closing spot this evening and looked so settled that shifting it will be an impossible task. This song rocks out at the end of the new album and it releases the band big time on stage to let rip. This felt like a Delines song on record; an association strengthened standing yards from it being dealt.
A quick rewind, and the surprising link up with Robert Ellis to open the shows on the UK tour. As evidenced by the shout out requests, many knew his past work which runs into numerous albums. His live presence over here has flitted in an out. Many recalled him opening for Richard Thompson; I saw him play a set at the High and Lonesome Festival. In some ways this current move is a re-set and trying to re-engage with an audience after an enforced break. He brings a certain style that tests and teases a listener. Beneath an impish demeanour is a seriously good songwriter and somebody way above your opener level in the world Courtney Marie Andrews frequents.
The world Courtney Marie Andrews frequents is sprinkled with stardust and alluring charisma. The voice bestows elegance, the lyrics probe and the music expands to breed inclusivity. She inadvertently courts adoration and takes it modestly back. She is an artist nowhere near her peak and continually searching for the songwriting utopia. We had one new song in the middle of this evening's set. We are likely to have many more in the near future. Like the lyrics of her classic song - this is a journey not a destination.
