In the midst of intimate “Special Solo Performance” dates that kicked off in Portland, Maine the day before Valentine’s Day, Brandi Carlile performed back-to-back sold out shows this past week at The Capitol Theatre (affectionately known as “The Cap”) located in the center of downtown Port Chester. I was one of 1,800 lucky participants to attend Friday night’s show on February 17, to witness her multi-genre talents, including folk rock, alternative country and Americana, firsthand.
To say Carlile has been busy lately is an understatement. She played Madison Square Garden this past October, was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live in December and just won her eighth and ninth Grammy Awards (out of 25 total nominations and seven from 2022 alone) for “Broken Horses” (Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song) at the 65th award ceremony in Los Angeles earlier this month, a night on which she also executed a fierce version of said song.
At 6:30 pm sharp, doors to the historic venue constructed in 1926 opened to adoring Carlile fans that had been patiently waiting in a short line, but that could not wait any longer. However, with the show still nearly two hours away, most fans who had arrived early to the village known as the “Gateway to New England” were seen congregating at nearby restaurants. Not only to pass the time, but to escape the frigid temperatures that had dropped by more than 30 degrees from earlier the same afternoon, my wife and I opted for authentic Mexican cuisine right next door to The Cap, enjoying margaritas as Brandi Carlile tunes played over El Tio’s speakers.
Suddenly, as show time neared, throngs of patrons hurriedly began to file through the maze of security fencing outside of the main entrance and into the warm confines of the theatre’s lobby. Many fans headed straight for the merch table to purchase a t-shirt, hoodie or poster commemorating Carlile’s brief two-night residency, while others grabbed a drink before heading to their seat in the orchestra or upper balcony.
Running slightly behind schedule, the moment finally arrived as Carlile took the stage at 8:25 pm, from which she would not depart until more than two hours later. With more than two decades of singer-songwriter experience under her belt, the rural girl from Ravensdale, Washington was about to give her fans a career-spanning glimpse at her discography, performing at least one song from each of her seven studio albums. Sharply dressed as always, tonight in an arctic blue blazer and matching turtleneck with lime green slacks, Carlile “took it all in” for several moments as the crowd erupted before her.
Excitedly, Carlile addressed her adoring fans, “Yes! I knew the crowd was going to be like this! I did this solo tour to recover my artist’s self after the Grammys, which I will never stop being grateful for, or terrified by. But I knew that I was going to need these concerts so that I could come back into myself and come face to face with my lyrics and do something that really scares me, which this does.” Then, as guitar tech Claire Murphy handed Carlile a well-worn, vintage Gibson acoustic (one of four she would play in addition to two custom Collings), the festivities were officially underway.
The first of 20 offerings that Carlile bestowed upon the packed house was her very first song (“Follow”) from her very first self-titled release in 2005. Although the audience would be seated for majority of the show, they rose to their feet triumphantly at the conclusion of each and every song, beginning with this one. On an evening filled with deep cut tracks, the next song (the aforementioned “Broken Horses”) from her most recent studio album (2021’s In These Silent Days) would not be one of them. During the introduction to “Mama Werewolf,” another song from her seventh album, Carlile playfully addressed her two young daughters seated stage left in VIP boxes above. After the third song had ended, and it was now time to head back up the aisle with my camera to a standing room only perch at the rear of the house, I glanced at the beaming faces of fans as I strolled by. The next two songs presented by Carlile were “The Things I Regret” (The Firewatcher’s Daughter, 2015), and speaking of deep cuts, “I Will,” the seventh track from her third studio album (Give Up the Ghost) released in 2009.
Taking a seat at the piano for the first time of the night, which she taught herself to play (along with guitar) after dropping out of high school to pursue her dream of a career in music, Carlile introduced her next song by revealing “I don’t know any other way to do [“The Eye”] without the twins (songwriting brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroth who also reside in the band’s family as bass and guitar players, respectively) and a three-part harmony. Without them, the only thing that I can think to do, is to do it different.” During the course of the next twenty minutes, Carlile beautifully delivered the title track from 2007’s The Story and “The Mother” (By the Way, I Forgive You, 2018), sandwiched by the first of the night’s four covers, Tears for Fears’ “Mad World.” “The Mother” followed, also taken from her sixth studio album released in 2018, before Carlile was joined by wife Catherine for a glorious coupling of fan favorites comprising “I Belong to You” and “You and Me on the Rock.”
Before commencing their final song together, Tracy Chapman’s “The Promise,” Carlile imparted a humorous tale about a recent time when she and Catherine performed the same song during a vow renewal at Ellen DeGeneres’ house (which really looks more like a castle): “Just when I thought the ceremony was at the lesbian tipping point, we were at a campfire a half an hour later with Melissa Etheridge playing to all of us. I was like what the hell, this is amazing! The sun was setting. We drank non-alcoholic beer. A perfect lesbian moment [Catherine adds]. And I was like, I know how we can top this. Right now, we can sing Tracy Chapman. So, we did. We’re going to repeat that moment for you right now.”
As the set rolled on, the crowd continued to display its deep appreciation for Brandy Carlile, vigorously clapping in unison during the chorus to “Raise Hell” (the lone tune performed from Bear Creek) and then cheering wildly for the night’s third cover, Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend.” What followed next was the ‘wipe the tears from your eyes’ moment of the show when Carlile moved to the edge of the stage apron to perform an off-microphone, six-minute version of “Cannonball” (The Story, 2007) – a song that was not played the night before – with every audience member remaining dead silent to ensure Carlile’s voice could be heard throughout the entire venue.
As if we had not already witnessed greatness, the final quintet of songs showcased Carlile’s unreal vocal chops as she took to the piano again for a string of recent hits consisting of “Letter to the Past,” “Right on Time,” “The Joke” (with Carlile back on guitar) and “Party of One.” And on a night where love filled the air, the final number (Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You”) of the epic show was a fitting nod to Carlile’s close friend and folk icon.
The final stop on Carlile’s intimate solo tour will be at the Durham Performing Arts Center in North Carolina this upcoming Wednesday, February 22. For those of you who missed her Port Chester shows, you will get another chance when she returns this summer touring in support of P!NK at Citi Field in Queens on August 3.
Brandi Carlile Setlist: Follow > Broken Horses > Mama Werewolf > The Things I Regret > I Will > The Eye > The Story > Mad World (Tears for Fears cover) > The Mother > I Belong to You > You and Me on the Rock > The Promise (Tracy Chapman cover) > Raise Hell > Call Your Girlfriend (Robyn cover) > Cannonball > Letter to the Past > Right on Time > The Joke > Party of One > A Case of You (Joni Mitchell cover)
