Concert Reviews

Kelly Willis

Live At Slims
San Francisco March 11, 1999

Concert Review by Jeff Krasky

It was a cold night on Thursday as I stood outside waiting in line to pick up my tickets from the will call window. I was surprised with the turn out for Kelly Willis's low key appearance at Slims in San Francisco. There were a number of people waiting in line talking actively about the appearance. As we walked into the small dark venue the first thing I was struck by was the idiotic arrangement of seats. Logically you would put the tables near the stage and the dance floor towards the back. Not here. Instead you get to spend the night looking at the back of peoples heads. Good move Slim's. Fortunately the night of music was to be stunning despite the small annoyances the venue created.

I felt very lucky to have a seat. I was going to need it. My biggest complaint about the night was the incredibly long wait in between acts. In fact a half hour after the show was suppose to start Bruce Robinson walked onto the stage. These kind of unexplained waits do more to destroy the atmosphere than they do to help it. Robinson's performance was outstanding however. With nothing more than an acoustic guitar Bruce played a solid thirty minute set covering material from his album Wrapped and a couple of tunes from his upcoming album which is due out sometime this summer. A crisp powerful voice delivered a collection of impressively written slower songs. It would have been nice to hear a few more fast paced numbers, but the few that were performed were top notch. To make a simple acoustic performance entertaining is not an easy task but Robinson did just that. When the time came to sing the debut single from Wrapped, a duet with Kelly Willis titled "Angry All The Time," I thought Kelly would come on stage and start performing her set afterwards without an intermission. Kelly did appear and the harmonies were breathtaking but shortly after the song finished she disappeared again. Bruce joked about his wife (Willis) standing him up the night before when they were suppose to perform that song. Robinson then performed the title cut from his album and left the stage.

Then it was time to wait again. Band members walked on and off the stage a number of times making us think that the show might start. But in the end we kept on waiting. Finally Kelly appeared and opened the show with the title cut from her new album titled "What I Deserve." The crowds response was impressive. Throughout the night you'd see people singing along with Kelly, the words to her new songs memorized even though the album had only been released a few weeks. Most of the show, as predicted, showcased her new Rykodisc release but Kelly didn't forget the old stuff. The show was jam packed with music ranging from the material on her hard to find EP Fading Fast to the music found on her first three albums from MCA Records.

The raw power of Willis's voice was enough to send shivers down your spine with each and every song. The current single "Take Me Down," was sung with reckless abandon with Kelly throwing every bit of her vocal strength at it. The haunting performance of "Heaven Bound," is still ringing through my ears as I write this. "Not Forgotten You," got a solid response from the crowd. Other tracks performed off the new album include "Cradle Of Love," "Wrapped," "Got A Feelin' For Ya," "Time Has Told Me," "Talk Like That," "Long For This World," and "Happy With That," which showcased band member Amy Farris's talents perfectly. In fact just about every song from What I Deserve was represented except "They're Blind," why this song was left of the play list I'm not sure. It is one of the most solid tracks on the album.

Kelly played tracks from her A&M Records EP as well. "Fading Fast," (which is also on the new album) was one of the shows highlights. The soft acoustic opening and the powerful chorus make this song a serious toe taper. Willis's band attacked songs with aggression pounding out instrumentals that were as riveting as Kelly's vocals. "What World Are You Living In," and "He Don't Care About Me," both were excellent renditions.

There were also tracks from each of Kelly's MCA records. Kelly joked with the crowd about "Take It All Out On Me," being written by her husband and ex-husband and how that qualified her to be a country singer. They played the song all out and people were on their feet. "Heaven's Just A Sin Away," and "Whatever Way The Wind Blows," were also played with incredible energy. Her encore included another track from her self titled release "Get Real,"which is one of the best ballads she has ever recorded. From her debut release she performed the debut single and "River Of Love," the most rocking track of the night. Bang Bang (the only MCA album that is still in print) received some coverage with tracks like "I'll Try Again."

The most impressive aspect of the show was how effortlessly Kelly moved from fast tracks to soft ballads. Everything flowed together smoothly. One minute you were listening to a painful ballad and the next minute you had to fight the urge (and more than a few couldn't resist that urge) to get up on your feet and dance around the venue. Willis kept it entertaining throughout the duration of her surprisingly long set. In fact people that were walking down the street kept stopping outside the door to listen for a few minutes, before paying for a ticket and in a trance joining the fun.

I've been to a lot of concerts and it isn't easy to impress me. But let me tell you right now, Kelly's performance ranks as one of the most memorable in my mind. Her laid back sense of humor and her powerful vocal performance made it an absolute pleasure to sit and listen to her sing. If any of you are fortunate enough to get your hands on a ticket to one of her shows don't even think about thinking twice. Willis is simply one of the finest vocalists ever to grace country music and a top notch performer. Just tell me where she's playing next and I'll be booking a flight. An incredible performance.

Photo Credits: Michael Gomez

Editors Note: We apologize for the lack of photos, they were damaged during the development process. Instead we have included some studio shots.

Carolyn Dawn Johnson Live Concert Photos