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concert_goer
BettySoo opened the night solo with acoustic guitar, performing some amazing original tunes. Her singing was also impressive. A fellow musician once suggested calling the genre she's working in "bummer jams," which she turned into a slogan: "BS loves BJs," lol. James McMurtry and his drummer joined Betty in the second part of the set, adding color to the sound. She closed her performance with Woody Guthrie's Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos), a really touching song that has, unfortunately, become all too relevant again. What an opening set! BettySoo is wonderful.
James returned to the stage after a break, backed by another guitarist and a rhythm section. McMurtry's delivery style resembles Ray Wylie Hubbard's, though he leans more toward roots rock and Americana than country and blues. There were a lot of great songs played during his set, including Black Dog and Wandering Boy with strong storytelling, and the really long narrative Choctaw Bingo. Sailing Away sounded like a new hit! I enjoyed all the tunes, though the ones I liked most featured no more than one electric guitar. At the same time I can't complain about the riffs. BettySoo came back in the middle of the set, now playing accordion. Wow, that was a really great show!
Set list (BettySoo, 6:03 PM — 6:50 PM): Henry and Me, Down to Goodbye, One Thing, Never Knew No Love, Tiger, Gulf Road (with James McMurtry), Blackout (with James McMurtry), Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) (with James McMurtry)
Set list (James McMurtry, 7:18 PM — 8:49 PM): Fraulein O., Childish Things, Black Dog and Wandering Boy, Copper Canteen, You Got to Me, Choctaw Bingo, Sons of the Second Sons, Color of Night (with BettySoo), South Texas Lawman (with BettySoo), Sailing Away (with BettySoo), Canola Fields (with BettySoo), No More Buffalo, Ft. Walton Wake-Up Call, Too Long in the Wasteland, Laredo (Small Dark Something) (encore, with BettySoo)
