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concert_goer
Rhiannon Giddens and her band played at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley. I would have preferred a more relaxed venue with a reasonable photo policy, but still decided to go there.
The night opened with a set by the youth. Amelia, the daughter of multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell, was joined by Rhiannon's nephew Justin Harrington, who goes by the name Demeanor. They played a few folksy songs, sometimes using modern elements like looping and hip-hop alongside traditional sounds. Both young musicians turned out to be members of Rhiannon's band, which also featured the mentioned Dirk Powell, Jason Cypher on upright bass, and Carolina Chocolate Drops member Justin Robinson on fiddle.
The main set included a lot of songs from North Carolina, Louisiana, and Africa, with a hip-hop tune and a Merle Haggard cover thrown in. Folk, blues, Cajun, gospel, world music, wonderful! And the instrumental sounds were fantastic. At the end of God Gave Noah the Rainbow Sign, Joan Baez jumped on the stage and stayed to help deliver a gorgeous I Shall Not Be Moved. And there was one more delight for the encore, Rhiannon sang a wonderful version of Paul Simon's American Tune.
A very strong show, my 50th of 2025.
Set list (Rhiannon Giddens and the Old Time Revue, 8:38 PM — 10:33 PM): Freight Train, Georgia Buck, High on a Mountain, Dimanche Après-Midi > Quoi faire, Laye Olugbon, Polyphia, Somewhere Between, Old Corn Liquor, Step Away Blues, Bonsoir Moreau, ?, Shoot That Buffalo, Red Bird Road, Marching Jaybird, Pipi Danga (Pompey Ran Away), At the Purchaser's Option, Following the North Star, God Gave Noah the Rainbow Sign, I Shall Not Be Moved (with Joan Baez), American Tune (encore)
