Mary Chapin Carpenter Concert Review

Mary Chapin Carpenter put on an intimate, charming show at Kalamazoo State Theatre.

Not one of those acts that tours State Fairs playing the same songs by rote over and over again just to collect a paycheck, Mary Chapin Carpenter put on an engaging performance.

The show started with a 45 minute set from the Irish group Lunesa. Utilizing traditional Irish instruments, ancient Celtic folk songs, and original material, the band was unique.

Following a short break to reconfigure the stage, Mary Chapin Carpenter took the stage with Jon Carroll on piano and John Doyle on guitar. An impressive player herself, Carpenter played on every song save one.

The trio played three songs that set up the evening well, a song about a decade old, a newer one, and another song that was more "burnished" according to Mary. Her stage banter was charming and winsome as she talked about some of her songs being "written last century."

Those older songs were reworked and given a fresh treatment with great success; "Passionate Kisses" was my favorite.

I was most impressed by her incredible, expressive voice. At times a whisper, at times fully enveloping, expressing and squeezing every syllable of meaning from each word, it never felt that she was reaching for a note or overextending herself. At 57, the only sign of age her voice showed was the richness of time, not the ravages that are so often apparent.

Between songs, Mary took questions from the audience and told of a marriage proposal earlier in the tour from a man in the audience. She also gave us a look at her songwriting process which includes "songwalks" with her "people": a collection of assorted cats and dogs at her home in the mountains of Virginia.

If you missed this show, you missed a good one. Mary Chapin Carpenter remains a vital artist that is committed to her craft, not just coasting on past success. If you were there, you know how great it was.

Oh, and yes, she did play "I Feel Lucky" as Lunesa came back on stage near the end of the show for a few fan favorites.