The highlight of this evening for me was Molly Ruth, the opening act. She has a majestic voice and the ideas and heart to go with it. Her songs invoke Jungian, tragic imagery haunting every human situation. She's especially good at giving meaning to the rages and pains of love and loss and the struggle for individual freedom in a dark and soul-killing world. Her response to injury and betrayal is to howl and screech bloody murder and become tender and sweet at the most surprising moments.
Ms. Ruth is an obviously skilled musician. She can sing and she can play her ax. Mostly she can make us all feel our own ability to love and hate and forgive and prevail. Damn.
Props to downtown veteran Lorraine Leckie for giving this new voice a hearing.