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Kathleen Edwards (Sunday, 12:30 p.m. AMD Stage)
The only previous time I’d seen Kathleen Edwards was when she taped an episode of “Austin City Limits.” She seemed, on that occasion, an inward-looking performer, almost tentative in her delivery. How, I wondered, would she translate to the big AMD Stage and the wide-open spaces of Zilker Park?
Well, just fine, thanks. Edwards was making her first ACL Festival appearance - after deferring last year’s performance because of worries about Hurricane Rita - and this time, she brought game.
Plugged in and turned up, Edwards and her crackerjack band put the throttle down on “In State,” “What Are You Waiting For” (featuring some rocketing bottleneck slide by guitarist/producer Colin Cripps), “Back To Me” and “Six O’Clock News.” As for the inward-looking part, Edwards acknowleged being “a little happier, a little happier” now that, as she put it, “I’ve gotten past all (that).”
It was precisely that sentiment that fueled the anger Edwards channeled into songs on her two acclaimed albums, “Failer” and “Back To Me.” Now, however, she is playful enough onstage to introduce her band, concluding the ritual with “…and I’m Aimee Mann.”
Except for a cover of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” (a tip of the hat to a fellow Canadian on Edwards’ part), the set was all Edwards originals, including a new tune about coming to terms with age, mortality and dark nights alone. “Copied Keys,” another standout (though not a new song), detailed two lives lived adjacent, but not together. One can wish Edwards all the best with her self-confessed lighter disposition while hoping the creative spark she brought to the AMD stage continues to burn strong.
(photo by Amber Novak FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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