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Home > Austin Music Source > Archives > 2009 > June > 22 > Entry
Live review: Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson
In order to make up a date at the Cactus Cafe that was canceled in September due to travel worries surrounding Hurricane Ike, Australian singer-songwriters Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson drove all the way from Boulder, Colorado to the Cactus for two sold-out shows Monday night. Coming this far out of their way, you just knew these shows were going to be special and the early set had everything fans could’ve hoped for- minus her KGSR chestnut “Cry Like a Baby.”
There were some songs, such as the show-opening “Rattlin’ Bones,” from the couple’s duet album of the same name, that featured Chambers and Nicholson equally. There were some numbers, including the standout “Once In a While” and a cover of Bap Kennedy’s “Long Time Comin’,” that found Nicholson alone on stage. Chambers did a solo turn on “The Captain,” which she introduced as the only song she’s played in every concert she’s ever done.
And then there was Kasey’s dad Bill Chambers, who added mandolin and steel guitar shadings and sang a newish song called “Southend Song.” Father and daughter also did a moving and precious song about where babies come from.
For 90 minutes the stage dripped with humor and charm. Kasey’s vocals of angelic fire were just right all night and when she blended with Nicholson’s voice, a slightly raspier James Taylor, one “One More Year” the mix was perfect and powerful.
Amidst all the different combinations of the trio, three moments brought out the most goosebumps: 1) when Kasey merged “Lost & Found” into “Not Pretty Enough” about 25 minutes in 2) her delicately powerful cover of Cindy Walker’s “You Don’t Know Me” and 3) the set-ending love song “Gone Long Gone” by the O’Kanes.
The other thing worth mentioning is that Chambers and Nicholson have tremendous chemistry, with Kasey doing most of the talking between songs and Shane throwing out droll toppers. Before she did “The Captain,” Chambers talked about buying a cool, oversized ring a few days earlier. “Shane looked at it and said ‘What were you thinking? You can’t play guitar with that?’” she said, flashing the ring at the audience. Then, looking back to see that Nicholson was out the back door, Chambers pulled off the gaudy piece of jewelry. “I can take it off now, without him saying ‘I told you so,’” said Chambers. “All the songs we’ve played so far have been at about half the normal tempo.”
With the framed photographs of their two children sitting on a stool between them, Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson did more than just play music and sing songs Monday night. They created a spirit of togetherness, of being in love, and of using music as the purest form of expression. They could’ve used a couple more fast songs like “Last Hard Bible,” but the 150 lucky folks at the Cactus Monday night should have no complaints.
I imagine the late show was even better, for even as this couple had left it all on the stage for an hour and a half, they seemed to be having such a good time that it was as if they were just getting started.
Comments
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By Jeanne Wilkinson
June 24, 2009 9:27 AM | Link to this
Michael,
I agree it was a wonderful show. As always, thanks for the detailed review.
But to say Kasey and Shane “created a spirit of togetherness and of being in love” made me laugh out loud, very hard.
They were like ‘oil and water’ together, as best as we could tell — unless that’s one mighty fine act they have going on!
Jeanne