Emmylou Harris' appearances in Stockholm have become something like a compulsory annual event for her constantly growing Swedish fan community.The place this time was the Concert Hall which provides a relatively intimate atmosphere and good acoustic conditions. It was almost sold out and the crowd greeted the opening act, The Delevantes, with friendly cheers and applause. The band, consisting of 5 guys apparently residing in Nashville, performed a set of 9 honest to god country rock songs, displaying good vocal qualities and guitar arrangements.

Expectations rose, and finally Emmylou entered the stage in a beautiful dark red dress with patterns of autumn leaves on it and a pair of shiny DocMartens-like boots on her feet. She immediately conjured the crowd into the right kind of mood by rendering a solo version of "My Songbird". Buddy, Daryl and Brady joined her in the next song, "Wayfaring Stranger", and sent goose bumps along a thousand pairs of arms with their sizzling vocal harmonies. "Orphan Girl", "Crescent City" and "Ain't living long like this" built up a tension which found its first emotional climax in the duet with Buddy Miller "Love Hurts" and Emmylou's already classic version of Steve Earle's "Goodbye".

After that it was Buddy's turn to present two songs from his new album, "Million bombs" and "Poison Love", two straightforward rockers, no superfluous sequins attached.

A thrilling "Going back to Harlan" and an extended version of "Deeper Well" brought us back into the Wrecking Ball-track, before it was time for a set of four songs which I'd regard as the second and true climax of the whole show. Emmylou mentioned the loss of several friends during recent years and dedicated "Calling my Children Home" to them. "If I needed you" of course was a touching hommage to the late Townes van Zandt, and once more reminded us of the huge gap that his untimely death has caused the musical cosmos, even though the immortality of his songs is a certain comfort. "Sweet Old World" and "All my tears" were songs circling around the same theme, and their performances were received with immense enthusiasm from the audience.

A vocal and guitar fireworks exploded in a song called "Get up John", which I haven't heard before, followed by a pearl string of classics: "Hickory Wind", "Wheels" and "Born to run". The first magical bass tones of the next songs indicated that the last song of the regular set was about to be launched: Daniel Lanois' "The Maker" in its by now well-known interpretation by Emmylou and Spyboy, featuring the extended drum dialogue between Daryl and Brady and a furioso "Oh River Rise" vocal finale.

Of course, the crowd was in a (friendly) riot after that, and the band was forced back on stage. Emmylou was in the best of moods, and met spontaneous marriage proposals from some guys in the audience with a smile and a pun: Grabbing her guitar she announced she would be "going solo for a while" and recommended the "boys" to take a pee break in the meantime, before she performed "Prayer in Open D", touching and beautiful as ever. The Delevantes were asked to join the band for the last two songs which were "C'est la Vie" and "Indian Red". The Concert Hall crowd thanked for the party time with standing ovations.

"Stockholm, you're the best" was Emmylou's comment on the crowd's reception of her performance, but remember, Emmylou: it takes one to know one.

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