By RICK GERSHMAN
Published May 28, 2005
TAMPA - Maybe at some point I'll remember having better spent 40 bucks. Even in today's economy, 40 bucks can still do you all right, especially here in Tampa.
But Friday's expenditure sure seems like the best $40 value ever, having listened to a performer with one of the most amazing voices I've ever heard. I would have paid $100. Such is the power of Emmylou Harris, making a rare Tampa Bay area appearance at Tampa Theatre. There are experiences everyone should have once before they die, and no matter what Busch Gardens says, riding SheiKra isn't the only one. Hearing the godmother of Americana perform surely is.
At 58, Harris sounds as good - maybe even better - than ever. Not that you could guess her age from anything other than her silver mane, which also looked great. Trim and poised in a gold skirt, with sculpted arms emerging from a black top, she was the epitome of mature sexiness. And she looked every inch the country-folk-rock royalty she is - even wearing jewelry she acknowledged she bought earlier that day at Target.
"It's been a great day - we went shopping, and played a nice little show," Harris said.
Nice to her, perhaps, but so much more to the reverent, enraptured crowd of 1,319. Accompanied by guitarist-vocalist Buddy Miller, an accomplished artist in his own right, Harris was spellbinding.
Harris and Miller performed some of her favorite tunes from throughout her career of 30-plus years, but several selections from her 2000 album Red Dirt Girl were especially compelling, perhaps because they were so personal. (She wrote all of them.) The title track, The Pearl and a song about her father, Bang the Drum Slowly, all were chill-inducing.
While the performances were note-perfect, Harris proved fun and feisty between songs, and even introduced a (very cute) shelter dog she'd adopted to remind attendees about animal adoption, spaying and neutering.
Other highlights included Love Hurts and Orphan Girl, and renditions of the Townes Van Zandt classic Pancho and Lefty, Gram Parsons' Grievous Angel and the Louvin Brothers' If I Could Only Win Your Love.
Miller was wonderful doing double duty as Harris' partner and her opening act, which was mostly acoustic though he plugged in at the end.
Miller was nominated for a Grammy for his recent album Universal United House of Prayer, though he didn't win: "But I got to go, and the food was good."
[Last modified May 28, 2005, 00:08:13]