Margo Timmins and Cowboy Junkies were the epitome of aging gracefully at the Ogden Theatre on Wednesday. Photos by Mark Osler.
What happens 20 years after an inspired album? Co-headliners and , whose most critically acclaimed work has aged almost two decades (Son Volt front-man Jay Farrar’s early ’90s band Uncle Tupelo, and Cowboy Junkies’ 1988 album “The Trinity Sessions”), answered the question to a packed on Wednesday. And both gave very different answers.
Instead of masking his influences, Son Volt’s Farrar wears them as badges of honor. Longing for the lives of boy-rebels of another era like Hank Williams and Jack Kerouac, Son Volt’s performance was overrun by Americana and road imagery, delivered in a somewhat lackluster drawl. Farrar sang of Highway 61 and Keith Richards on songs like “Afterglow 61” and “Cocaine and Ashes,” but the obvious harkening back to the old traditions often fall flat.
While the members of Son Volt have perfected a lonesome, alt-country sound with warm pedal steel soaring over the lonely lyrics, it’s hard not to long for something with a bit more punch and vigor than what Farrar’s traditional sound and watered-down rebellion has to offer. Still, tradition feels comfortable, as witnessed by head-bopping and beer-guzzling fans obviously satisfied by Son Volt’s performance. It was masterful and pleasant, and it’s hard to deny the soothing effect of the pedal steel guitar, even if the outcome is a bit tame.
Cowboy Junkies, on the other end of the spectrum, used the tradition of folk and country as a foundation for the ethereal, airy sound that made “The Trinity Sessions” such an acclaimed album. And they can still do it. Frontwoman Margo Timmins emerged onstage sipping mugs of tea, crooning sweetly in her honey-coated, expressive vocals.
While her demeanor was somewhat detached at the beginning, Timmins warmed up as the night went on, telling anecdotes about touring with her six-year-old son. The band, dressed all in black, was impeccable in its musicianship, creating lush, atmospheric backdrops for Timmins’ vocals on classics from the 1988 album like “Misguided Angel” and the cover of “Working on a Building.” And while the older songs have an undeniably spark, Cowboy Junkies’ new songs hold their ground as well.
Introduced as one of her son’s favorites, one of the night’s highlights was the devastating “Fairytale,” a newer song accompanied only by acoustic guitar. The delicate arrangement of the song combined storybook images with those of war, creating a narrative about longing for lost hope. Another high point came with a cover of Neil Young’s “Don’t Let It Bring You Down,” proving again the Junkies’ innate ability to transform well-known songs into their own breathy, delicate originals.
While the magic that created “The Trinity Sessions” may have faded a bit, glimmers of it still remain in Cowboy Junkies’ live show. If only every band aged this gracefully.
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Robin Edwards is a Denver freelance writer and regular Reverb contributor.
Mark Osler is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Denver photographer and regular contributor to Reverb. See more of his work .
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