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 Emmylou Harris |
 Patty Griffin |
 Shawn Colvin |
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Story and Photos by Matt Schwenke On a night when the temperature outside dipped down below zero, Three Girls & Their Buddy: Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin & Buddy Miller gathered at the Pabst Theatre in a casual, campfire-like setting and gave Milwaukee a mix of well-crafted and well-delivered folk and country music to warm up to. While both Harris and Colvin had made recent stops at Brew City's finest music venue in 2007-- Harris in a captivating solo performance in March and Colvin in a bill with John Hiatt in August-- the interaction between artists and bits of storytelling made for a unique show far from what any one musician could entertain.Opening the night of guitar-pull turns, Harris set herself apart from the group as the leader of the gathered talent with her fragile, emotive voice delivering a breath-taking rendition of Gillian Welch's "Orphan Girl." The rest of her selections would waiver between her decidedly country side in "Red Dirt Girl," which she admits she made up since her childhood wasn't damaging, and the more modern alt-country sound of "All I Left Behind." In "My Songbird," Harris' dynamic range was on full display and had the crowd entranced with mere whispers. No less graceful, Griffin roused up some rather uppity pop offerings, bordering some early Sheryl Crow playfulness in "Stay On the Ride," as well as following Harris' angelic folk cue in "Mary," with Harris and Colvin providing sweet, vocal accompaniment. But her most effortless offerings came in her powerful "Sweet Lorraine" and "Useless Desires," and a take on Billy Joe Shaver's "Live Forever." Less refined in the upper registers but the only one of the four to have a number one single ("Sonny Came Home" in 1997), Colvin's song writing talent shone in her standoffish "Get Out of This House," while her grittier voice proved powerful in Richard Thompson's "Keep Your Distance." And quietly fitting in amongst the girls' vocal prowess, Miller, who has toured with all three girls in the past as well as recording with them in various outfits, rather humbly stole the show in delivery with his electric guitar accompanying most of the girls' songs on acoustic guitar and his unassuming sense of humor raising smiles from the other musicians and the crowd. As a Nashville transplant, Miller's take on "What Made Milwaukee Famous" was more than a sensible song selection, and his own blues-driven "Shelter Me" got the crowd hootin' and hollerin'. Introducing his 1999 hit "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger?" from the album Cruel Moon as recently being selected as one of the top ten "you done me wrong" songs, and the Johnnie & Jack tune "Poison Love" as "Your Poison Love Has Stained the Lifeblood of My Heart and Soul, Dear," Miller's subtle humor was reflected by his subtle touches in voice and guitar that made for a spectacular showing with little fanfare. Though the group, with multiple Grammy Awards and other honors between them, displayed impressive singular talent, they were at their best in full collaboration. Harris' elegant "Green Pastures" would end the set with everyone singing in harmony, and an encore performance of Harris' field holler-inspired "Didn't Leave Nobody, But the Baby" rose to include the entire crowd in a well-deserved send-off. |
 Buddy Miller & Shawn Colvin |
 Patty Griffin & Emmylou Harris |
 Emmylou Harris |
 Buddy Miller |