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 James McMurtry |
 Bonnie Whitmore |
 James McMurtry |
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Review and photos by Mary Andrews James McMurtry is back on his "State of the Union" tour with Bonnie Whitmore as the opening act. McMurtry has ties in Tucson since he attended the University of Arizona and his father owned a rare bookshop in Tucson at one time. The show was in a small room in the Hotel Congress in Tucson that is a favorite venue for the gifted singer/songwriter and the room was packed with avid fans. McMurtry delivered more than two hours of his epic Americana musical stories.Singer/songwriter, Bonnie Whitmore, opened the show with an energetic country vibe. That is an oversimplification of her genre representation and her great talent. She hails from Austin, Texas where the competition to get noticed in the music business is fierce. She plays a sizzling guitar, sings like her house is on fire, and writes with the urgency and finesse of women like Lucinda Williams. She has a sense of humor too. Her music scans blues, country, and Americana genre. The crowd was obviously there for McMurtry and Whitmore managed to overcome that hurdle and get folks to listen. Whitmore introduced a little diddy she wrote. "I am not going to be gentle. Here's a song no one wanted to record, "F*@k with Sad Girls." It set the tone for the 'gutsy' songs she would play for her set. This was the first stop on this leg of McMurtry's tour. The set list consisted of songs that spanned McMurty's entire career. He played 18 songs from his albums Too Long in the Wasteland through Complicated Game. His guitar performance was spot on. He mentioned in a recent interview that he "stole guitar licks from anybody whose style he liked. " He admires Neil Young, Keith Richards, and Sonny Landreth. McMurtry was in a mood to rock and that was what happened with his guitar being front and center. Vocally, his performance was stellar. His guitar playing and vocals gave an emotional bite to his powerful lyrics and his melodies. Most of the attendees knew every word to the bulk of the songs and they were not shy about singing along. "Red Dress" and "What's the Matter Now?" were examples of that rock and roll fire. This was NOT a performance that was 'phoned in' like some of McMurtry's contemporaries. Fan favorite songs included "Copper Canteen" and "Choctaw Bingo" These are probably two of his most literary compositions that build characters and display middle American values. The newer song, "State of the Union," garnered the most audience reaction. Fans at times yelled out song requests. At one point in the show, McMurtry responded, "Some of you know what you want to hear. None of you know what you are gonna hear." The band consisted of drummer, Daren Hess, Bassist, "Cornbread," and guitarist, accordian player, Tim Holt. All members know McMurtry and his nuances well. This is very important when there is no set list. All were consummate musicians. The highlight of the show was during McMurtry's encore. He introduced the encore, "I know it's hard to stand up for two hours 'cause I just did it. I'm going to turn off this microphone and stand here. I've got significant hearing loss from years of playing live. I'm going to do a thing I don't usually do." He moved to the edge of the stage with his acoustic guitar and proceeded to sing a new song, "Till You Know." His voice was crystal clear and he was able to project it across the quiet room with a rich emotional depth. It was a 'good one' and it left the fans with a thirst for new music. McMurty has recently signed with New West Records out of Nashville. His most recent studio album was in 2015 and fans are anxiously anticipating the next chapter of McMurtry's songs. He revealed that he has laid down the basic tracks for a new album that hopefully will be released in the spring of 2020. That's about all McMurtry would say about that project now. |
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1. Tortous Bayou 2. Red Dress 3. What's the Matter Now? 4. Just Us Kids 5. How'm I Gonna Find You Now 6. Copper Canteen 7. You Got to Me 8. Ain't Got a Place 9. Choctaw Bingo 10. State of the Union |
11. Painting by Numbers 12. No More Buffalo 13. Childish Things 14. For All I Know 15. Restless 16. Levelland 17. Too Long in the Wasteland Encore: 18. Till You Know |
 Bonnie Whitmore |
 James McMurtry |
 James McMurtry |
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