LUCINDA WILLIAMS GRACES US WITH STORIES AND SONG AT INDIGO AT THE O2

Following a good opening set by California Americana rock outfit, LA Edwards, and 20 minutes past her settime, Lucinda Williams was escorted on to the stage on Friday night. She is still recovering from a stroke she had in 2020, and is not yet able to make the walk on her own. At 71 years old, that’s a serious concern, but what’s important is that she’s still on stage – and her show is better than before. Much like her comeback shows early last year, Lucinda’s not playing guitar, but this time her voice is strong and clear and her storytelling skills have been honed, and these shows have evolved past the ‘comeback’ and into a full blown renaissance. Latter day Lucinda highlights like Dust and The Ghosts Of Highway 20 filled the room with Lucinda’s trademark bittersweet blues, while classics such as Joy and Car Wheels On A Gravel Road brought the barn-burning Americana she built her name on.

Coming off her memoir, Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You, and her latest record, Stories From A Rock And Roll Heart, Lucinda’s show was appropriately filled with stories. Lucinda has always been a storyteller, but on this tour the stories are a little more rehearsed and hit a little harder than previously. This is not one of those half-talking gigs, though – the music was clearly of the utmost importance. Lucinda’s band, Buick 6, still took the time to jam and groove, while Lucinda held on to her mic stand. Buick 6 is an excellent band in its own right, having released two “solo” records without Lucinda on vocals and occasionally touring without her as well. Buick 6 is made up of Butch Norton on drums, Doug Pettibone (subbing in for Stuart Mathis) on guitar, and David Sutton on bass, and they are joined on this tour by Mark Ford, formerly of The Black Crowes, replacing Lucinda on guitar. His addition is very welcome, as Doug and Mark play off each other beautifully, in a way that Lucinda simply can’t as lead singer and frontwoman. Lucinda is a wonderful guitar-based songwriter, but her on-stage guitar playing was utilitarian, and never a highlight of her live show.

It helps that the sound inside Indigo at the O2 was absolutely superb. Every instrument rang out clearly, mixed beautifully with enough space to highlight the dynamics of the four piece band. David’s bass was round and full, Butch’s drums drove through the band without overpowering, and the twin electric guitars were each clear and distinct, even when playing the same parts. Hearing these instruments play off each other so clearly, after years of muddy mixes and boomy venues, was transcendental.

At the centre of it all, of course, is Lucinda. In between verses and during solos, she would turn around and watch her band play, enjoying the music like she was in the audience herself. In a way, it allowed us to see Lucinda the musician even more clearly than ever before. Rather than neuter her band and over-emphasize her storytelling, she gave them the space they needed to excel beyond ever before. All bandleaders everywhere should take note.

Lucinda blew past curfew, forgoing an encore break and playing two of her planned six (!) encore songs immediately following Honey Bee, which is her main set closer. All in all, Lucinda and Buick 6 were on stage for two full hours. When the house lights came on and the audience gave them their standing ovation, this wasn’t a “we’re so proud of you” ovation of care and love, like last year. This was “you just blew us away,” in awe and gratitude.