LUCINDA WILLIAMS

Free Fest by Musicians Corner + Lightning 100

Thursday August 30, 2024

@ Centennial in Nashville, TN

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

Nestled into their designated space at the front corner of Centennial Park, Musicians Corner has secured a reputation as the seasonal go-to with lineup combinations that pull together the hottest up-and-comers, hitmaking songwriters, and iconic artists.

Emmylou Harris, Chis Stapleton, Dr. Ralph Stanley, Vince Gill, Marcus King, The Secret Sisters, and countless others have called this free stage their one-day temporary home, etching their name into the lineage that’s lured music aficionados to Nashville’s vibrant west side for the past 15 years.

Legendary singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams etched her name onto that list this past Thursday, headlining the opening night of the 2024 fall season and the first of the inaugural Free Fest in partnership with Lightning 100.

Crafting her signature branded sound on the edges of rock essence and a melding of country folk attributes, Williams’ influential niche throughout her illustrious, multi-decade spanning career has earned consistent critical acclaim, Americana Honors, Grammy Awards, and commercial success with cornerstone songs “Can’t Let Go” and “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.”

However, straight down the middle of all those amazing accolades, she’s sustained her career by becoming widely regarded for her impressive songwriting prowess and her keen ability to bring emotional strands to stage through very strong performances that teeter her raw, eclectic voice against an expert balance of listening room hushes and rock-n-roll leaned honky-tonk nights.

Immediately sliding into the nostalgic dripped groove of “Let's Get the Band Back Together,” appropriately adorned in a Rolling Stones t-shirt, Williams journaled her autobiographical musical trail while tallying eruptive cheers at name checks of “The Boss” and Bob Dylan as toes across the entire crowd tapped along and several shoulders began to bounce in a rhythmic sway.

There were several turns throughout the 10-song set that saw Williams humbly honoring her musical peers, the rock legends who made their tremendous mark, whether it was when she lifted one up to the memory of Tom Petty with “Stolen Moments” or when she bent a heartland rock aura into classic rock ideas on songs such as “Out of Touch” and “Rock n Roll Heart.”

However, the natural center points arrived through her biggest hits.

Sitting in the pocket of their irresistible grooves, “Can’t Let Go” and “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” pulled in everyone hook, line, and sinker, igniting sing along moments of precise harmony between her and the exuberant crowd as cell phones littered the air to capture both very special moments.

Eliciting a deafening ovation at the very mention that it was the next song she’d be playing, “Fruits Of My Labor” anchored the direct middle of her set amid a showering of appreciation that echoed an audible swirl around a harmonica injected blues vibe that brought a smile to Williams’ face as she exclaimed, “I just love the feel of that one!”

With equal amounts of sass and middle finger edge, swaggering anthem “You Can’t Rule Me” unapologetically highlighted her outsider appeal while a cover of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” closed the night as the entire crowd rushed the front of the stage, fist pumping alongside an overjoyed Williams as they shouted back the lyrics in a chorus of angsty cohesiveness with chants of “LUCINDA LUCINDA” ringing out while the icon wiped tears of gratefulness from her eyes.

Not one for too much talking between songs, each unique 5-minute journey stood in the spotlight on its own two feet, loudly speaking for itself in what became a snapshot showcase of Lucinda’s dynamic catalog.

A fusion of her most current releases that mixed with her biggest hits and selected fan favorites effortlessly floated elements of blues, rock, and travel log country into her Americana branded feel in what was a powerful display of her abilities in grafting stylistic differences while maintaining the rawest edges of her signature sound.

“I don't know how we got so lucky to get her here for this,” said the astonished MC as he introduced Lucinda to the stage at the start of her set, but by the time the final note had landed, the tapestry of feeling lucky blended into blissfully blessed to have been part of such an incredible “Only In Nashville” moment.

FULL SET LIST
1) Let’s Get the Band Back Together
2) Can’t Let Go
3) Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
4) Stolen Moments
5) Fruits of My Labor
6) Out of Touch
7) Rock n Roll Heart
8) You Can’t Rule Me
9) Joy
10) Rockin’ in the Free World (Neil Young cover)