Concert review of the week.

Pierce Pettis with Chris Lucas (January 21st, 2005), B

Always a good sign, of course, when Mr. Pettis starts of his first of two sets with "This is a song by Mark Heard," and goes, sans break, from "Another Day in Limbo" to "Satelite Sky" (although, yes, Ed is still right that there's never been a great version of this great song). Concert went slightly downhill from there, partially because Pettis is no Mark Heard, partially because there was nothing off of his best album (of the four I've heard), Chase the Buffalo, and partially because his overagressive guitar playing style -- "power strumming" is the phrase that comes to mind -- doesn't really mesh with the Harry Chapin-esque storytelling in his latter albums (as evidenced by the songs in the concert, at least; I haven't heard his last two). Also, some subjects do not need songs written about them, thank you kindly. The concert was still enjoyable, since Pierce is an obviously accomplished songwriter, but I was slightly disappointed. Local opening act Chris Lucas is obviously a far-superior acoustic guitarist to Pettis -- a poor man's Phil Keaggy, nearly -- but while his songs were well-done musically (and with plenty of maj7s, min7s and 9s), lyrically they were eh to ugh. (e.g.: In his final song of the concert, which was admittedly musically intriguing, he used about nine different rhymes for "float" -- which was making me surprisingly tense.)