We hadn't seen Kate Campbell for a long time and were determined to see her the next time we had a chance ... luckily she was on for the next WUMB Member Concert and we went out to UMassBoston to see her on Thursday, April 19th (the anniversary of the American Revolution, in case anyone needs reminding).
We'd been asked to come to the artist's reception first and after picking up Sarah at work and driving down to Columbia Point where we watched the planes coming in and the tide going out and had a sandwich or two we headed into Wheatley Hall. Kate actually came up to us to thank us for coming; she is such a lovely, outgoing person! She's just released a collection of songs featuring her wrestling with the grand piano (very successfully to my ear) and dubbed it 1000 Pound Machine. When we got done with noshing and were let into the hall, there it was: a hunkering Steinway that could have used a bit of paint dominating the stage.
Kate made it talk, playing many songs from the new album and then picking up the guitar and finishing with a couple of her old songs: See Rock City and Visions of Plenty. The air circulation system in Wheatley Hall was laboring all through the concert and I wish it had been turned off, it did its best to spoil the intimacy a Kate Campbell concert assumes. Also, I wish they hadn't tried to amplify her, which they did very poorly. The PA speakers were a glaring weak spot.
Oh well, we had a great time and loved hearing Kate's stories about where the songs came from and what kind of vibe she and her collaborators have managed to develop in the studio at this point in her [suddenly!] mature career.
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