Show Review

Jay Farrar is on a roll. He just announced last month that he would be reforming his popular band Son Volt, with a fresh set of faces. His last album, Stone, Steel &Bright Lights, a live endeavor, featured him rocking out with Canyon, showing off some fiery guitar work that had been silent for a while. On the disc, he conquered the likes of Pink Floyd’s “Lucifer Sam” and Neil Young’s “Like a Hurricane” with a passion rarely heard on his other solo albums, Sebastopol and Terroir Blues. It’s not that those albums didn’t have their moments, but Stone, Steel &Bright Lights proved that his solo work was made for the live setting.

Mississippi Nights in St. Louis is sort of hallowed ground for fans of alternative country music. Its walls are covered with framed posters of Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, and The Jayhawks, to name a few. It is the last place where Farrar and Jeff Tweedy ever shared a stage; Uncle Tupelo played its last show there in 1994, marking the end of a legendary run by a few boys from nearby Belleville, Illinois. And on this night it would also mark the last time—at least for a while—that Farrar would play a full hometown show with his touring partner for the last three years, Mark Spencer (Farrar is also expected to perform both solo and with Son Volt at the Mound City Music Festival at Mississippi Nights on December 11).

Let’s just say he and Spencer made the best of their last moments together before a St. Louis crowd.

Calmly walking on stage after a solid set by opener Anders Parker, Farrar delivered from the get-go with a solo acoustic performance of “Greenwich Time.” Spencer quickly sat by his side as they made their run through tunes mostly from Sebastopol and Terroir Blues. The one standout that wasn’t from either of those albums was a new song, possibly titled “Bandages,” containing the lyrics “the words of Woody Guthrie are ringing in my head.” Whether or not this will be one of the new Son Volt tunes, I hope that it gets recorded in some fashion as it was classic Farrar.

Also sounding just as poignant was “Doesn’t Have To Be This Way,” one of the new numbers off of Stone, Steel &Bright Lights. Its gentle performance allowed the lyrics to ring loud and clear—and I don’t think Farrar is too happy with the results from the recent Presidential election. Never one to show too much emotion onstage, Farrar seemed lost in the song while Spencer created a beautiful sonic landscape for him to fall into.

Maybe what’s the most impressive about a Farrar/Spencer show is their ability to create such a booming sound as a duo. If you stood at the back of the room with your eyes closed, not knowing who was performing, chances are that you wouldn’t be able to guess that only two guitars were being used. The artistry that Farrar and Spencer are able to pull off is really sometimes magical. It’s important that when Farrar’s career as a musician is over that one is able to point to these shows as a high point, for the simple reason that what they did was unique. I realize that some may feel Farrar can come across as boring or too businesslike, but his shows with Spencer almost always contain moments that you can’t quite categorize. And for some reason, I think that’s what he’s trying to pull off.

Near the end of the set, Farrar reached back into his song book for solo acoustic versions of Son Volt’s “Tear Stained Eye” and Uncle Tupelo’s “Still Be Around.” While a single spotlight focused on him and his guitar, you got the feeling that these songs still hold very special places in the audience member’s hearts. And in this world where Hardee’s thickburgers are sold with sex, Jay Farrar has remained true. Something tells me that he’ll find it even better at the end of the line.

Setlist