Concerts: Dar Williams (plus) in Hollandsche Rading

Artist: Dar Williams

Date: January 17th, 2006

Opening Act: Caroline Herring, Lynn Miles, Alana Levandoski

Venue: Paradiso

City: Hollandsche Rading, The Netherlands (Amsterdam

Review by Massive

On January 17th, I travelled to Amsterdam to see Dar Williams and three guests, including Lynn Miles. Here is my review:

I saw the lovely Dar Williams in concert in Amsterdam. She was not alone, though. There were three other wonderful women with her: One whose name I cannot remember, but she was Canadian. And then Lynn Myles and Caroline Herring. The unknown girl was the first to perform. She did a nice setlist, even though it was a little bland at times. Still very nice.

Then the amazing Lynn Myles, who said she loved being back in Holland. She played a great setlist, and I love it when she stomps her feet. Her songs were very catchy. But what was the cutest, and also the funniest of the whole evening was the fact that all four women had some very funny and cute anecdotes throughout the evening. Lynn introduced a song as saying “This is the anthem when you’re an adult and you have a nervous breakdown and you move back in with your parents. Oh, no, don’t laugh. It’s not too late. It could happen to you!”.

After that, Caroline Herring did her set. Her songs were a little more introvert, but I loved her Mississippi accent. She did a duet with Lynn Myles, but I am unfamiliar with most of these women’s work so I couldn’t tell which one it was.

After each of them played for a good half hour, it was time for Dar to come on. She opened with Beautiful Enemy, followed by So Close To My Heart. By this time, she started having trouble with her guitar. She finally figured it out. After that, the cutest anecdote followed. I can’t quote it word for word, and it isn’t nearly as funny as when Dar tells it but bear with me. She started by saying that when she started covering the Fred Eaglesmith song “Wilder Than Her”, it became a lesbian theme song. Many people thought she was a lesbian back then, and she always said that she was married to the woman who sang in the original with Fred Eaglesmith. And who is that woman who sings in the original with Fred Eaglesmith? Lynn Myles! So she said she might now have a problem with her husband and son, but that she would like to invite her long lost lesbian lover on stage. Lynn Myles came on stage, kissed and said “Well, lets not kiss like Madonna and Britney here.’

They then started the wonderful song Wilder Than Her. It was a really unique experience to see both the ‘original’ singer and Dar singing it. At one point, Dar stopped singing to retune her guitar real quick. Lynn looked at her and Dar said “Oh, yeah, just keep on singing. I think you know this song”. Ahaha, that choked me up with laughter”.

After that, she kept having more and more troubles with her guitar. And as she kept retuning, she kept telling stories about how she got the guitar, and how God had shown her the apocalypse by breaking her old guitar. After a while, she gave up and asked the audience if anyone had a guitar with them. A couple of minutes later, Caroline Herring came running on the stage and gave her her guitar which was a lot bigger than Dars guitar. She looked very tiny when she wore it, but at least it worked. She continued for a very nice and wonderful concert with songs like Empire, Echoes, February, Mercy Of The Fallen, The Babysitter’s Here and When I Was A Boy. It lasted a good 50 minutes.

All in all, considering I only spent 10 bucks on a ticket, I say that 2.50 an artist was a very good deal. It was a great show, and I hope she makes good on her promise to now return every year.
Editors Note: a little detective work shows that Alana Levandoski is the other woman who played with these ladies that evening.-AAL

[Dar Williams Official Site]

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