Indianapolis, IN. – Grammy Winner and honoree Lucinda Williams is currently out on her DON’T TELL ANYBODY THE SECRETS tour & they came through Indianapolis on June 15th to the Vogue Theatre.
It’s taken me a week to process this performance. I’m a big fan of Lucinda’s! It all started when a friend of mine gave me a copy of 1998’s Car Wheels on a Gravel Road and turned me onto one of the greatest female singer-songwriters (in my opinion) of my generation (and I’m not alone in that thinking). Car Wheels on a Gravel Road won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1999 and earned Williams an additional nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal for the single “Can’t Let Go” off the same album. If you’re not familiar, the album includes guest appearances by two other heavy-hitters in the country/folk genre, Steve Earle and Emmy Lou Harris and is Williams fifth studio album. I mention all of this because, even though her work is critically praised in the industry, she has had little public or radio attention until Car Wheels hit. I highly recommend giving it a listen, then taking a deeper dive into her catalogue. There are a lot (and I mean a lot) of gems to discover throughout her albums!
On November 17, 2020, Lucinda had a debilitating stroke in her home in Nashville, TN. and doctors soon found a blood clot on the right side of her brain which affected the left side of her body. Through strength and perseverance, Lucinda was out of the hospital five (short) weeks later and back on tour the summer of 2021 with some noticeable changes. She could no longer play her beloved guitar and struggled to walk; often having to use a cane or have someone assist her. She has talked in depth about having to re-learn her song-writing process since she can no longer play guitar…but her voice is stronger than ever!
“My process has always been to come up with some lyrics, then get the guitar and come up with a melody and some kind of structure,” Williams relates. “Once I get that, then I’d go back and edit the lyrics and add more. Pretty much like when you write and revise a story, except the guitar is added to it. It was very rare that I’d ever write all the lyrics completely without the guitar.”
~ Lucinda Williams
In 2023, Lucinda released her 16th studio album, Stories From a Rock N Roll Heart and includes back up vocals from Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa, and Margo Price along with a slew of talented musicians including Heartbreaker’s drummer Steve Ferrone, lead guitarist for the Wallflowers Stuart Mathis, and Double Trouble’s Reese Wynans on keyboard and organ just to name a few. So many performers have a love for Lucinda and wanted to be a part of her comeback. Which brings us to Saturday night…
All Photos by ©Pix Meyers
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Joined on stage by the BUICK 6 (her longtime band named after Bob Dylan’s tune “From A Buick 6“) featuring David Sutton (bass), Mark Ford (guitar), and Doug Pettibone (electric/steel guitar). Noticeably missing was drummer Jonathan “Butch” Norton and (unfortunately) I missed the name of the drummer sitting in (if you know, please reach out). Lucinda and the band gave a stellar two-hour set with Lucinda giving us back stories to some of the tunes, including a loving tribute to her good friend Tom Petty who she wrote the song “Stolen Moments” for and about. I was super happy with the set they played as Williams hit all the songs I was hoping for with a couple surprises put in. She sang her ass off and sounded better than ever!
Setlist: Indianapolis
- Let’s Get the Band Back Together
- Can’t Let Go (Randy weeks cover)
- Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
- Stolen Moments
- West Memphis
- People Talkin’
- Jukebox
- Drunken Angel
- Lake Charles
- Where the Song Will Find Me
- Are You Down
- Out of Touch
- Essence
- Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings
- Righteously
- Joy
Encore:
- Rock n Roll Heart
- Rockin’ in the Free World (Neil Young cover)
Lucinda Williams and Buick 6 will be out touring through September 14th according to her website. I would definitely add this to shows to see this year if you’re able. Check local listing or Lucinda’s website for a show near you. Also, it’s worth mentioning, Lucinda has her first published book titled “Don’t Tell Anybody The Secrets I Told You: A Memoir“. Pick it up at your favorite book store to get an intimate peak into the life and times of one of our greatest female singer-songwriters Lucinda Williams.
show date: 06/15/2024
