In what was arguably the most anticipated date of the second year of the Get In The House concert season, Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer did not disappoint the near-capacity house on Wednesday October 17th. The first portent of what turned out to be a very satisfying concert experience was the show commencing at just past the scheduled start time (a rarity in this house concertgoer's experience).
As the musicians' instruments just barely reached room temperature, the set was kicked off with a spirited "The River Where She Sleeps," from Carter's first release ("with Tracy Grammer" - not quite equal billing at this juncture), "When I Go" (October 1999). Nineteen songs and two and a half hours later, the audience appeared to be ready to hear as much as the artists cared to play. But it was a school night after all, and saner heads prevailed.
Bucking what might appear to be a more savvy marketing approach, the duo performed nine tracks from their sophomore release, "The Tanglewood Tree," (March 2000) and only five tracks from the recently- released "Drum Hat Buddha" (June 2001). Perhaps this was due to the magnanimousness of the singers, as they opened the floor to song requests from an all-too-willing-to-oblige audience. No request went unmet, and two additional songs, not on any disc [yet], were also performed, to the delight of the crowd.
Apart from the masterful musicianship (Tracy on rhythm guitar and fiddle; Dave on lead guitar and banjo - the latter used sparingly), incredibly perfect harmonies and the counterpoint-driven vocal lines, Dave Carter's storytelling skills are not to be overlooked. As is often the case with the folk, roots-based, singer-songwriter genre, the lyrics were drawn from non-fictional contexts, for the most part. This probably enhances the overall experience of hearing/seeing Grammer and Carter perform; and to have this opportunity within an intimate house concert setting - it's hard to imagine a more perfect way to spend a night listening to live music. Good news, bad news scenario: Dave and Tracy will not be performing in house concert settings much longer (bad news); we were the beneficiaries of the third-to-last house concert they are likely to perform.
The musicians remarked with mixed sadness how the various forces of the music business have pretty much relegated their house concert performances to the past. Tracy was deliberate about how the house concert venues allow them to often play their instruments in their native state, which allows them to actually hear themselves sing and play without any distortion of amplification and the like. Again, we were the lucky recipients of a totally acoustic experience. This reviewer will look forward to their next appearance in town, though it's bound to fall far short of the overall success of their Get In The House gig.
--Bill Karnoscak, October 2001