Mary Chapin Carpenter at Birmingham Town Hall
To many of her devoted fans it is a miracle that singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter is back on the road after a serious illness three years ago put her career on hold.
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Birmingham Town Hall
Concert review By Ian Harvey
To many devoted fans it is a miracle that singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter is back on the road after a serious illness three years ago put her career on hold.
At Birmingham Town Hall to promote her latest album The Age Of Miracles, Carpenter showed last night that she has lost none of the eloquence and sheer heart that make her such a vital and compassionate voice in the world of acoustic-led American music.
Carpenter's music ranges from thoughtful or wistful, as in the opener We Travelled So Far, to the often funny and lively as in Shut Up And Kiss Me and I Feel Lucky.
The songs were punctuated by a relaxed Carpenter telling stories of her life following her recovery from a pulmonary embolism and taking a very British (and unpublishable) dig at US politician Sarah Palin.
The emotional heart of the concert was the gorgeous, stately Mrs Hemingway, while it was left to He Thinks He'll Keep Her and Right Now to get folks up and dancing.
In a show of generosity Carpenter was joined by support act Tift Merritt to end the show with one of the younger singer's songs, the gentle Another Country.
"It's wonderful to be playing music again," said Carpenter, "We won't stay away so long next time."
Music photography by Ian Harvey / RocktasticPix
