All Hail the Restorative Power of Rock and Roll

Kathleen Edwards
April 6, 2008
The Magic Bag, Ferndale, MI

I did not want to go to this show. I mean I wanted to go, I love Kathleen. Kathleen kicks ass. Kathleen is what Sheryl Crow is purported to be (ballsy rocker chick) but often isn't. But the timing felt wrong. Friday and Saturday had sucked and the Sunday workday was draining to say the least. The last thing I wanted to do after was to haul over the other side of town. But I had my ticket and I knew if I just got there it would totally be worth it.

It totally was.

Kathleen was in a merry mood, one might say ebullient, which, given the dark nature of many of her songs, gave the show a definate 'something you don't hear everyday' feel. Laughing through "In State" for example. Fortunately, things were calm and quiet for my favorite from the new record, "Alicia Ross". There was the requisite hockey reference-when she performed "I Get the Dough" she explained a video for it would be forthcoming featuring both Marty McSorley and the Great One himself and the typical Kathleen unedited comment-this time that John Mayer is a 'cocksucker' which I can't vouch personally for but am willing to believe. All in all a terrific rock show and just what I needed to get me right.