Steve Earle and the Dukes (and the Duchesses) shined during a generous 2 and a half hour, 2-set evening at the Music Hall of Williamsburg this past Wednesday, September 14th which was also simulcast on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country. The eclectic set borrowed heavily from his latest album, I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive, which is also the title of Earle’s debut novel featuring a morphine addict and the ghost of Hank Williams.
The talented Dukes (guitarist Chris Masterson, bassist Kelley Looney, a longtime Earle collaborator, and drummer Will Rigby) and Duchesses (Allison Moorer & Eleanor Whitmore) ran the gamut between lilting mellow country, bluegrass interludes, and straight up rock. A handful of fans who had seen him play solo in recent years mentioned the tunes were enhanced by the solid rhythm section, slide guitar, and the occasional mandolin, harmonica, or Whitmore’s fiddle. Moorer shared the mike with her husband on one occasion and sang one by herself as well. The Duchesses also lifted City Of Immigrants to a place neighboring the spiritual with their backing vocals. In his introduction, Earle emphasized that we are all immigrants and called out those who would scapegoat them.
Other highlights for the night included Guitar Town, a satisfying and unexpected opening of the second set: 1988’s hit Copperhead Road, mid-tempo rocker Taneytown from 1997’s strong El Corazon, and the slow-burn guitar and harmonica jam Meet Me in the Alleyway.
Molly-O was prefaced with high praise of friend and singer/songwriter Joe Henry and gave off a 19th century sea chantey kind of vibe.
At another point, in perhaps his most thought-provoking comment of the evening, Earle suggested that strong labor unions are fundamental to democracy – one that we are sorely lacking in the states these days.
– EH w/ my pal Ken Foster
