On a chilly night in March, I ventured out to what I thought was the “Rose Garden Coffeehouse” in Mansfield, MA. Little did I know that the term “coffeehouse” had been reappropriated. After a lovely sushi dinner out in the burbs, my wife and I got to the show only to find out that the congregational church was packed to the brim. We snagged two of the last seats in the last row. Not exactly the intimacy that a “coffeehouse” would suggest. The cavernous room was not exactly made to host this kind of gathering. In fact both opener Mark Erelli and Lori made jokes about the religious atmosphere.
Mark Erelli came out first and started with a few of his live staples “Columbus Ohio” and “Everything in Ruin” both from his newest solo album. From there, the tunes veered into his considerable back catalog. I must say that I missed the intimacy of previous shows with Mark where I didn’t feel so far away from the performer.
Lori then came out with Mark at her side. The two have clearly been performing together for a long time because they seemed to know each others moves on stage quite well. Mark in fact producted Lori’s forthcoming record.
This is the first time that I’ve seen Lori McKenna. She somehow has managed to put together a successful songwriting career alongside a stay-at-home mom vocation. She has a very unassuming personality on stage. Most of her stories seem to revolve around what she called “chasing song around all day.” They are quite different in subject than most of the twangville topics of drinking, women, and the road. That said, her songs still mix in loss as well.
Her most striking tune was “Lorraine” about her late mother. She also explained that her full name is Lorraine as her full name as well. “The kitchen smells like orange peels / Her stomach turns like a spinning wheel / Put the baby down in her little seat / You should rest now mama you should eat.” While the images are striking and descriptive, the setting is familiar. It’s home, talking about what its like to be a mother.
Lori’s other songs seemed to center around being a husband, lover and mother. Its almost like she’s the Emily Dickinson of singer/songwriters. She’s got a home life that is so central to her life, that she has made those tunes so meaningful. For my money, I’d love to see some more variety in her subject matter. Maybe I need to dig deeper into her catalog.
About the author: Jeff is a teacher in the Boston area. When not buried correcting papers, Jeff can be found plucking various stringed instruments and listening to all types of americana music.