I've been a fan of Michelle Branch's music since her debut in 2001, but had not been able to see her live before. So I was excited when she was finally going back on tour in support of her new record. Unfortunately, her band's performance at St. Louis' Delmar Hall was frustratingly poor. They did not seem well rehearsed, and the various styles of the musicians didn't mesh together well. In particular, Patrick Carney (The Black Keys) on drums felt very out of place, and seemed to have no rapport with the bass player. Tempos would falter and change mid verse, and Carney blatantly played the wrong rhythms at the beginning of several songs. One song had to be restarted after Branch realized she had forgotten to capo her guitar and was playing in the wrong key. One song had to be ended TWICE because they'd stopped in the wrong place and Branch had to restart and finish again. Altogether, it felt like a band that had done very little rehearsal.
The bright spots were: 1) a Nashville style one-mic, guitar, and mandolin with 3-part harmony performance from the 3 women in the band - easily the best part of the show; and 2) the new songs (which Carney produced for the record) which were competently performed. It's worth noting, though, that the album's yeah-yeah-yeahs style electro pop is absent live, for a more Americana roots rock sound (largely due, I think, to the styles of the guitarist and keyboardist).
But when they played any of her older hits, EVERY SINGLE ONE was delivered down tempo or heavily modified from the original, and plagued by the previously mentioned tempo errors. I understand being tired of old songs and wanting to make them fresh, but those new versions need to at least be good, and these weren't. They almost pulled off a fully reworked version of her Santana hit "Game of Love", with a slow groove lounge vibe. But Branch wasn't able to deliver a sultry lower tone to fit the performance, so it was merely okay.
Almost every song was followed by a long, awkward silence while the band switched guitars and tuned. Branch at one point acknowledged that she wasn't good at multi-tasking, and that she should learn some jokes to tell between songs. She did have a couple of humorous anecdotes, but most had the feel of someone who hasn't been on stage much for a long time. She thanked the crowd for being "so polite" during one long, quiet interlude.
We left before the final songs, mostly because I was afraid they'd butcher my favorite song from Branch (Goodbye to You). But also because, as someone who has been a performing musician and knows how it feels to have a show go very wrong, I found the whole thing kind of embarrassing. It was the kind of set I'd expect from a fairly young local band - not a national touring act. I'm hoping they improve as the tour goes on.
It's worth noting that the opening band, Haerts, didn't provide any energy as a lead in. Another band that I enjoyed on record and was excited to see, Haerts puts all their emphasis on the beautiful voice of their frontwoman. The backing band provide droning atmospheric soundscapes that rarely escalate or go anywhere. They also didn't have a drummer, relying instead on a few programmed drumbeats that felt repetitive and redundant. Their song "Wings", which was a staple on my personal playlists the year it debuted, lost all of the urgency of the recorded version. I was really looking forward to that one, and it fell so flat. The band, as people, seemed kind and sweet, but were also highly awkward on stage. I got the impression that their career might be defined by that live performance awkwardness.
All-in-all, it was an unsatisfactory experience that I give a 2-star "Fair" rating to, because I would have expected better from local amateur acts, let alone a national tour my wife and I spent over 70 bucks on (with fees) to see.
I will say, though, that the Delmar Lounge is great. Awesome sound, comfortable setting, very clean. A great venue for a 25-45 aged audience show.
