Review: It takes a while, but Lucinda Williams drives Deer Valley ...

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Williams' 95-minute concert at Deer Valley Resort had a slow startwith a sluggish crowd. But similar to what happened 11 days earlierat the same venue with pop singer Feist, as soon as the sun wentdown and the moon came up, hundreds of fans danced up to the stageas Williams played 10 high-tempo songs to end her set.
A feisty Williams, clad in an AC/DC shirt -- more on that later --and jeans, talked throughout the night about how beautiful theamphitheater was. And near the end of the show, as adoring fansswayed near her, the singer proclaimed the crowd the best of hertour.
When Williams took the stage at 8:15 p.m., she and her four-piecebacking band played some of her slower songs, such as "2 Kool 2 B4-gotten" from her critically acclaimed breakthrough album, "CarWheels on a Gravel Road." Her backing band Buick 6, who also servedas the opening act, looked like newscasters, dressed in neatclothes and closely-shorn hair. While the rhythm section was crispand tight, the two guitarists shadowing Williams played tentativelynear the beginning of the show, as if they were reigning themselvesin. (Just as troubling was the sight of Williams conspicuouslysinging lyrics off a waist-high music stand perched in front ofher.)
But near the half-point of the show, right after Williams playedthe two best songs from her 2001 album "Essence," including thetitle song and "Out of Touch," she grabbed a guitar herself andtore into a string of danceable, crowd-pleasers. That run of songsincluded "Joy" and "Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken GuitarStrings."
Williams, with her ragged but evocative voice, showed off giftedsongwriting skills as well as her musicianship and charismaticstage presence throughout the night, choosing songs that showcasedher gift for details in songs often about lost loves litteredaround the deep South. Her recordings since "Car Wheels" have beenuneven, but she offered the crowd her best songs from later albums,such as "Fruits of My Labor" and "Righteously."
The highlights of her show came during her four-sing encore, whenshe sang two covers: Fats Domino's "I Lived My Life" and,surprisingly -- until you remembered the logo on her t-shirt --AC/DC's "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)."
The opening band, Buick 6, played a well-received set of manycovers, including an instrumental jam of Led Zeppelin's "Black" anda take on Neil Young's Cinnamon Girl."
DAVID BURGER can be reached at dburger@sltrib.com or 801-257-8620.Send comments about this story to livingeditor@sltrib.com
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