XMASIME MUSIC REVIEW THAT INCLUDES THE PHRASE "ALMOST GRUESOME"

 By MARLEY:

I just saw Jay Farrar (whose sideman - Mark Spencer - is unreal as he roams from guitar, steel pedal, and organ, while singing backing vocals; decent show, but Farrar needs a full band; 90% of the songs are in D, the song structure is numbingly similar, and his vocal range makes Jeff Tweedy sound like Pavarotti).

But enough of that.

Opening for Farrar was an attractive woman married to Steve Earle, Allison Moorer.  She too had a fine sidewoman (mandolin, fiddle and backing vocals) and Moorer has a nice set of pipes.  Earle even came out and they sang one song, the death penalty was not raised (Moorer did get misty over the oil spill).

Moore sang about 10 songs, 9 of which she wrote, as well as a Patti Smith song.  And the songs save for the Patti Smith song ("Dancing Barefoot") sucked.  Obvious, corny, and totally unconvincing.

Looking at the balding, fat, almost gruesome Earle and the gorgeous Moorer, I got a sense of their home life, with Moorer strumming a new tune in the other room and Earle angling for sex as he observes, "That's real good, honey.  I 'like' how you rhymed 'frown' with 'clown."