Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Amos Lee & David Gray @ Edgefield July 14, 2015

I have been a fan of Amos Lee since first seeing him open for Bob Dylan in '05. In the intervening decade, I have seen all of his Portland Area shows, and even a few radio station sessions. I've watched him grow from a relaxed brand of soul-singer on his self-titled debut, to a rocker with a Springsteenian vibe, to most recently a slightly country-inflected troubadour on his two latest releases, "Mission Bell" and "Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song" He is a marvelous fit in any of those genres, each is so evenly matched that picking a favorite boils-down entirely to personal taste, and not his skill.

It was a particular pleasure to see him perform once again at Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn, a venue which can also claim credit for evolution. Edgefield once ranked among the worst places for patrons with disabilities, as shown in the review of my first experience:Praise Be to The Concert God: Dylan & Mellencamp @ The Edgefield. The wheelchair-seating has greatly improved since that time, and now Edgefield has risen to one of the most enjoyable venues in town. This is quite a feat for an outdoor setting.

Foe me, David Gray was a bonus. I enjoy his music very much, nut in a Greatest Hits sort-of-way. That is not to say that he didn't put on a fantastic show. He did. There are few things greater than seeing two consummate musicians in top-form, something made even better when it's experienced in a venue that has come so far with regard to accessibility. For that, Edgefield deserves all the praise in the world.

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