Solo, but Far from Alone: Terri Clark in Concert

Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, Ga. is, first and foremost, a listening room. It’s one of the premier rooms in the country for live music, but anyone thinking of starting up a conversation above a whisper will quickly get shushed by one or more attendees. And may God have mercy on your soul if your cell phone goes off in the middle of a song.
For one night, though, this quiet room turned into a loud and raucous country bar as Terri Clark came to town on her solo tour and filled the place with screaming, whistling fans ready for a sing-along. She noted that she’s usually played with her full band in larger venues and fairgrounds, but she’s an old hand at smaller rooms as well, having paid her dues at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge in Nashville before her big break.

Clark played two sets, both filled to capacity, with some of the most loyal fan club members plunking down cash for both shows. She didn’t scrimp on the sets, either, playing over her allotted 90 minutes each time. Most of the big hits were all present, with “Girls Lie Too,” “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me” and “Better Things To Do” all generating a warm response from the crowd, who were encouraged to sing along.

The point of the tour, though, was to promote her new independent release, The Long Way Home. In between songs, Clark talked with surprising candor about her career as a platinum-selling country star and what let her to part with her record label in favor of an independent release. (read about it in The 9513’s interview with Terri Clark). She explained the origins of several of the songs before playing them, including “What Happens In Vegas” (a true story), “If You Want Fire” and “A Million Ways To Run” (the current single that’s up to #17 on the Canadian charts).

Being up on stage without the benefits of a backing band or any way to cover weak vocals is a tough trick to pull off for many singers, but Clark proved she was up to the task–in more ways than one. She accompanied herself on a variety of guitars and some programmed percussion tracks, and while she may not be as flashy as some of country’s well-regarded guitarists, she can hold her own with anyone. While she told the audience that if they sang more, she could sing less and conserve her voice, her vocals were strong and true right to the end of the encore of the second set.

Clark has said in interviews that she hopes her next record is even more stripped-down than her current one. Based on this performance, the less-is-more approach definitely works for her.