LIVE: Heather Maloney @ Jammin' Java - 9/12/13
One of many differences between Heather Maloney and you or I is that we would not be in nearly as good a mood as she was after driving 10 hours to Thursday night’s show at Jammin’ Java. (That’s literally driving, not having one of her two band mates driving her; she was behind the wheel for the duration. And remember, there was a big ole storm that night.) To say that the weather and the drive didn’t affect her show is an understatement; Maloney offered a wonderful performance of music and storytelling ranging from quiet, soft folk ballads to jumpy pop songs, from southern blues rock to a Leonard Cohen cover that easily gave the original a run for its money.
She kicked off the night with “Nightstand Drawer” from her second album, Time and Pocket Change. The song – one of many that features Maloney playing a four-string tenor guitar – was a great intro, and the repeated chorus of “hey baby, you can talk to me tonight” was heeded by the crowd, which happily exchanged dialogue with Maloney throughout the show. Storytelling is rapidly becoming as much of a Maloney staple as her music; she led into a speedy cover of the Beatles’ “Her Majesty” by talking about how she would jump on her bed as a child while listening to a record of the song. (She added a fantastic cover of Cohen’s “Bird on a Wire” later in the night.) “Angelfish,” a new song, was preceded by a great story about a visit to Mark Twain’s house.
Most of the setlist was culled from Maloney’s self-titled third album, and each song was tweaked in such a way as to make them even better. “Flutter” was given a melodic a capella intro, and “Great Imposter” and “Turn Yourself Around” were each kicked up a notch. Regarding the introspective “Turn Yourself Around,” Maloney noted, “I write songs like this because therapy is very expensive.” The song started quietly but built steadily into a solid blues jam by its completion. That could be said of the entire performance – it began quietly but finished on a raucous note with the crowd stomping a “We Will Rock You” intro to “No Shortcuts,” a Lucinda Williams-tinged swamp rocker.
The highlight, however, may have been the stellar song “Dirt and Stardust,” which Maloney confessed is her favorite on the new record. With good reason – it is, quite simply, a masterpiece of a song, telling the story of a “rambling woman” who refuses to be pinned down. While not explicitly autobiographical, it’s hard not to see it being at least self-referential as Maloney continues her life on the road. If her shows are all this good, let’s hope she keeps it up.
Dean Fields opened the show with a solo acoustic set, highlights of which included a soft version of his tune “Half Hearted Apology,” a song that he noted “Pandora seems to love.” Fields’ self-deprecating demeanor, great music, and young Matthew McConaughey looks make him a crowd favorite, and he didn’t disappoint. Baltimore’s Naked Blue was up next, and the duo (husband and wife team of Jenn and Scott Smith) provided wonderful harmonies wrapped in lovely pop tunes reminiscent of The Weepies.