Photos and review by JULIE ANN SHAW
BOISE, Idaho – In the middle of downtown Boise, there is a seemingly boring alleyway across from the run of the mill parking garage. Venturing down this alley wouldn’t require an unusual amount of courage but your curiosity would be rewarded with The Knitting Factory which draws you in with their neon signs and the promise of amazing live music.
As I walked down the stairs to enter the venue, my senses were hit by two things. The first was the expected glowing screens of the ordering kiosks and backlit bottles at the bar. The second was the smell of spices from all the food being ordered and delivered from the Mexican restaurant next door. Cold drinks, hot Mexican food, and good music. Yes, there is such a thing as a perfect evening, and this night exceeded all expectations.
The opening country music act was the Texas native whose soulful voice could stop you in your tracks, Angel White. Even though his set was short, it was profound. Opening with “Rattlesnake Milk” and then telling the lovely story about how the next song “Red Blanket” was about the red blanket that his grandmother made for him, a moving tribute to a woman who clearly meant the world to him. Each of his songs, “2733,” “Buffalo,” “.38 Special,” and “Long Way Up” had a deeply personal meaning that he eloquently narrated through his harmonica, guitar, and voice.
The main attraction of the night, the reason we all gathered in this storied hall was the one and only indie pop blues sensation, ZZ Ward. She opened her set with her uniquely beautiful interpretation of Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s “My Baby Left Me,” which has been covered by many famous names such as Elvis, and followed with an equally beautiful cover of Elmore James’ “Dust My Broom.” The first original that she played this night was the song that randomly came up on my Pandora playlist years ago that got me hooked on Ward, from her 2017 album “The Storm,” “Let It Burn.”
She continued her set with “Cinnamon Stix,” “I Have No One,” and “Mother” from her latest album, “Mother,” “Connonball,” “Be Her,” “Bag Of Bones,” “Charlie Ain’t Home,” a cover of Son House’s “Grinning In Your Face,” “Sinner’s Prayer,” “Lil’ Darlin,” “Sex And Stardust,” “Ride,” “Put The Gun Down,” and a cover of The Jesters’ “Cadillac Man.”
There are no words that can ever come close to describing the sound of Ward’s voice. It is unique and calming in ways that are so rare. So, when she played her three encores, “Naked In The Jungle,” “Criminal,” and “Move Like U Stole It,” despite having just witnessed an incredible show, the loss of that calm was truly felt by everyone.
Listen to ‘Mother’ here:
