Indigo Girls @ Verizon Theater (HOUSTON)
(featuring Julie Wolf)
w/ Terri Hendrix & Lloyd Maines
While I consider myself a major Indigo fan, my concert attendance record puts me in the neophyte category. There are some fans (who I know personally) who have been to more than 20 Indigo Girls concerts. My lifetime total is only 6, so that makes me a Little Dawg. I need to get back up on the porch. I’m sure that there are rabid IG fans out there who can boast attendances in the 100’s. I bow to these hard-core fans. These are the people who have carried this band through the past 20 years.
The Verizon concert featured Terri Hendrix as the opening act. I must confess that I am a die-hard Terri Hendrix fan. So her opening for the IGs was a double dose of goodness.
She was accompanied by the great Texas musician Lloyd Maines (father of Dixie Chick, Natalie).
Anytime I see Terri Hendrix, I am absolutely stricken with awe. The words of her songs just pierce me to the core. Her music has a message. And that message is one of hope and faith & perseverance. Terri has a beautiful voice to convey these songs and always seems to be full of joy & happiness. She has a wonderful stage presence. And this girl can really play the guitar. Seeing her & Lloyd go at it musically is absolutely amazing. Terri played some really great music, including “If I Had A Daughter”, a song for all of us to cherish and let motivate us into being better caregivers, role-models & people.
If you aren’t familiar with Terri’s music, hop on over to http://www.terrihendrix.com/ and get an earful of what you’ve been missing. Check out one of her shows & if possible, go see her in person. She is Austin based & plays plenty of Texas shows. She is well worth a “road trip”. After seeing her perform you will leave the venue feeling rejuvenated.
Terri Hendrix is an exceptional talent and a darn good time.
My last Indigo Girls concert I attended was in Dallas in 2004. The OTHER & I dubbed this the “Bloody Stump Tour”. That’s because the venue was GENERAL ADMISSION.
That’s like flying SOUTHWEST. It’s a cattle stampede. First, everyone arrived there at least 3 hours early. So we stood in the hellish Texas summer heat and wished we were somewhere else. Then, the doors opened. Everyone rushed in. Only to be met with a stifling hot lobby where we stood pressed against each other like sardines for another hour. Finally, the big doors opened and everyone pressed forward. Again, stifling sardines, we stood some more & waited. The opening act that night was Cordero. They are a great Latino band. (I love me some Ani). I was wearing comfortable shoes (Polo by Ralph Lauren) but even so, my feet hurt so fricking bad. My feet were numb & tingling. I couldn’t concentrate on the music because I was in the middle of my own personal torture session. I ended up taking my shoes off & standing on the concrete in my socks, trying to work the circulation back into my feet. I whispered to The Other
“My feet are bloody stumps”, so the name stuck. And believe me, the name was appropriate and well deserved.
This Indigo Girls “Poseidon & the Bitter Bug” concert was nothing like that “Bloody
Stump Tour” in Dallas. We went for a drink to miss some of the crowd waiting to get in (which turned out to be totally unnecessary). We arrived shortly after 7pm (when the doors opened) and there was no one in line. Inside the theater, the merchandise booth and then the auditorium were also deserted. WTF? Are we in the right place? I was kinda sure that we were because the few people milling around were middle-aged lesbian couples.
Terri He
ndrix came on at 8pm and then the place started filling up. This was not a sold-out show. But the fans that were here came ready for a good time with the IGs. Amy & Emily sounded absolutely heavenly. Their voices & harmonies have gotten even better (if that is possible) over time. Emily’s voice especially, was spot-on. The IGs both looked really good (which usually doesn’t happen for both of them at the same time).
If you aren’t familiar with Terri’s music, hop on over to http://www.terrihendrix.com/ and get an earful of what you’ve been missing. Check out one of her shows & if possible, go see her in person. She is Austin based & plays plenty of Texas shows. She is well worth a “road trip”. After seeing her perform you will leave the venue feeling rejuvenated.
Terri Hendrix is an exceptional talent and a darn good time.
My last Indigo Girls concert I attended was in Dallas in 2004. The OTHER & I dubbed this the “Bloody Stump Tour”. That’s because the venue was GENERAL ADMISSION.
That’s like flying SOUTHWEST. It’s a cattle stampede. First, everyone arrived there at least 3 hours early. So we stood in the hellish Texas summer heat and wished we were somewhere else. Then, the doors opened. Everyone rushed in. Only to be met with a stifling hot lobby where we stood pressed against each other like sardines for another hour. Finally, the big doors opened and everyone pressed forward. Again, stifling sardines, we stood some more & waited. The opening act that night was Cordero. They are a great Latino band. (I love me some Ani). I was wearing comfortable shoes (Polo by Ralph Lauren) but even so, my feet hurt so fricking bad. My feet were numb & tingling. I couldn’t concentrate on the music because I was in the middle of my own personal torture session. I ended up taking my shoes off & standing on the concrete in my socks, trying to work the circulation back into my feet. I whispered to The Other
“My feet are bloody stumps”, so the name stuck. And believe me, the name was appropriate and well deserved.
This Indigo Girls “Poseidon & the Bitter Bug” concert was nothing like that “Bloody
Stump Tour” in Dallas. We went for a drink to miss some of the crowd waiting to get in (which turned out to be totally unnecessary). We arrived shortly after 7pm (when the doors opened) and there was no one in line. Inside the theater, the merchandise booth and then the auditorium were also deserted. WTF? Are we in the right place? I was kinda sure that we were because the few people milling around were middle-aged lesbian couples.
Terri He
ndrix came on at 8pm and then the place started filling up. This was not a sold-out show. But the fans that were here came ready for a good time with the IGs. Amy & Emily sounded absolutely heavenly. Their voices & harmonies have gotten even better (if that is possible) over time. Emily’s voice especially, was spot-on. The IGs both looked really good (which usually doesn’t happen for both of them at the same time).The Girls spaced out their music perfectly. New songs, old stuff, fast, slow…a little bit of everything. They were accompanied by Julie Wolf on the keyboards & accordion.
Also, Lloyd Maines sat in on 2 or 3 songs with them. Terri Hendrix returned for a couple of songs at the end, including “Closer To Fine” (of course). All in all, they presented a well-rounded set for old & new fans alike. My hat is off to Amy & Emily for wonderful performances.
And while we all know the job it is to be Amy Ray, she seems to have found her comfort zone. She smiled way more than has ever happened in the history of the world. Plus she looked as if she toured with a personal stylist. The press marks on her shirt sleeves were sharp enough to cut wood. I even noticed some lovely highlights adorning her well-coiffed (though meaning to look scruffy) hair. Amy looked and acted HAPPY. Now I’m not saying that Amy hasn’t been happy before, we have just been trained to expect a certain amount of anti-establishment anger and general Amy angst. Do not be mistaken, neither of the Indigo Girls have lost their edge. The new cd is well written, insightful and beautifully presented.
But looking out over the audience, I see a different fan than I used to see at the IG shows.
Before it was baby dykes, crewcuts & mullets. Now not to say there weren’t a few mullets in this place, but looking around the crowd for the most part was older, wiser, a bit fatter and kind of like Amy - a bit more happy. Somehow while we were jamming to the Indigos as the soundtrack to our lives, those lives actually snuck up on us. We are older now. Looking at the crowd gives me the same sensation as when I look into the mirror. I’m a bit surprised that I’m older…inside I keep thinking I’m still a girl…but I cherish the experience and knowledge that I have gained getting to this place…it is that which centers me. And from the looks of all things considered…the Indigo Girls a
re pretty well centered, too.
Indigo Girls w/Julie Wolf and Terri Hendrix w/Lloyd Maines at the Verizon gets an EYEBALL UP from JudgedByJody.
Also, Lloyd Maines sat in on 2 or 3 songs with them. Terri Hendrix returned for a couple of songs at the end, including “Closer To Fine” (of course). All in all, they presented a well-rounded set for old & new fans alike. My hat is off to Amy & Emily for wonderful performances.
And while we all know the job it is to be Amy Ray, she seems to have found her comfort zone. She smiled way more than has ever happened in the history of the world. Plus she looked as if she toured with a personal stylist. The press marks on her shirt sleeves were sharp enough to cut wood. I even noticed some lovely highlights adorning her well-coiffed (though meaning to look scruffy) hair. Amy looked and acted HAPPY. Now I’m not saying that Amy hasn’t been happy before, we have just been trained to expect a certain amount of anti-establishment anger and general Amy angst. Do not be mistaken, neither of the Indigo Girls have lost their edge. The new cd is well written, insightful and beautifully presented.
But looking out over the audience, I see a different fan than I used to see at the IG shows.
Before it was baby dykes, crewcuts & mullets. Now not to say there weren’t a few mullets in this place, but looking around the crowd for the most part was older, wiser, a bit fatter and kind of like Amy - a bit more happy. Somehow while we were jamming to the Indigos as the soundtrack to our lives, those lives actually snuck up on us. We are older now. Looking at the crowd gives me the same sensation as when I look into the mirror. I’m a bit surprised that I’m older…inside I keep thinking I’m still a girl…but I cherish the experience and knowledge that I have gained getting to this place…it is that which centers me. And from the looks of all things considered…the Indigo Girls a
re pretty well centered, too.Indigo Girls w/Julie Wolf and Terri Hendrix w/Lloyd Maines at the Verizon gets an EYEBALL UP from JudgedByJody.
