First off, I still hate Le Passion Rouge and tonight even more so. Terrible sight lines, expensive drinks, and fucking tables! Ugh. So glad I came early to see Nathaniel Rateliff. He was incredible live and reminded me when Sam Beam was good and took me to new places with his songs. He is an incredible story teller and his voice, especially on the more rocking songs, is a powerful force.
My crush on Laura Marling has not subsided one bit. I caught her during CMJ and more than happy to see her again. This 20 year old has an incredible voice to go over some simple yet beautifully written songs. She played many new tunes that I liked and included “England Covered in Snow” which was inspired when her father asked her when she was 10 to take him back to a snowy patch before his death. She gets bonus points for not participating in the whole walking off stage waiting for an encore charade. She politely said that this was her last song, but if you enjoyed the set, don’t leave and she’ll play one more. I stayed and wished she played more than one.