The other night I arrived at White Water Tavern expecting to see two decent acts. Right after I paid my cover at the door, I was informed that The Boondogs cancelled. I’m not going to lie, I was a bit disappointed because I’d never seen them, and was looking forward to seeing what they had to offer. So, basically my night didn’t get off to a great start.
Ill feelings aside, Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers stepped in and saved the day. This was my second time to see them, and I’d love to see more of them. I think this show was fantastic, and ranked right up there with how great they were the first time I saw them. The only difference in the sets was that this time “Champagne Supernova” was not covered, but so is life. Crain does a killer job covering that song, and while I wished she had sung it, one can’t always get what they want.
If you didn’t read the first write up on Crain, I highly recommend that you do. She is not a tall person, but if you were just listening to her, you would never know. She has a wonderful voice that penetrates the air and encompasses everyone in its way. I can’t quite attach a name to a singer I think she sounds like, which is great because I love unique voices. However, when I hear her, the first thing that pops in to my mind is hauntingly beautiful. During one of her songs, and I must apologize because I don’t know which one it was, when she hit a couple of her high notes, I actually got goose bumps. She has such a powerful and domineering voice and when I listen to female artists, that is one of the most important things I’m looking for. Not since Beth Ditto’s vocals with The Gossip and Alison Kraus in general, have I felt this way about a female vocalist. Crain has power and oomph, and I’m glad she brings it to the stage.
Even though she is just that good, she is still very humble and really nice. I haven’t heard that loud of applause for a band from that few people in a long time. However, the applause I heard filled White Water, even though there could not have been more than 35 people there. After every song when the applause died down, Crain would say thank you, and I found that really endearing. I love that she seems so down to earth, and I can’t wait to hear her full length when her record label decides to release it. I will make time to see her and the ‘Shivers again in the future because they always leave me craving more and hopefully they’ll swing back through Little Rock in the near future.
--L
Samantha Crain is wise beyond her years. Her appearance -- youthful, diminutive, almost cherubic -- belies the intelligent singer-songwriter within. Listen to her lyrics and confident, unusual delivery and you'd swear she was a woman with twice her 21 years of age. Watch her on stage with her band, the Midnight Shivers, and you can't help but wonder -- how did a girl from Shawnee, Oklahoma, who wasn't even born until 1986, write stuff like this? And how did she develop that wonderfully strange and affected vocal style that sounds more like something out of a bygone era than from the age of mobile ring tones? These were my thoughts as I was lulled into almost comatose contentment during Crain's performance at White Water Thursday night.
The first thing you notice is her stature. This is a short girl. The stage at White Water can't be more than a foot off the floor, and when I got there, two songs into her set, the small crowd standing around towered over her. This isn't something I expected and I had to ask if this was the band or some high school opening act. But as I focused on the sounds coming from the stage any doubts that this was the band were out the window. Crain has a great voice, and it sounded right at home in the hazy, summer night atmosphere of White Water. It has a sort of resonance and harmonizes beautifully with the music mainly because it sounds almost like a musical instrument itself. Crain plays guitar and harmonica and is backed up by another guitarist, a bass player and a drummer in a spare four-piece act. They all appear to be very young but they all play with skill, delivering a nice, cohesive sound in a traditional folksy style.
Crain impresses with her easy manner and nonchalance on stage. Audience banter is clearly something that she's used to. But more impressive are the words that flow while the music's playing. "The River" tells the tale of a crazed preacher who drowns those he baptizes, and does so with a drum brush-and-harmonica sound that provides an interestingly bouncy backdrop to an odd and sinister storyline. "Traipsing Through the Aisles" has more of a light-hearted summer day feel to it, with a catchy refrain. But the highlight of Thursday night -- and I can't stress this enough -- the highlight of Thursday night -- was Crain's cover of Oasis's "Champagne Supernova." There's no topping that song in its original form. It has to be counted as among the best alternative songs of the 90s. But Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers performed it with a drum brush and a faster cadence and it became a whole other song. A very, very good song. And White Water liked it. A lot.
Crain releases a new EP July 22. The Confiscation contains only five songs, but it's worth the asking price. I would also recommend you watch for her next Little Rock appearance. I don't think we've heard the last of this girl.
-G
RSS Feed