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Shawn Colvin and John Hiatt played a successful acoustic show in Washington last weekend Date published: 9/8/2005
By JESSE SCOTT For one mellow evening, the 9:30 Club in Washington was transformed into Alexandria's Birchmere. The walls that are normally subject to blasting guitars, drums and bass got a night off last Sunday. John Hiatt and Shawn Colvin were wrapping up their solo acoustic tour, which has taken them across the country for the past six weeks. With their separate bands, each musician would usually play a plugged-in set at the Birchmere. However, the two artists' joining together earned them an upgrade to the larger 9:30 Club. The evening was unlike your average D.C. club-venue experience. Obnoxious people screaming on their cell phones were nowhere to be found. Sing-alongs were encouraged before the show, not during. And people took seats on the balcony stairs up above. More than anything, it was about music appreciation--observing in silence while singing along in your heart. Colvin opened up the evening. She walked out in a retro-hippie dress, wacky earrings and hair in a ponytail. She gave off a laid-back aroma--one that could be smelled a mile away. Colvin strolled through a hearty acoustic set featuring "Sonny," "New York Black," "Walls Could Speak" and samplings from her new album due out in February. She sounded as good as ever--if Alanis Morissette and Tori Amos had a miracle child, Colvin would be it. She hasn't necessarily matured with age (Colvin is in her mid- to late 40s), but she's maintained her solidity. Between pieces, Colvin spoke of fond 9:30 memories. "I remember one year," she laughed, "I told them to take the cameras off me. Because they used to do a live feed here to televisions around the club. I told them to turn all the televisions on the Oscars. I just sat up onstage and watched the Oscars. That was fun." Hiatt was next to hit the stage, draped in blue jeans and a collared shirt. He gave off a true American vibe. Throughout the evening, the acclaimed singer-songwriter urged the crowd to help the fine people of New Orleans deal with their recent struggle. Hiatt performed as you'd expect him to--with vocals scruffy to a point of clarity and lyrics that tugged at even the sourest of hearts.
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