Mary Chapin Carpenter, Steve Earle & The Dukes
Backyard, August 1

Mary Chapin Carpenter, Steve Earle & The Dukes

Backyard, August 1

Taking nothing away from their talents, the pairing of Mary Chapin Carpenter and Steve Earle seems like an odd one. Sure, they both flirted with country radio at one point, but those days are long past, and differences abound. Carpenter is more a folkie and, Earle is definitely a rocker. Carpenter was supporting her new Time*Sex*Love, which is almost mystical and decidedly introspective, while Earle's latest, Transcendental Blues, merges Beatlesque psychedelia with his own brand of crunchy country rock. Earle opened the show and leaned heavily on tunes from TB, and while there were some of his die-hard fans in attendance, it became rather obvious that the crowd was Carpenter's, for this night at least. How else to explain the jabbering that went on during "Goodbye." A more heart-wrenching ballad has never been written, but the crowd all but ignored Earle as he laid his soul bare. He put up a good fight though. Urged on by the spirited playing of guitarist Eric "Roscoe" Ambel, songs like "Everyone's in Love With You" and the old chestnuts "Fearless Heart" and "Copperhead Road" had a roots rock fire that made them hard to ignore. Carpenter's appeal is her combination of spunky charm, intelligent wordplay, and an ability to be both pensive and playful. Besides, it's pretty cool to see her lead a full-on rock band, especially when she straps on a Rickenbacker and belts out Lucinda Williams' "Passionate Kisses." While Time*Sex*Love has more than its fair share of quiet moments, Carpenter was able to bring most of the album's songs to life with an energy that was refreshing and never cloying. Especially moving was a rendition of "King of Love," which was appropriately subdued as it shimmered over the rapt crowd. She followed it with a rip-roaring version of "I Take My Chances" that showed off her country side to full effect. Toward the end of the set, some tunes from the new album started to sound a little too similar, but Carpenter reached a crowd-pleasing high point with a rock & boogie take of "I Feel Lucky." A rousing encore of more hits, including the Cajun inflected "Down at the Twist and Shout," sent everyone except the most jaded Steve Earle fanatics to the exits very satisfied.