It was Monday night. As expected, Sixth Street didn’t have much of a buzz on. At the door of the Parish, the place felt deserted. At the top of the stairs, it all changed. There was a respectable crowd and the place was humming with anticipation.
Tift Merritt felt it, too. Not that she wouldn’t have put on a good show if there were only three people in attendance. But, as she repeatedly mentioned, she loves Austin. “You guys put every other city to shame,” she beamed. The love traveled both ways.
With a shaggy-haired quartet behind her, the North Carolina singer-songwriter worked up quite a sweat, showcasing tunes from her latest, Another Country (Fantasy). While the disc is sonically subdued, live the new tunes seemed larger than life as Merritt moved easily from guitar to piano and back again. With a country-rock vibe that recalled the stout melodies of the Jayhawks, only sung with a sweet and clear voice, Merritt kept it bright and engaging. Better yet, her easygoing stage presence made it seem as if she was in your living room, singing only to you.
The big news of the night was that she and longtime boyfriend/drummer Zeke Hutchins were engaged to be married, something she announced earlier in the day on KGSR. That may have explained the multi-kilowatt smile on her face throughout the 90-minute set. But more likely she was in tune with her music and the appreciative vibe from the audience pushed her even higher. At one point she teased about moving here, a threat we’ve heard from more than a few artists over the years.
Merritt closed with a meditative yet anthemic take on “When I Cross Over” that recalled Maria McKee at her breathy best. An evening that began with limited expectations wound up redemptive.
This article appears in April 18 • 2008.