On Thursday September 24th, Courtney Marie Andrews, an American singer-songwriter held a live stream concert of her March 2020 studio album Old Flowers. As promised, she played the set in its entirety with the help of a crew member, and two other talented individuals, Erin Rae (back up vocals) and Matthew Davidson (back up instruments- violin and pedal steel guitar). While the stream was originally having a few technical difficulties upon its original time and launch, when it was finally able to work, it was a beautifully relaxing experience with lovely and rich sounds to go around.
Courtney Marie Andrews performed inside the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee. Modeled after the Greek Parthenon, it made for an acoustically aesthetic sound that filled the space with tones and melodies that were enchanting. The colors were a vibrant gold and the architecture was very classic and timeless. The set where they were performing was fairly simple. Besides the few instruments, Courtney and the two other musicians were in the center of a large open space in the Parthenon. On the floor were many different flowers all scattered about, with several lit candles. This gave it kind of a fun and Earthy kind of look to the environment around them and made the large open space feel smaller and more intimate.
Starting off the stream, Courtney performed the first track on the album Old Flowers, “Burlap String.” The song had a very classic and folky type of sound and felt very simple and relaxing to start off a concert. Courtney played the guitar for this first song. Her crew with her was small, and they kept each song quick and to the point. While the songs weren’t long, they were whimsical and musical.
Following the opening song, “Guilty” was where Courtney slid into powerful and melodic rhythms. She was seated at the keyboard, which sounded more organ-like than piano. The acoustics of the large open room complimented her voice so nicely. People could tell it was completely from the soul and she felt everything she was singing. Normally, this track has backup vocals and a drum rhythm to match Courtney’s vocals and keyboard playing. However, tonight on the stream it was just Courtney, her keyboard and her voice. It felt even more like a ballad and even more soulful.
Keeping up the harmonic talent, the next song, “If I Told” felt almost like a mix of country and singer-songwriter. It was reminiscent of the band A Boy and His Kite, specifically the song “Cover Your Tracks.” “If I Told” was very soft, with guitar chords that felt classic and nostalgic. Lyrically it had the same kind of deep ideas and viewers could tell they came directly from experiences. It was very personal, and it was almost as if people could associate a very specific memory to the lyrics she sang. It created a very calming feeling.
Slowing it down just a touch more, “Together or Alone” was another song in which one could tell Courtney was pouring pure emotion into her performance. Once again, lyrically it had a lot of depth. A few of the lyrics that stuck out were, “in some other lifetime, would you have picked me out again?,” “I’m just proud to have loved you enough to ask for more” and “the grass is always greener when it’s something you can’t see.” It was a comforting song, and it was worthy to go back to listen to it again after the stream had ended, just to hear those poetic lyrics.
Later in the stream, Courtney played the more popular song, “It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault.” This one was a little more upbeat, but still kept that classic folky vibe. It was almost like a happy breakup kind of song, like a moving on kind of tune. It was one of those songs people would hear at the end of a coming-of-age movie where the main character rides off on a country road reflecting on how they’ve grown or learned throughout the film. This was definitely a song that makes people smile and nod along as it plays.
Lastly, Courtney finished out her show just as the album finishes out, with the track “Ships In The Night.” Similar to one of the earlier songs, it was just Courtney and her keyboard. Her bandmates had taken a step back and let Courtney finish out the show with her vocals and keyboard playing. Following the trend of the rest of the concert, this song was equally as elegant and graceful. The final note was calming and resonated as Courtney ended her show by simply standing up and walking away. It was a very simple yet strong exit.
In the end, Courtney Marie Andrews had an exuberant amount of talent and it really came through even though she was playing for the cameras in the stream. The beautiful set around her supports her vocal talent and the music that she played along with it, while also being visually stunning.
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