Telling 'The Story'

Telling 'The Story'

Brandi Carlile goes acoustic for The ArtsCenter
Rebecca Brenner, Arts Editor

Updated: Wednesday, May 20, 2009


Acoustic guitars lined the stage Friday as a sold-out crowd awaited the entrance of Brandi Carlile at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro.

Carlile moved front and center, unplugging her acoustic guitar and joining her also-unplugged bandmates onstage. The crowd hushed to listen to their soft harmonies.

Carlile, of Seattle, performed as a part of The ArtsCenter’s American Roots Series. Her music usually blends aggressive rock with her own acoustic guitar work, but this concert had a different feel. She played it acoustically.

“We are playing the show in order to strip down acoustic and to play songs in their purest, rawest form,” she said.

The intimate setting lent itself to the nature of the concert as Carlile played songs off her new

album, Give Up The Ghost, to debut Sept. 1.

Carlile had a way of throwing herself into her vocals that breathed life into her songs.

She was joined onstage by Tim and Phil Hanseroth — known as The Twins — and cellist Josh Neumann.

“This is the first time we’ve ever been on a tour acoustic for any other reason than we can’t afford it,” Carlile said with a laugh. “Those drummers are expensive.”

At times, Carlile had the audience captivated by the weight of her lyrics. At others, she had everyone out of their seats, dancing in the aisles to her spirited vocals and interpretations of songs by The Beatles and Johnny Cash.

“I come here pretty often,” said Jim Vernon, a longtime resident of Chapel Hill. “I’ve seen some pretty good bands, but I’ve never seen this kind of anticipation for an artist.”

Tess Ocaña, concerts and facility director for The ArtsCenter, said the show’s success was due to the buzz created by the public.

“A buzz without talent is a baseless lie, so you have to have the talent,” she said.

Judging from the standing ovations, many would agree that Carlile had the talent.

Ginger Brown, a Raleigh resident, first heard Carlile’s song, “The Story,” on a commercial for WRAL’s news broadcast.

“I’m 72-and-a-half years old, and it was the most moving song I’ve ever heard,” she said.

Carlile has used this tour to help others. She brought her friend Nichole Ward, who designed her poster and many T-shirts. Ward was recently laid off from her job, so she could go on the road to sell the merchandise.

Carlile donates $1 from every ticket sold to The Looking Out Foundation, which she founded with The Twins as a way to contribute to causes she believes in.

“In that sense, every concert is a benefit concert,” she said. “Wherever there’s need, we try and help out where we can.”

The foundation focuses on environmental issues, but Carlile said they have contributed to a wide array of causes, including hunger, indigenous rights and disease education.

Ocaña said she arranged the concert through a partnership with Cat’s Cradle that she formed five years ago.

“We’re like the little sister who’s just getting old enough to drive and wants to hang out with her older brother,” she said.

“Now, we’re rocking out.”



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