Country-influenced Rock: Hayes Carll Live at 3rd & Lindsley, Nashville, TN, July 21, 2005

Hayes Carll rejects the title “twisted folk singer.”

Somewhere along the way, a quip in an interview led to the title being attached to the Country-influenced Rock singer/songwriter, and as of our conversation in Nashville on July 21, Carll is distancing himself from the title.

“Folk singer” does seem to be a misnomer about what you’ll find in this songwriter’s rootsy country rock Americana, although “twisted” might be right when refering to Carll’s share of demons, humor, and view of the world.

Carll does accept the title of country, but knowing that his music has never been embraced by the mainstream, even as the music of his heroes hasn’t been accepted by the country charts/pop radio world. I had to drive down Nashville’s Broadway Street with its country bar, neon splash, karoke, “cash in on the craze,” mainstream twangy pop, in order to get to a non-descript business park at the end of the road just about under Interstate 40 to 3rd & Lindsley where Hayes Carll was playing. That route is like a physical representation of Carll’s song, “Wish I Hadn’t Stayed So Long.” The song is about leaving the music cities in order to make sure his songs speak more than what the country pop world might allow.

In that office park, 3rd & Lindsley has created quite a homegrown, intimate, neighborhood feel. The walls might be decorated with Budweiser banners with the “True Music” logo, but at 3rd & Lindsley, it’s more than a slogan. This is one of those places that resonate music—truly. Carll let his songs be true, capturing a spirit that will not be glitzed over.

Taking the stage before a crowd of 50, Carll did his own introduction: “Ladies and gentlemen, all the way from Houston, Texas, Hayes Carll & the Gulf Coast Orchestra.” Launching into “Hey, Baby,” it’s one of Carll’s more rocking tunes from the 2005 release, Little Rock, one of the tunes that may not have been so rocking with the direction/production of R.S. Field. Speaking to Carll after the show, he admitted that recording Little Rock was out of his element. Having come out of doing solo shows, he was surprised by Field’s suggestion at a full band and kicking up the rock side of the country tunes to get people’s feet tapping. Carll may have had his reservations, but the results are incredible, and playing now with a band, he seems to truly enjoy the jam.

Accompanied by touring mates Lance Smith (electric guitar) and Brad Fordham (bass), with Nashville drummer Jimmy Lester sitting in, the rocking jumping tunes really blazed, such as the evening’s version of “Little Rock”—an empassioned road song played with full gas but a song with deadpan humor since it’s part of Carll’s hope to tap into a new niche of cashing in on songs about Arkansas (having already missed the Texas song boom). Carll’s stage presence brings out the humor of the songs with his dry delivery, but there’s nothing dry about what his band does. “Take Me Away” has the twang-warmth of an early BoDeans sound that can envelope you. The sound filled the room with a warm, pounding heartbeat rhythm on the closer, “I’m Glad I Came.”

Carll grew up on 80’s/90’s country radio hearing Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, but it wasn’t until he heard Bob Dylan that he realized the power of a song and lyrics. John Prine and Neil Young further opened his eyes, and he still counts listening to “The Pilgrim” by Kris Kristofersen as a shaping experience.

Those influences lead Carll past any easy country one-offs and instead towards developing a body of work that reaches the core, such as “Rivertown,” a song co-written with Guy Clark and which when played live has even more of a deep, dark, black water flowing past tone. Yet, Carll also says that he can’t do political like Dylan or Steve Earle. He appreciates their music, the sentiments, but he’d rather “choose to do something I can dance around to.”

For jumping around in a little country stomp nothing beats “Chickens,” co-written with Ray Wylie Hubbard as part of his farm animal song series. The band just have fun jamming together on the song. Carll said he’d hoped he could retire on “Chickens,” but it hasn’t taken off like he’d hoped. While maybe looking at it as almost a novel crowd pleaser, it’s actually great bluesy spin on the old farmyard. (A good companion would be the children’s book Barnyard Dance by Sandra Bointon). I asked Carll if he owned chickens, and he said he had almost bought a baby chick for $1 for his son, but was afraid the bird might die before he got back home from his travels. He now lives on a fair amount of land and may get some song-inspiring animals, but admits that he doesn’t know the first thing about raising chickens.

Carll looks like the guy in high school who kind of stayed in the corners, hairs always almost grown out, beard in perpetual burly happening. Then you realize that guy has this secret talent, secret life, amazing tales, incredible taste in music, and humor to boot. Carll has James McMurtry’s deadpan country rocker voice as he talks on stage with John Wesley Harding’s self-deprecating “humor as a defense mechanism.” The set included a song cowritten with friend John Evans for their side project, Ego Brothers, a one song band (so far) who write songs about how great they are. “Ain’t Enough of Me to Go Around” comes on like any country rocker that’s meant to court a woman, but really it’s the most audaciously egotistical lyric ever. It takes such a thing to make you realize your own pride is almost as audacious.

On stage, Carll is deftly able to deliver these multiple styles, voices, and levels of seriousness. There are no glitches in the set of country-folk-rock-stomping-blues-ballads-ditties-drinking songs. Carll plays a two verse version of “I’ve Been Everywhere” saying, “I’ve been to Houston, Houston, Houston, Houston, Nashville, Houston, Houston.” Don’t let that fool you into thinking this guy isn’t getting out of Texas. Mainstream may never embrace him, but Carll may very well come to be known everywhere for his songwriting and performing.

[One more note: Carll’s second verse of “I’ve Been Everywhere” is “I’ve done every drug.” Carlls admits that his songs are somewhat authentic to his life experience. Yet, while he writes songs about being drunk, he’s never written a song while drunk. Married with a 2-year old child, Carll speaks from his experience, a storyteller without necessarily saying that the music comes from the muses of drink and drugs].

Thanks to Hayes Carll and Lotos Nile Media for the show and interview arrangements.


Folk-influenced Rock: Lizza Connor
Playing a set before Hayes Carll was Lizza Connor, a folk-influenced country songwriter. She began with “How I Put Up With You,” a trampled-on-heart woman blues. “Take It Back” sounds like a sad-hearted song that threatens to just float away in that Shawn Colvin can do. “Amy” is dedicated to Connor’s adopted sister and really explores the story of the birthmom. The Gospel song, “There is a Place,” has a walking chord “Alleluia” spoken out of the sadness inherent in Connor’s music. Connor has a graceful stage presence, even when she forgot some lyrics, taking in the chatty bar crowd with her airy (think Sarah Masen) but accented voice for songs and stories.

Thanks to Lizza Connor for her help and not laughing when I spilled my drink while trying to chat with her after the show.