Eliza Gilkyson

[NinasSpaceChild]

I went to see her in concert last night and was bowled over with her beauty and sincerity yet again.

I'll write more tomorrow but wanted to share.

[Bryan]

I haven't heard her recently, but years ago I enjoyed her work (the late 80s? early 90s?). There was a radio station in Seattle that played her quite a bit. At that time, she was in an odd radio/music niche -- new age/folky/singer-songwriter. Actually that radio format (called New Adult Contemporary) was awesome, playing everything from singer-songwriters to contemporary jazz to "new age." It has disappeared.

[NinasSpaceChild]

I can write more today.

We didn't get home until midnight aftyer the concert and then I was on a 14 hour shift yesterday so I was a wee bit tired last night.

Until just over a year ago I had never heard of Eliza Gilkyson. I am a big fan of Christine Collister, folk andd blues, and a friend of mine on her community board recommended Eliza to me because she was playing locally. I had no idea who she was at the time or what kind of music she wrote and performed but I trusted my friend's recommendation and along I went to Bury Met, the same venue she was performing at on Saturday night. I was blown over the first time and again on Saturday night.

I would classify Eliza's music as folk / country / americana / protest.

Eliza was accompanied by Rob McEntee on Saturday and performed for close to 3 hours. A lot of the material was taken from her two most recent albums, Milk and Honey and Paradise Hotel and her voice is so mellow and sublime, dreamy music heaven for me.

Highlights of the evening for me were a dreamy Paradise Hotel, a bluesy and raunchy Man Of God, hertbreaking Highway 9, Dark Side of Town, a Sublime Seperate, Requiem and she finished the set with a great sing along, Woody Guthrie's Peace Call.

Here are a couple of her recent songs :

http://198.234.121.107/folkalley/livefrom/gilkyson/man_of_god.mp3

http://www.folkalley.com/music/livefrom/gilkyson/audio/tender.ram