Steve Earle Copperhead Road 30yr Anniversary Commodore concert
review by Scotty Evil
Hard to believe it’s been 30 whole years since the wailing bagpipe intro to Copperhead Road busted Steve Earle’s career wide open, at the intersection of country, rock and folk. The Grammy Award winner revisited the iconic album last night at The Commodore Ballroom here in Vancouver a little longer in the beard but hit each track note for note.
Openers and fellow Texans The Mastersons were introduced emphatically by Steve Earle himself. Husband and wife duo of Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore were flawless in their delivery and eased the already packed house into their alt-county vibe. The dynamic between sultry fiddle and rock infused guitar was balanced and engaging.They would later help with the sonic backdrop for Earle and The Dukes.
Steve Earle didn’t waste any time and cued the Copperhead Road intro before he even got his instrument on. He then explained how they were going to play the album, in order, track for track. For the fans I’m sure it was just like a great pair of boots; comfy and familiar, not minding the road dust.
Great albums are bookended by great songs and this title track does exactly that, even more so live. It’s a cheeky outlaw song that is timeless social commentary. Earle paused on occasion for a diatribe on politics and how it did or didn’t relate to certain songs “especially these days” and he told us Canadians to continue being who we are, insinuating we might be North America’s salvation if things don’t change in 2020. The band marched through the rest of the tracks with highlights like “Snake Oil”, “Devil’s Right Hand”…all songs that seemed strikingly appropriate for the atmosphere in America these days. The final track, “Nothing But a Child”, being a Christmas song, was due to the timing of the album release. It was a poignant end to the first part of the set. The second part featured some of his classic hits, including twangers like “Guitar Town” and “Satisfied” follow up by the celtic infused ditty “The Galway Girl” (not to be confused with Ed Sheeran). A rousing cover of “Hey Joe” allowed the musical talents of the band to shine, especially the guitar work of Chris Masterson. After a brief “goodnight” they returned for a 3 song encore.
It was all you could ask for from a Steve Earle concert; iconic songs, stories both sung and spoken and no confusion about his political opinion. For the fans who hung out patiently afterwards, he came out with Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore to sign autographs and pose for pictures. One fan brought a picture of himself when he was 10 years old…thirty years ago when Steve Earle had more hair on top of his head and less on his face. Earle was truly impressed and spent a few minutes talking and signing the
photo.
For Earle, that hillbilly highway still goes on and on.
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written by Scotty Evil
photos by Red Lenses Photography