“The night has a treasure in store for you
The night is magic
And The Moon is Made of Gold.”
–Richard Loris Jones
Some outdoor concerts bring down the house, others raise the roof. Saturday’s trio of performances at Deer Valley fit the latter description and, it could be said, added a few more cracks to the proverbial glass ceiling.
With the title “Women We Love,” the Big Stars, Bright Nights St. Regis Deer Valley concert — headlining Rickie Lee Jones and featuring Carrie Rodriguez and Lucy Wainwright Roche — put three powerful female singer/songwriters in the driver’s seat.
Lesser known, but with no less talent than the featured act, Carrie Rodriguez opened the show with an original tune, “I Don’t Want to Play House Anymore.” Her sultry voice and passionate fiddle work immediately quieted the talkative Deer Valley audience.
The Austin, Texas, artist made a passing reference to the difference in altitude between Park City and her hometown — but it didn’t seem to impair her performance. Her clear voice, with a sizable helping of Texas and Latin flavor, captivated the crowd.
Rodriguez was accompanied by Luke Jacobs, whose subtle vocal support and background pedal steel guitar was a perfect complement to her impressive performance.
Lucy Wainwright Roche followed Rodriguez and took the stage as if she was walking into a room full of old friends. Talkative and amusing, she offered a gracious nod to the Park City Performing Arts Foundation, which programs the Big Stars Bright Nights summer series. Roche, who has also performed for the PCPAF at the Eccles Center, thanked the nonprofit for continuing to bring live music and theater to Park City.
In full command of the stage, with no accompanying musicians, Wainwright Roche’s between-songs dialog was as entertaining as her music. With wit and charm she described a brief “rock-star lifestyle” moment following her last Park City performance in which she ended up in a hot tub. She added demurely that she still had her dress on.
Wainwright Roche, daughter of Loudon Wainwright III and Suzy Roche, shared just enough about her legendary musical family to satisfy their fans but also proved she has earned her own place on the stage.
the time Rickie Lee Jones arrived on stage, the sun was down and the moon was up. As a few thunderheads loomed, Jones dove right into a haunting rendition of “Sympathy For The Devil,” a version that would have given even its author, Mick Jagger, the shivers. If Deer Valley’s amphitheater was an auditorium, you could have heard a pin drop. Instead it was just Jones’ eerie voice and the wind blowing through the trees.
With the crowd under her spell, Jones moved into more familiar territory. The first three songs of her set also included covers by Rod Stewart, “Seems Like a Long Time Coming” and Tim Hardin’s Reason to Believe, which are featured on her forthcoming CD, “The Devil You Know.”
And Jones wasn’t stingy with her own well-known hits, “Weasel and the White Boys Cool,” “Easy Money” and “Coolsville” all received original treatments by Jones and her accompanists, Jeff Pivar on guitar and Ed Willett on cello, with both also adding a whisper of backup vocals.
Like both Rodriguez and Wainwright Roche, Jones paid tribute to her family, singing a traditional Irish ballad that she learned from her father, Richard Jones, and one of his original tunes, “The Moon is Made of Gold,” whose chorus mirrored the beautiful setting at Snow Park.
Her haunting lyrics and often wrenching delivery prove Jones has taken a long hard look into the abyss. But the playful interplay with her fans – “Don’t do that (clap). You will turn it into a polka,” and flirtatious smile during “Coolsville” — suggests that these days she is content and happy to still be playing for enthusiastic audiences.
Jones ended the night with a metaphysical riff about setting aside the dreary state of the world in order to enjoy a magic night together.
For a taste of Jones’ new CD, “The Devil You Know,” which will be released Sept. 18, turn up your speakers and log on to: http://www.rickieleejones.com/