Sometimes I forget how lucky I am. On Saturday October 10th I got to see Lucinda Williams for the second time at one of my favourite Montreal venues Theatre Beanfield. The last time was in 2001 at Le Spectrum while she was promoting Car Wheels On A Gravel Road. I had bought the CD from the merch table and almost wore it out in my car, singing along.
If you had told me 25 years ago that I would be seeing Lucinda Williams in 2026, singing new material and sounding just as good as ever, I would never have believed you. I think she’s one of the greatest songwriters of her time. And the fact that she’s still writing and performing songs that resonate so deeply is a testament to her undeniable talent and passion.
There was no opener which suited me fine because Lucinda’s extensive catalog spans five decades packed with unforgettable hits. I got to the venue a little before eight to get my photo pass and was surprised that there was only one other photographer there. (who also happened to be a woman.)
At around 8:10 when the lights dimmed and the crowd started getting rowdy, Lucinda slowly walked onto the stage with her arm linked to a man who escorted her to her microphone. Considering she had a stroke in 2020 and that she is 73 years old, she looked fine as f. Dressed all in black from her Converse high tops, jeans, V-neck t-shirt and leather motorcycle jacket, with her platinum blonde hair casually feathered around her face Lucinda remains every bit the rock goddess rebel that we all fell in love with.
She opened with 2 Kool 2 B 4-Gotten and I was astounded at the fresh, crisp tone of her vocals. I couldn’t help but turn to my fellow photographer, Maggie and loudly exclaim “she sounds great!”
She covered four tracks from Car Wheels On A Gravel Road (title track included) , Joy being my favourite. There is something so satisfying and empowering to hear a woman boldly exclaim “you took my joy and I want it back”. It’s not simply a female voice acknowledging the right to her own happiness but demanding it. Now more than ever.
The crowd went wild when she did a few covers such as Bob Marley’s So Much Trouble and The Beatles’ While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Covers can be challenging enough without being compared to the original, but her band has some of the most masterful veteran musicians in rock ‘n’ roll history. ( Doug Pettibone and Marc Ford on guitars , David Sutton on bass and Brad Pemberton on drums.)
I was expecting a mostly older crowd but was very happy to see younger generations singing along to music written before they were born. And appreciating that Lucinda is still writing songs that are so powerful and relevant. Seeing her standing up there on stage and feeling her emote lyrics with so much love and conviction, especially with all the bullshit going on in the world, is truly healing. And the packed venue felt the same. More than once, fans yelled, “We love you, Lucinda!”
Come on baby, we gotta be strong.
Dark days are getting long.
Looking for comfort in a song.
Everybody knows the world‘s gone wrong. (World’s Gone Wrong)
And I know Lucinda felt the love as she told us, “Don’t let Trump bully you!” Her final words after closing with Neil Young’s Rockin’ In The Free World were, “I love this country. I love this city. We’re with you.”
1. 2 Kool
2. Crescent City
3. Car Wheels
4. Drunken Angel
5. World’s Gone Wrong
6. Low Life
7. Fruits of My Labour
8. When The Way Gets Dark
9. So Much Trouble
10. Man Without a Soul
11. You Can’t Rule Me
12. Changed The Locks
13. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
14. Essence
15. Righteously
16. Joy
17. We Have Come Too Far
18. Hard Time Killing Floor Blues
19. Rockin In The Free World
Review and photos
Annette Aghazarian
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