Of the countless reasons I am grateful for my friendship with Jeff (Chicago), his taste in music and excitement about live music are reasons enough to consider him one of my closest friends. This past Monday night we were lucky enough to catch Brandi Carlile in concert at the Orpheum Theatre in town. Despite the fact that I forgot we were going until Jeff emailed me Monday morning, I was excited to see if she was as amazing live as I hoped she would be. She was.

I originally had heard of Carlile from another musical buddy who practically begged me to fall in love with her self-titled debut album. From that first introduction to her, her voice has consistently blown me away. While it’s raw and unique, her control and strength are enough to silence any critic who might find flaw in her technique, and unlike so many artists, it’s just as fabulous live as it on any album which is easy to believe knowing her sophomore release, The Story, was recorded live.

Accompanied by her long-time bandmates, Tim and Phil Hanseroth, Carlile wowed the crowd for over 90 minutes without a crack in her voice. It must have been the whiskey she was drinking out of her wine glass or the enthusiastic crowd that encouraged her to break the mold of her normal setlist, but whatever it was we were treated with an intimate storyteller session of her music. Throughout her set, she took songs from her upcoming album on a test drive, showcased songs off of her first two albums, and treated us with covers of classic country songs like “Hallelujah”, “Stand By Your Man”, and one of my all-time favorites “Folsom Prison Blues”.

So, of course, this week’s musical recommendation/blog gushing session had to be Miss Carlile. Instead of presenting you with a complete album, I’m instead going to share some of my favorite songs and videos of her. She’s a lil bit country and lil bit rock-n-roll and a whole lotta phenomenal. I have no doubt you’ll enjoy her!

The Story: “It’s true…I was made for you.”

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Josephine: “I am missing someone but I don’t know who.”

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Turpentine: “I watch you grow away from me in photographs.”

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Late Morning Lullaby: “Yesterday is gone now and panic sets in.”

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Throw It All Away: “You know me as deep as the sea goes. Calm my head whenever the storm blows.”

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What Can I Say: “Alone is the last place I wanted to be.”

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Tragedy: “Progress, changing. Growing, then giving up.”

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