Steve Earle at the Birchmere review: 50 years of singing the American story

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Steve Earle kicked off his packed Birchmere performance on Tuesday night by playing “Tom Ames’ Prayer,” a tune about a bank robber who has an intricate bond with God. “I penned that song half a century ago, when I was just 20 years old,” Earle remarked. “Feel free to figure out the timeline.

Earle is marking half a century of chronicling the American journey during his ongoing tour. Throughout his career, he’s been known for his captivating storytelling and conversation skills. However, on Tuesday night, I found him more candid than ever about his musical life. He shared compelling tales behind the making of numerous albums, even playing a few choice songs from each one to illustrate the stories.

Because his records offer a significant glimpse into his personal experiences, Earle’s narratives often revolved around his own life – the challenging phases and the fortunate opportunities. The tale unfolds as a 19-year-old from Texas sets off for Nashville in pursuit of success and stardom.

Steve Earle has been singing the American story for fifty years, and he has the songs to prove it

In Nashville, two of Bud Earle’s early compositions – “Ben McCulloch” and “Tom Ames’ Prayer” – were played sequentially on a Tuesday. Interestingly, these songs were among the first he wrote upon arrival in Music City, but it would take another two decades before they found their way onto an album. The reality was that, despite garnering much praise and securing a publishing deal swiftly, Earle faced significant challenges in actually releasing an album.

It could have been his innate rebelliousness or perhaps a growing drug issue that came close to claiming his life. Regardless, he endured for ten years, foregoing the outlaw trend that was emerging in the 1970s. By the time he put out his first album, it was already 1986. Earle then teamed up with Dwight Yoakam and Randy Travis as pioneers of neo-country music.

He had a sudden realization when he witnessed Bruce Springsteen perform “Born in the U.S.A.” Earle then understood the type of songs he desired to compose. The song “Guitar Town,” from his debut album titled the same, effectively conveyed this on Tuesday.

After immersing myself in a blast from the past, specifically “No. 29” off Springsteen’s underappreciated album Exit 0, I found myself transported once more by The Boss. It was announced that he had acquired Earle’s third album, Copperhead Road, and its sales skyrocketed. Typically, Steve Earle strums a mandolin during “Copperhead Road”, but this time he opted for his guitar instead. Regardless of the instrument choice, the song continues to pack a powerful punch.

Here’s how it unfolded on Tuesday: The musician narrated tales about his albums and performed a couple of songs from each, giving a comprehensive overview of his entire career. There was a pair of performances reminiscing his drug-affected phase – “South Nashville Blues” and “CCKMP.

He consistently plays both songs together since he enjoys the first one immensely, but fears it might over-romanticize his past struggles with addiction. Conversely, the second track, titled “Can’t Kill My Pain with Cocaine,” offers a stark contrast and counterpoint to this issue.

Listening to Earle’s songs from his transition from Tennessee to New York two decades ago, particularly “City of Immigrants,” is consistently uplifting. The relevance of this song grows stronger with each passing day. Similarly, “It’s About Blood,” a composition about the West Virginia mining disaster that took 29 lives in 2010, carries an increasingly powerful message over time.

Regardless of whether it was deliberate or accidental, it served as an impactful counterpart to the sentimental “No. 29” that played earlier in the night.

Earle’s performance was bolstered by Zandi Holup, who appeared onstage with him for his initial encore, performing “I’m Not Missing Anything But You.” They have been collaborating on songs for a few years, and given her impressive opening set, it seems that Holup has a promising future ahead once her debut album, Wildflower, is released later this year.

With songs such as “Gas Station Flowers” and “Go Find Less” gaining popularity, Earl’s statement about “the next time you see her, it’ll cost you a pretty penny” appears to be coming true.

Steve Earle is a straightforward individual who tackles challenging aspects of American society, such as gun control, suppression of unions, and the hazards of substance abuse directly. However, in closing remarks, he expressed that he remains an everlasting optimist, viewing American history from a broad perspective, understanding the recurring pattern of culture and politics, and always maintaining faith in humanity’s inherent goodness.

It’s unlikely you could end a performance with the extremely hopeful “Galway Girl” and feel down afterwards, especially since he played the mandolin for it.

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2025-06-04 18:00