My wife and I just came home tonight from an Indigo Girls concert and reading this here perfectly articulates our experience. Life is short, authenticity is alive and well, and music is sacred. Thank you Amy and Emily for everything
Oh man, I am right there with you on the Indigo Girls--probably seen them a similar number of times since the mid-90s and yes to all of it--their facebook concerts in the early days of pandemic were such emotional communal experiences--I would see them again in a heartbeat (although their show near me in October starts at 11:30pm?!?!?!) Thanks for this beautiful reflection!
I'm feeling that way about Lyle Lovett. I saw him multiple times in The Woodlands, and I have many of his CDs. He sounds tinny now :( His recent show on Austin City Limits made me kind of sad. His old croon is a lot different than his new one. I hope he adjusts his songs to fit his new voice, and soon.
I missed The Indigo Girls like I missed “I’m just a bill on Capitol Hill” in the mid-70s. Now, thanks to Becca Messman, I have them in my Pandora playlist. Thanks for the review of the Wolf Trap concert!
Curious if you went back this year. Saw them at Wolf Trap and Melissa Ethridge was the anchor of the night. Amy still has a phenomenal voice and is the best example of a ride or die friend there is as she supports Emily through something as devastating as losing her performance-level voice. Just like last year, other vocalists were used, along with bandmates to help Emily, along with giving her noticeable breaks. I can see them doing small festivals or being on stage like an Indigo Girls and Friends, but I don't see a future of full touring. It is sad any way you look at it.
Thank you for asking! I had a ticket in hand but ended up selling it to a friend because of a conflict. Otherwise I would have been there for sure. Another friend sent me the play list. Would have loved to hear “Kid Fears” with Melissa in the Michael Stipe part.
It is sad, but for me, a bittersweet kind of sad. I hope you’re glad you went, in any case!
Thanks for the great article!! My wife and I have seen them live over a dozen times also and just saw them 5 days ago in SF. I got the same feeling of sadness during this show because it was clear that Emily is facing some health issues. I pray for her good health and that they continue to live happy lives making the beautiful music they’ve been making for over 40 years!!
My wife and I just came home tonight from an Indigo Girls concert and reading this here perfectly articulates our experience. Life is short, authenticity is alive and well, and music is sacred. Thank you Amy and Emily for everything
🙏
Oh man, I am right there with you on the Indigo Girls--probably seen them a similar number of times since the mid-90s and yes to all of it--their facebook concerts in the early days of pandemic were such emotional communal experiences--I would see them again in a heartbeat (although their show near me in October starts at 11:30pm?!?!?!) Thanks for this beautiful reflection!
Now I'm wondering if I still have the recording of their play-through of Nomads Indians Saints (or was it Rites of Passage) on my computer...
I'm feeling that way about Lyle Lovett. I saw him multiple times in The Woodlands, and I have many of his CDs. He sounds tinny now :( His recent show on Austin City Limits made me kind of sad. His old croon is a lot different than his new one. I hope he adjusts his songs to fit his new voice, and soon.
Oh, interesting. Yes I guess this is a widespread issue as aging musicians continue to tour!
Have heard Sting a few times in concert. I’m sure he’s pitching his songs lower, but he still sounded really strong a few years ago.
I missed The Indigo Girls like I missed “I’m just a bill on Capitol Hill” in the mid-70s. Now, thanks to Becca Messman, I have them in my Pandora playlist. Thanks for the review of the Wolf Trap concert!
Hah, I have the Schoolhouse Rock shorts on a couple of DVDs. Classic ABC Saturday Morning clips squeezed between cartoon shows.
I had a similar experience at a Gordon Lightfoot concert. I'm glad I went even though his voice wasn't strong.
It’s the whole vibe, no?
Curious if you went back this year. Saw them at Wolf Trap and Melissa Ethridge was the anchor of the night. Amy still has a phenomenal voice and is the best example of a ride or die friend there is as she supports Emily through something as devastating as losing her performance-level voice. Just like last year, other vocalists were used, along with bandmates to help Emily, along with giving her noticeable breaks. I can see them doing small festivals or being on stage like an Indigo Girls and Friends, but I don't see a future of full touring. It is sad any way you look at it.
Thank you for asking! I had a ticket in hand but ended up selling it to a friend because of a conflict. Otherwise I would have been there for sure. Another friend sent me the play list. Would have loved to hear “Kid Fears” with Melissa in the Michael Stipe part.
It is sad, but for me, a bittersweet kind of sad. I hope you’re glad you went, in any case!
Thanks for the great article!! My wife and I have seen them live over a dozen times also and just saw them 5 days ago in SF. I got the same feeling of sadness during this show because it was clear that Emily is facing some health issues. I pray for her good health and that they continue to live happy lives making the beautiful music they’ve been making for over 40 years!!
Amen to that. And I'm so happy this post continues to find people more than a year after I wrote it. Raising a glass to Amy and Emily!