To watch and listen Mr David Eugene Edwards is always a fantastic experience : you feel out of time in world made of beautiful thoughts, powerful words, strange persons and nice places.
This show is special : the concert takes place in Paris. If 16 horsepower used to play here, it’s not the case for Woven Hand. Since his last gig, in 2002, David E Edwards toured Europe three times but no gig in Paris.
This time, the theater of L’Européen is really a good choice. With 350 seats and a perfect sound, everybody will be able to see him clearly and listen carefully his voice and strings.
Mr Edwards comes on stage at 20:40. Tonight he is wearing a blue jean with large lapels and a toque. It’s not a 16 horsepower show and even this place, in Paris, the audience is quiet.
When the firsts chords sound up, I can’t believe it. A thrill runs over my spine. He begins with “Outlaw song”. Before played by 16 horsepower, this song is full of sense here in our days. Sure, it’s a different version but good, really good. Maybe better.
On stage, David uses three guitars : his well known red electric one, an amplified folk guitar looking like a classic one and what it seems to me a mandolin and not a banjo. A sequencer too I think.
David is quite different than with 16 horsepower, more attentive on what happens, living entirely his songs. He takes time : tunes are long play reworked versions.
Setlist includes classics such “Strawfoot” or “Black Soul choir” (as a medley encore), executed in a different way. All the Consider the birds titles are amazing and prove how this album is a great set of songs : “Chest of drawers” and “Down in Yon forest” are even more mystics than on the cd at the opposite of “In the piano” or “Tin Finger”.
Previous albums are not forgotten with the “Wooden brother”, the Russia pair or tiny “White bird”.
Even if he played almost 2 hours, it was not enough.
We need more.
Yes, in a sense David E Edwards is a preacher : no doubt on his eloquence. And yes, he is charismatic : some kind of magician describing a world made with kindness, religion and poetry. But he is not trying to convince us, he is not playing. He need not.
And we love him for that.
Tracklisting :
Outlaw’s song / Your Russia / Sparrow falls / Speaking hands
/ Strawfoot / My Russia / Chest of drawers / Philly’s Ann
/ White bird / Down in Yon forest / Wooden brother / Oil on panel
/ ? / Tin finger / In the piano / Black soul choir medley / Blue
pail fever
