Los Angeles native and singer-songwriter Beth Hart is one of those names of which people have a vague recollection; they can recall her name but have no idea what she’s written or sung. She’s been at it for decades and may be best known for her collaborations with guitarist Joe Bonamassa. If you take the time to listen to any of her records, you get the impression that she’d be right at home in a 1930s jook joint somewhere on the Mississippi Delta.
Her voice is ethereal; it reeks of a past that’s seen some shit, and the years of wisdom gained that pours out through her vocal prowess. She doesn’t merely sing the tune, she knows her way in and out of it.
She’s been very candid with her struggles with addiction, and her journey is plain to see as she thanks her God for the humility and kindness the universe has bestowed upon her, even in the face of those struggles. At about midway through the evening, she relayed her journey to the thousand or so attendees; for quite awhile now she’s relied on her faith and said that “God was there for me, even when I told Him to go suck it.”
Last night’s concert at the Northfield Park Racino saw her clutching each tune and making it a personal evocation, pushing back against the demons that have reigned over much of her fifty-plus years on this plane.
Taking to the keys early in the show, she exclaimed that she wasn’t a very good piano player. After a few flubs, she told the audience that “maybe they should have titled this the ‘Mistakes’ tour.” That type of charm and humility is what draws fans to her and that heavenly voice of hers.
Playing for nearly two hours, she offered a complete set of original songs, not one entry was a cover of someone else’s work.
Opener Ty Taylor played a half-hour set of Bluesy, Gospel-tinged Americana. Taylor’s voice is a revelation. He’s old school in a way that many artists today don’t get. Suffering from a recent breakup from a fourteen-year relationship, he was a raw nerve on stage. Becoming very emotional at one point, he had to stop to compose himself before continuing with a song that reminded him of that recent relationship. While his stagecraft may be a little all-over-the-place, his talent is undeniable. Here’s hoping that he’s able to find closure and comfort moving forward. But, oh what a voice.
Here’s all the action we caught:
