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Washington Post Review Carrie Newcomer Live Concert

March 4th, 2008
by Buzz McClain Washington Post

Folk singer, activist and Quaker Carrie Newcomer considered adding a line to her business card after a recent appearance at a peace conference in Tennessee where a protester -- "Yes," she said, still disbelieving, "they were protesting peace" -- branded her a "whore of Babylon." As she is anything but, the unlikely label got laughs whenever it was mentioned onstage at a sold-out Jammin' Java on Saturday night in a 90-minute set that revealed remarkable maturity punctuated with occasional whimsy.

Accompanied by fellow Hoosier Gary Walters on electric keyboard, Newcomer played gorgeous, bright melodies on acoustic guitar as she lyrically explored the territory between the mind and the soul, the clean newness of the spirit after troubled times, and the search for goodness in the community of mankind. And she did it deftly, without proselytizing or berating, and just as things threatened to get too serious she rolled out the up-tempo and humorous blues-based "Bowling Baby" and, a potential breakout hit, the ragtime-flavored and universally understood "Don't Push Send."

Newcomer has a big, clear voice for a small woman, but she uses its breadth sparingly, saving the top and bottom of her range for maximum impact on the song's messages. That vocal technique was particularly effective on the dark "A Mean Kind of Justice," the sprightly "There Is a Tree" and the contemplative "The Clean Edge of Change." And after two encores and three standing ovations, it would appear her audience appreciated the music as well as the sentiments.

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