Rodney Crowell

Rodney‘s voice is still top-notch at 73 and his incisive, clever and wise songs always get to the heart of the matter. It feels like we’ve had an important discussion about love and the meaning of life and what to tell our children, not to mention the outstanding Musicians who both sang beautifully both lead and harmony. Jedd Hughes on lead acoustic guitar and vocal and Eamon McLaughlin on fiddle and mandolin and stirring vocals. It was a thorough Rodney Crowell concert with thoughtful songs in minor Keys interspersed with hit-song sing-alongs. He’s got it all: style and substance. Great venue for an acoustic show. You could’ve heard a pin drop!

Rodney delivers again with an incredible array of old and new songs. Backing musicians also add a lot to the mix. Sound was very good, but the lighting could use a little tweaking

I saw Rodney Crowell at Sony Hall May 2nd, not in Chicago. Regardless, it was a fantastic show. Rodney Crowell and the band were so incredible! So much talent on one stage with great songs one after the other. I didn’t want it to end

Rodney Crowell opened his Abilene Word for Word concert by apologizing for being a 'no show' in October. The audience was more than forgiving and hung on his every word and lyric, as did I. My only criticism is that it was too short!

Rodney Crowell is a pre-eminent entertainer. The Historic Paramount Theater in Abilene is the perfect venue in which to see a songwriter/storyteller such as Rodney Crowell. The venue is intimate and lends itself to a listening room atmosphere. The audience was very respectful of Mr. Crowell as he sang his songs, read from his book, and regaled us with his tales.

I always love seeing Rodney Crowell. In my opinion he is one of Americas greatest songwriters. It made it especially nice to see him at a seated concert at Off Broadway. Almost like hanging out with Rodney in my living room while he strums a few of his favorites (from his massive catalog) and listen to him bullshitting about where they came from. Could not have been a better night. Thank you Rodney. And thank you Off Broadway.

The venue was awesome!! Rodney was Fantastic. I never realized the amount of songs that he has wrote. A total Gem in the song writers Hall of Fame!!

Rodney Crowell: 10/21/22 “When in Cleveland do as Clevelander’s do, head on over to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and fulfill a bucket list artist’s performance. Official Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame sponsor Union Home Mortgage had flown us out for a week of training at the exact time to catch a Rodney Crowell concert. It was the 9th of the 21 show ‘Word For Word Tour’ featuring the 72 year old artist whose life story brought him from living in a car to playing in EmmyLou Harris’ band mid ‘70’s to writing 15 number ones (in addition to Bob Seger’s ‘Shame On The Moon’, a #2). Concert seating was general admission so arriving early was crucial to secure the best possible seats. We arrived two hours early taking front place in line. Immediately prior to opening time, an individual who I thought to be a fan jumped the line all the way up front and addressed Security. It was Claudia Church, Crowell’s wife assuring them who she was and their situation, ‘The fans are accosting him’. Rodney had somehow entered via the main building’s entrance! With Security stepping in, Rodney breezed past us mumbling, ‘I go where ever they tell me to go’. Our entrance to the 164 seat theater revealed an intimately set stage with a single acoustic guitar and sitting stool, twin floor monitors (center), and stage L, a reading lamp, table, and producer styled chair monogrammed ‘WORD FOR WORD’. Knowing the layout of the land and hustling up the four flights of escalators rewarded us with the front row exact center two seats. Rodney took the stage just after 8 p.m. for a 13 song / 1 hour and 38 minute set which also included two portions of readings from his autobiographical book. Opening the set were ‘Highway 17’, ‘Jewel Of The South’, and ‘Grandma Loved That Old Man’, songs written directly related to his childhood. Rodney setting the tone for the evening, ‘There’s a lot of spoken word involved in what I’m going to be doing tonight. It’s a mixed media thing, the songs, or story, I’m going to be reading from the book and I thought I’d start with that.’ Through the evening long ‘story and song, song and story’ series he brought us through how he got into the music business, insight into his days with EmmyLou, and the impact his good friend Guy Clark had on his life. Oh, and there was the occasional shameless plug for his book (perfectly sized for grandmother’s coffee table) mixed in: ‘Christmas is coming and the truth is this might make a nice present, that’s what I’m gonna say.’ Song highlights included ‘Making Memories Of Us’ recorded by Keith Urban, Crowell telling us the back story of how he wrote the song as a Valentine’s gift to his wife Claudia. Then there was Waylon’s ‘Ain’t Living Long Like This’, which Crowell wrote from a jail cell —a penalty for multiple offense dog leash violations, Rodney stopping mid-song because of a mistuned G string and restarting from the top. ‘After All This Time’ was perhaps the most heartfelt of the evening, the seasoned artist and his well worn Gibson mirroring perfectly the ageless lyrics of the classic song. My special moment was a brief conversation and photo op with the artist in which I mentioned my concert excursions and how we had come in from South Carolina. He asked us a little about Abbeville, wished us safe travels home, and mentioned that he hoped to see us again down the road! Review and photo by DAve (Concert #717)

Great Show by one of my favorite songwriters! The accompaniment was perfect instrumentally and vocally. Many memories from years past and a new song or two from Rodney's newest release, he remains a talented tunesmith!

Good mix of new and old songs . Good energy from Rodney and the other two musicians. Sounded great. Way worth the price. I also don’t think there is a bad seat in the house.

Fantastic. Last night at the Crystal Bay Casino was great but tonight at rancho Nicasio was even better. A great venue and Rodney and the band sounded even better than last night. A Long trip from Bakersfield to Tahoe and then to Rancho Nacasio, but well worth the trip

Brilliant performances by Mr. Crowell, Eamon McLaughlin & Joe Robinson. I was mesmerized & so caught up in & lifted up by the spirit of the music, I felt as though I’d been to an old time revival. The sounds are still reverberating in me! Nothing can compare to live music performed masterfully & this night had that & so much more. Robinson’s stunning guitar play & beautiful solo performance. Mr. Crowell’s elegant and mindful story-telling between songs. McLaughlin’s killer fiddle & mandolin electrifying the space between their well-matched harmonies throughout Crowell’s music, from the Grammy-winning classics to his newest work- it all added up to something much, much greater than the sum of its components. A night I’ll long remember.

Beautiful music. Song choice was thoughtful and varied. Accompianists(fiddle and acoustic guitar) were impressive and virtuosos in their own rights. Loved the storytelling in-between: “some years ago.... “

Concert was good. The music part was great. Had a couple of awesome musicians with him. We really enjoyed that. He did not sing all his number one hits which we knew. The music was great just didn’t know a lot of it. However we really enjoyed the concert. And he was very gracious afterwards. We took pics and he signed everything we had. Thank you Rodney. We really appreciate that part!

First time seeing Rodney and I definitely look forward to seeing him again. Unique stage presence, that in some way I don’t understand yet reminded me of Leonard Cohen (whose stage presence was second to none in its mysticism.) If you have a chance to see Rodney, take it. Maybe I’ll see you there.

I have been a fan of Rodney’s songwriting and singing for years. It was a special evening! I especially enjoyed the songs from the most recent album. Hope to see Rodney again in the future.

We loved the show. Intimate venue with Rodney Crowell, at his best. The 2 musicians with him were stellar performers as well. The opening act, Denver, was not impressive but they were enthusiastic.

The Kessler is a great venue and the took good care of us. I love Rodney's music but he's not very personable. Much better concert than the last one at The Kessler. Love the VIP seats!

Great show! One of the best shows I've seen in ages, at a great venue. I can't believe I could see Rodney with two other great musicians for such a low price. I would have gladly paid more. Nice reminder that some artists are still in it for the art! Put this show on your "don't miss" list.

Fantastic band and perfomance but the house sound system was pretty bad. Not up to normal sound standards for a band of this caliber. Rodney is one of our best poets. Steuart Smith on the Stratocaster was a masterful genius!