We don’t have their last four albums. And we wore earplugs because we know that leaving a concert with our ears ringing bodes poorly for our hearing – and because we’re old. But Amy Ray and Emily Saliers are older than we are by about a decade, and that hasn’t slowed them down (much. Emily sang at least one song down an octave, either to protect her voice or because she couldn’t get there). We were four people back from the stage, after showing up 45 minutes late and missing the whole opening act because we were eating salad rolls (they were tasty and we were hungry, but, apparently, Matt Morris was great). The women in front of us made sure I could see for the whole concert. I love Eugene.
Amy referenced their opening for the Grateful Dead in Eugene and seeing Jerry standing in the wings when the Girls were on, so this, Eugene, is “sacred ground” for them. Because many bands think of Eugene this way, they keep coming back, and I appreciate that I don’t have to live in a big city to see Ani Difranco and the Indigo Girls every year or two.
Anyway, when you haven’t bought a new Indigo Girls album in nearly a decade, most of the set list is new stuff. But nearly all of it was either beautifully harmonized or rockin’, and all of it was well-performed. And they ended their set with Closer to Fine and their encore with Galileo. I bought my first concert T-shirt since Billy Joel’s Storm Front, and it’s a much classier shirt, made of bamboo and organic cotton, for either exactly the same price or five bucks less, nineteen years later. A fan couldn’t really ask for more. Thanks, y’all.
Indigo Girls at the McDonald Theater in Eugene, Oregon, May 10, 2009. Shot with Chris's overrated iPhone camera.
5/12 note from JP: Oh, that’s funny. I didn’t realize my husband was one of those concert-goers, since he was behind me the whole time (me being barely over five feet and all). I mean, look at this guy with the shaved head in the plaid shirt. He looked like that pretty much the entire time we stood behind him. You’re at a concert, dude; put the camera/cellphone in your pocket and enjoy the show!
Oh, I’m jealous! I love, love, love the Indigo Girls, although, like you I haven’t heard an album in almost 10 years. Also, a little jealous that you got out without kids. Glad you had fun and Happy Mother’s Day!