Randi Driscoll Wing |
Randi
Driscoll Live In Concert ~ To Catch A Rising Star
In
today’s flood of indie music, it is challenging at best to stand out in the
crowd. It seems even more so now as
indie artists are securing their own pathways to artistically fulfilled freedom
and success minus the constraints of music label decision makers. Today’s indie artist must find a niche, a sound, and a
style that is all their own while running the marathon endurance race that has
become the U.S. indie music scene. Randi
Driscoll is a great example of such an indie singer-songwriter who has so much
going for her in terms of talent and ability, that after a few moments in her
presence behind a baby grand, you can’t help but get swept up in the
excitement of watching someone that is destined to be a household name.
Remember, it folks…Randi Driscoll.
With all
that New York City has to offer in terms of nightlife and entertainment, one of
the talent offerings on Friday, November 6, 2009 was the CD release concert held
at the The Triad Theatre by the very talented and beautiful piano playing
singer-songwriter, Randi Driscoll. Randi’s
concert was a celebration of her new CD, 365 Days as well as a few
songs from projects past. Randi
shared the stage with Noah Heldman on percussion and guitar, Leenya Rideout on
fiddle, mandolin and backing vocals, and David Gurland on backing vocals.
The concert was filled with much excitement from the crowded room of
loyal fans, friends and family members many of whom had travelled from several
other states to see this rising star.
From
Randi’s entrance from behind the black velvet split curtain upstage, you
instantly felt the high wattage of her stage presence.
Randi sat behind the piano and started in with her first song of the
night, “I Used to Be That Stupid Girl” from 365
Days which sings of an awakening and awareness in the pursuit of finding
ones self in a better place. “Stupid
Girl” was then followed by the song “Lucky” which is the title track from
her CD, Lucky released in 2006.
The song “Lucky” tells the story of the string of life oddities,
mishaps, and uh-oh’s in the singer’s personal and touring life that seems
rather endless. Randi’s
perspective is that of taking lemons and making lemonade or as was the case
here, a really great song that’s delivered in a tongue-in-cheek manner poking
fun at herself and her luck. “Lucky”
also showed the audience a lighter and more playful side to the wide emotional
range this artist is capable of covering. Randi’s
third song of the night and the second performed from 365
Days was the emotionally raw and revealing song “Witness” which
exhibited Randi’s ability to take the audience from the frolicking fun and
pluckiness of “Lucky” to the emotionally pleaful and painful introspective
song like “Witness” in the space of a few vocal notes which were nestled in
a soft and rolling piano melody. The
fourth song on the playlist was “Beautiful Disaster” from Randi’s 2002 CD,
The Play. “Beautiful
Disaster” was another powerful and emotionally filled gem that dove into a
love that has ended ruinously.
By the time “Beautiful Disaster” was finished, you not only recognized Randi
as an artist who is both raw and brave in her daring self revelations, but also
as a true inspiring master of the piano based singer-songwriter genre.
Randi’s piano skill and melodic ability in her musical arrangements
provide another insight that she is an artist who has the complete package as a
performing singer-songwriter. To
add to this powerhouse package of talent and skill, is Driscoll’s keen and
expert ability of connecting to everyone in the room as a group while making
each individual feel like as though she is singing to just you while sharing
these intimate stories.
Randi’s
between song patter is definitely an enjoyable aspect to her live shows.
Some artists lack the ability to segue way from song to song smoothly and
seamlessly, yet Randi does it not only with the flawlessness of a seasoned pro, but
also with a sense of ease, comfort, and an exact timing that takes the room
collectively into the journey that is the next song.
The next
musical offering made that immediate 180° emotional turn that Driscoll does so
well by going from the loss and sadness found in “Witness” and “Beautiful
Disaster” to lighthearted, hopeful and cheerful, in the song “So What”
from 365 Days. Equally hopeful, lighthearted and up beat in lyric content,
music arrangement and emotional meaning were 365
Days’ “You Make Me Believe”, “Always Time for Life”, the very
ingeniously written “Facebook Song”, and the title track “365 Days.”
One of the
final songs of the night has an amazing story attached to it.
The song is called “What Matters” and has come to be known by many of
Randi’s friends and loyal fans around the U.S. as one of her best and most
moving songs. “ What Matters”
is the song that Randi wrote and recorded in response to the horrific hate crime
attack that took the life of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wisconsin back on
October 7, 1998. This song touches
and moves the listener to a place that raises awareness, inspires action like
Randi’s own to stand with the LGBT community and saying that brutality, hate
speech, and viciousness are not the answer and can not be a part of the human
condition. Randi has worked for
years in tandem with the Matthew Shepard Foundation and Judy Shepard to bring
awareness to the fight for LGBT equality and the end of LGBT hate crimes.
It is because of artists like Randi Driscoll whose music makes a
difference, reaches the masses, and helps change hearts and minds, that progress
is made. “What Matters” is the musical tribute to Matthew Shepard
and the Shepard family, who after 10 years of Judy Shepard’s patience,
endurance and resolve, were successful in spearheading the recently passed
Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act bill which was signed into law by
President Barack Obama on October 28, 2009.
Randi
Driscoll is definitely a talent whose star seems to shine brighter and brighter
with each musical endeavor. Sounding
like a hybrid vocalist of Martina McBride, Norah Jones and Sarah McLaughlin,
Driscoll’s live performance encompasses a down home, girl next door
sensibility with a vocal power and delivery that is part silk, part satin, part
angora and part steel as she dares to bare and share an emotional range few
people care to allow themselves to feel privately let alone on a stage in front
of audience. Randi Driscoll is
definitely an indie artist that delivers the goods in a complete package who
doesn’t ask that you fall in love with her…but she instead earns your love,
one powerful and beautiful song after the other.
Visit Randi's website
Visit Terry Christopher's website.
Return to GLBT Artists
The only GLBT Music ranking Chart Online Since 1996! Support GLBT Music vote for your favorite GLBT
Artists.
StoneWall Society Network Member!
Receive our FREE monthly newsletter |
Equal Pride |
StoneWall Society free web-based email, 6megs of space. |
Site Map
Site opened 10/31/99
StoneWall Society 10/99 - 2012