The Biggest Backyard: Kasey Chambers At The Bowery Ballroom, NYC, 7-8-11 In this modern day and age, going to live concerts has been replaced by youtube, family reunions by skyping, and tall tales whittled down to 140 characters. Kasey Chambers doesn't fly in the face of that (I don't think it's all that big a deal for her), but she does prove day in and day out on tour why ultimately technology doesn't matter, but people, and their songs and stories do. Kasey, her father Bill Chambers, Ashleigh Dallas, and a dude that looked like Faramir from Lord Of The Rings (I'm sorry I did not catch his name, but don't let the lack of a name fool you, this guy kicked ass), tore up The Bowery Ballroom with their old style country-folkisms (splashed with pop) on a very rainy Friday night. A stripped-down four piece, with band members floating between acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins, banjos, and violin, this round robin jamboree delivered on the promise set forth by one of Kasey's biggest influences, The Carter Family. You see, the Carter Family gave America a bonfire to sit around, songs to sing along to, stories to pass along, and a picture of a country you may have never been to, but nonetheless feel right at home in. Kasey does that in spades. It doesn't matter that she's from Australia, because the musical tales she spins have a border-less feel. Anyone that has lived and loved will find something that will resonate with them when being invited into Kasey's "biggest backyard" (for her, the Nullabor, for us, anywhere she performs). The songs ranged from her brand new album "Little Bird", to her first album (She claimed she has performed "The Captain" at every solo show she has done). Peppering the set list were funny, charming stories about her friends and family (one that's about to get bigger-she was six months pregnant) and home, that made me feel like I was invited to an awesome family bar-b-que, and upon arrival made to feel like completely one of their own. It's this easy rapport with the audience that I found completely enchanting. You need not know her songs or her history to feel like one of the family. The band surrounding her were tight and loose at the same time. The best kind of music (whether it be rock and roll, country, pop, or what have you) is like this. The harmonies were pitch perfect, like the performers were totally in each others heads, while the instruments loosely gave those afore-mentioned voices a nice wide open field to play on. The fun attempts at bluegrass music (something Kasey fully admits that the band is not very good at, but love playing anyways) showed that this band will take risks just for the sake of making fun music. For example: bluegrass medley of "The Captain", going into the Bee Gees "Staying Alive", right into Michael Jackson's "Beat It". Completely hilarious and awesome at the same time. Kasey and her cohorts were ok with going off book, as well, throwing "Barricades And Brick Walls" into the set list (which I was able to get a pic of, so check that out) when it wasn't planned for. I walked away from this show thinking to myself of that famous Woody Guthrie pic of him and his guitar, across it reading "This Machine Kills Facsists", and thinking if it were Kasey, it would read, "This Machine Makes Us Family". Songs and stories should still be passed down this way: with laughter and tears, amongst friends and family, around a fire (metaphorical or otherwise). Good on ya, Kasey... Good on ya. -Jay Mazeffect www.kaseychambers.com Photos (click on photo see full size)