Gretchen Peters’ Storytelling
Singer/songwriter sings what she composed for others
by Joost Bazelmans
It’s really hard to imagine that someone who can fill a stadium in the USA only attracks eighty people in Venlo, Netherlands. But on the other hand, those eighty come especially for her. They know very well she’s written songs for the greatest stars in country music and for artists like Bryan Adams. And they also know she released nine critically acclaimed albums of her own.
A Gretchen Peters’ show means you have to listen. Something she enforces by storytelling about the songs she plays. Always explaining what the song is about and why she wrote it. Which forces the listener to pay extra attention to the lyrics. Something Sarah Palin had also better done in her run for the 2008 presidential elections. She used the song Independence Day as a patriotic statement in her campaign, where the song is all about domestic violence. Independence Day, by the way, was specially written for Reba McEntire, but ultimately recorded by Martina McBride. With the accompanying clip she achieved a Country Music Award for Video of the Year.
This evening Gretchen Peters performs some more songs she’s written for others. But fortunately also songs she released only by herself. Cherry on tonight’s cake is of course Woman On The Wheel, that will appear on her upcoming new album in September. Surprising is her version of The Boxtop’s hit The Letter as a tribute to Alex Chilton who passed away last year.
After two forty-five minute sets the show comes to an end. It’s unbelievable how Gretchen Peters has carried away her audience with her voice, her guitar and the piano, played by husband Barry Walsh.
An evening of pure music, perceived by an eager audience. Eager enough to beg for an encore which she rewards with another four songs under which Jezebel and Snowin On Raton. Apotheosis is the original version of the Martina Mcbride sung My Baby Loves Me Just The Way I Am that even gets Venlo off its feet.
NB: “Independence Day was not written for Reba McEntire
many thanks to Ruud Keulers for translation
to read the review at the original site, click here