Lovers of classic country and American roots music would have loved to see Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams perform at the intimate FTC venue, Stage One in Fairfield CT. But people not involved in that culture may not have found show as much fun. It was a very, very laid back and low energy energy night, but that seemed to be just the right mood for the almost full house that attended, who gave the duo several standing ovations.
They played for about two hours and featured many tracks from their new self titled album and first collaboration together as well as a number of covers and originals from Campbell. Their voices did sync up perfectly and most of the instrumental side of the performance was intriguing, but listeners didn’t go there to be blown away by guitar solos and complex riffing and movements. They came to reminisce and dream about a country lifestyle while being stuck in Fairfield County, Connecticut, the least “country” place for miles.
The only notable downfall was the uncomfortable moments in between songs. The two were cute together but they were a bit awkward on stage with Williams lying low in conversation and a seemingly nervous Campbell stumbling over his words a little bit. The crowd didn’t seem bothered by his lack of fluency and found it to be more charming than anything else.
Many of their songs were of a slow tempo and about love and heartbreak, like “Midnight Highway” and “Running Wild” by The Louvin Brothers, and they soon gained some momentum with a few more from their album, “Surrender to Love” and “Bad Luck Charm.” And although the audience loved every song, there was a noticeable difference in the lack of applause after several ballad songs in a row. It seemed that they read the room and ended the night strong and upbeat with their encore that left the audience on their feet once again.
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