M. Ward graced Levon Helm Studios with his presence this past Sunday, March 27. The singer-songwriter, and fans alike, waited two years for this Woodstock show, and the wait only made the night more special. For folks who have seen a show at Levon Helm Studios, you know just how incredible the venue’s acoustics are, and M. Ward played the barn’s walls like they were instruments. He opened the show and silenced the crowd without speaking a word.
Ward began with ‘Duet For Guitars #3.’ This started the night off perfectly by showcasing some of Ward’s most intricately dynamic guitar playing. His pinch harmonics resonated beautifully throughout the studio, and his individual style of strumming filled the room with chords that sounded too full to have been made by a single guitar. The crowd erupted after the song ended and they had their first glimpse into what was in store for them.
Ward then rolled into one of his most popular songs with ‘Chinese Translation,’ which allowed his voice to take center stage and play with Levon Helm Studios’ walls. You can take a listen to M. Ward’s 2011 performance of the song that he did for Kink FM in the video below. This clip is a great representation of just how smooth Ward is, both in his guitar playing and in his singing. At times during the show on Sunday, Ward would step away from his mic entirely and allowed his voice to carry itself throughout Levon Helm Studios. There are few venues, if any, that can compare to the sonic experience in this setting with a musician as skilled as M. Ward.
M. Ward played his first of two covers for the night with his rendition of Buddy Holly’s ‘Rave On.’ He slowed things down in the best way possible, and truly made the song his own, almost unrecognizable from the original. Ward’s second cover was one that caused an interesting response from the crowd. The lyrics to Daniel Johnston’s ‘Story of an Artist’ come off as humorous to some when sung in such a new tone. The song was featured on his 1983 album Hi How Are You, and its lyrics explore Johnston’s lack of support and belief in his art from his family. It is truly a sad, sad song, but what brought out the laughter seemed to be the juxtaposition of Ward captivating the crowd with his musical abilities while singing lyrics about a family telling their son that the world will never like his songs. The two observations clash, but the effect is powerful as the laughing fans soon saw and felt the seriousness of Ward’s voice.
The show’s pace picked up for the final few songs as Bat Fangs came out to accompany Ward. The group rocked the barn after an intimate set of songs, and left the Woodstock crowd on cheering on their feet for a few minutes. The crowd cheered until Ward and Betsy of Bat Fangs returned to the stage, and started the encore like the show began, with a song off Ward’s 2003 album Transfiguration of Vincent: ‘Helicopter.’ The duo would go on to end the night by fielding crowd suggestions, and settled on ‘Poison Cup,’ which managed to bring one fan to tears even.
M. Ward just finished up the last of his American tour dates until June, and will be flying across the pond to play three weeks of shows in Europe. When Ward returns to the U.S. he will be playing four shows in Texas before heading back overseas to tour the UK. If you have travel plans, be sure to check out M. Ward’s website. For future shows at Levon Helm Studios, check out their events page.
Setlist (partial): Duet For Guitars #3, Chinese Translation, Fuel for Fire, Rave On (Buddy Holly), Vincent O’Brien, Here Comes the Sun Again, Story of an Artist (Daniel Johnston), Never Had Nobody Like You, To Go Home
Encore: Helicopter, Poison Cup
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