A pop album that has been getting a good buzz in the media recently has been country singer Shelby Lynne’s Dusty Springfield tribute Just a Little Lovin’. She came to Cleveland last Sunday in support of the album, and backed by a quartet of seasoned Nashville musicians put on a well received show at the Beachland Ballroom.
Including encores, the nineteen songs set split almost evenly between the Springfield album and her own compositions. Lynne’s singing voice is almost similar enough to Dusty’s that she didn’t have to try to sound like her, and she hit the phrasing, for the most part, right on the nail. She opened the show with the title track, and followed with a half dozen more songs off the album. Amongst the highlights were a beautiful version of “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” with Lynne opened up by singing the first verse acappella, the Randy Newman penned “I Don’t Want to Hear it Anymore,” and the pop standard “I Only Want to be with You.”
For her own songs she strapped on a guitar, alternating between an electric and an acoustic. She touched on songs form all four of her earlier releases, including “When Johnny Met June,” “Jesus on a Greyhound,” and “Alabama Frame of Mind.” All of it was good stuff, and blended in well with the Dusty Springfield material.
It was my third sit down in seats show in recent memory at the Beachland, and it was a perfect venue for the show. The audience was very attentive, and showed genuine appreciation for the show. The only negative was the “I Love You Shelby/Thanks for coming to Cleveland/Please come back” self centered concert idiots who think they have a one-on-one personal relationship with whomever is on the stage. This also happened at Raul Malo and Marcia Ball at the Beachland recently. I remember it also happening at a Dianna Krall show at the Palace a few years ago. What can we do to get rid of these ‘self-important no one else really cares’ fans?
As always there are a lot of good shows coming up at the Beachland, check out their website at www.beachlandballroom.com.
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