It's been a while since I have seen Anna Johnson.  Each time I do, I am happier.  She is developing more stage presence, her music is more confident.   Tonight, Chippewa Falls High School played host to Anna Johnson.  Once local, she and her band  are now living in Nashville.  They came here, to Anna's home, for her CD release party.    It was a great party.  The music was good.  I thought Anna was looking great.  She seemed relaxed and happy, though she told us she was quite nervous, you couldn't see it on her.

(Sorry about picture quality.  The family camera was at another event.  I handed out a couple of stickynotes with my name and email, asking for some pictures but so far haven't gotten anything.)

Julia Johnson wins my prize for most improved.  No surprise to me.  I predicted it when I first saw her play at the Foreign Five.  She has a great deal of potential and her violin playing confidence is living up to it.  I like her voice quite a lot.  It continues to deepen as she enters into womanhood. It keeps getting better and better as well.  But Julia is much more shy about her voice than her strings.

I sat close because I wanted to see.  But, I think the sound would have been better a few rows back.  The Chi-Hi auditorium has ceiling mounted speakers.  Where I was sitting I could hear the band really well but Anna, not as much.  The drummer was in a plexiglass jail to contain the sound but there were still plenty of drums.  I am sure most of the crowd didn't have this problem.

It wasn't a capacity crowd, but it was a big one.  Maybe of 80% capacity?  I dunno, I have a hard time guessing this stuff.   It seemed like a lot of people to me.  The crowd was about 75% female.  I am thinking from 17-28 years old.  After the  show the audience was enthusiastically buying CDs as quick as three people could take money.  There was maybe a 20 minute wait in line for Anna to sign the CD.

What can I say?  I like Anna's new stuff.  Though I only had one listen.  The new CD is a mix of both new songs, and some of our Anna favorites.  I don't know if they are copies, remasters or new versions.  I haven't heard the cd yet.  And, even once I hear it, I will be unlikely to write about it.  I don't judge local artists recorded works.  I love live music. In my opinion every CD sucks compared to being there.

I attended the show with The Daughter, who is making her first appearance in these notes.  She is well below the median age.  She liked the new songs.  The Old Folks Song was on the playlist, and that is one of her favs, she was happy about that.

I think the new music might broaden her audience a little bit.  The song M.U.S.I.C. is quite whimsical, quite a departure from Anna's past style. They are no longer the sad, love lost ballads.  They have a bit more of a pop sound to them.  But, part of that was I had never seen Anna play with a full band before.  So, that is going to warp my perspective towards pop music a bit.  I was happy for this really, I was worried she might be picking up a country twang down there where it is all ready mid summer.

There were a few mixups on stage.   If this is a show that is going to start going on the road, it needs a debriefing at some point.   Of all places, the very first song, the opening number, the guitar was setup wrong. Capo at the wrong spot, it was in the wrong key. Anna shrugged these off with "ah well, these things happen" professionalism, and the show rolled on.  What could have been a tone setter, was forgotten.  We, the audience were in fact even rewarded for it later, because Anna re-sang us the opening number, Someday at the end of the show.  It was a song worth re-singing.

If I had a complaint, it was the song City Where You Sleep It was just too different in style from the rest of the show.  Lots of notes, tempo changes, discord.  Sorry, it was just wrong.

 

	Derek Luttrell and Anna Johnson sing Ol' Tom Joad
	Anna Johnson sings the title track to her new CD, Ready to Go
	Anna Johnson in trio with her band guitarist and Julia Johnson sing Not Going to Change for You
	Derek Luttrell sings his new song, Never Should Have Loved You

 

You can learn more about Anna by visiting the Music Wiki

Opening for Anna was one of my favorite artists, from Minneapolis, Derek Luttrell.  He sang us two of his older songs, spaced by a new song from February of this year.  Never Should've Loved You, available on iTunes.   Later in the show Derek came out to  sing with Anna, Ol' Tom Joad.  The two voices, Derek's low slushy moan, with Anna's crystal clean highs, dancing above it made for my concert highpoint.

Checking Anna's MySpace page, it looks like she is going to be playing around the area some.  Check it at: http://www.myspace.com/annajohnsonmusic

You can visit Derek Luttrell's web site at:http://www.derekluttrell.com/derekluttrell.com/Welcome.html

 

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