Photo by Cindy Dyer, Dyer Design

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell with Richard Thompson
Strathmore
Bethesda, MD
March 29

They played music like the virtuosos they are, but the real magic Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell and Richard Thompson brought to their recent Washington, D.C.-area concert was a warm, intimate vibe that enveloped the audience.

Credit the feel-good Woodstock geniality to the ease the performers have, with each other and surely their places in roots music. Clearly, multi-Grammy Award winners Harris and Crowell and the much-lauded Thompson, consistently ranked as one of the finest guitarists in the world, have nothing left to prove to anyone but themselves. Yet they each seemingly took great joy in dazzling the audience with their prowess and joshing with them like old friends.

“Let’s do a couple from the new record before we get to those timeless hits you have come to hear,” said Thompson, donning his wry sense of humor and comfortably as he wore his trademark beret and dark pants and shirt. “I mean, they did say it’s Bethesda so keep it simple.”

The audience, many of who likely know the finer points of Thompson’s storied career that started as a teenage guitar wizard in the ‘60s with the British folk pioneers Fairport Convention. Indeed, Thompson gave the crowd a full-flavored taste of his career, moving from songs including ‘Sally B’ from his 2013 Buddy Miller-produced album Electric to the hauntingly beautiful ‘If Love Whispers Your Name," and ‘1952 Vincent Black Lightning.’ And the audience couldn’t get enough, repeatedly jumping to its feet and cheering when members weren’t good naturedly engaging Thompson in banter, much as some audiences do in intimate, cozy clubs.

The British-born Thompson seemed very comfortable with the outspoken American audience, often turning to include the fans that lined the audience in the balcony above the rear of the stage.

“We love you Richard,” shouted one female fan, summing up the vibe radiating toward the stage.

Many artists would presumably hesitate to follow a performance by such a beloved master musician, but Harris and Crowell seemed energized by the warm reception their friend and Americana kindred spirit had received from the capacity crowd of just under 2000.

“The best job in the world is making records and touring with your friends,” said Harris, who fondly referred to Thompson as ‘King Richard.’ “When I heard this was a double bill, I asked who else was on it. It just can’t get better than Richard Thompson.”

As Harris and Thompson worked through their set list that moved from Crowell’s ‘Bluebird Wine,’ to Matraca Berg’s tearjerker ‘Back When We Were Beautiful,’ and ‘Black Caffeine,’ written by Hank DeVito and the tour’s soundman Donivan Cowart, it was clear they were second to no one.

Perhaps the most moving part of the duo’s performance, though, was the personal stories they shared. The two spoke of friends, such as Kris Kristofferson and Harris’ musical mentor the late Gram Parsons, their thoughts about each other ( “Emmylou has the voice of an angel, the soul of a poet and the heart of a cowgirl,” said Crowell), and vignettes about their friendship ( “This is one we co-wrote,” said Harris before the duo performed the title track of their duets album Old Yellow Moon. “It was inspired by Tulsa in 1976…when we listened to the whistle of a train going by.” )

When Thompson joined Crowell, Harris and their band on stage for a rousing rendition of the Crowell-written tunes ‘I Ain’t Living Long Like This,’ the Kumbaya-mood of the crowd only deepened, as Thompson, Harris and Crowell gave props to their band mates.

We’re decades beyond Woodstock but these musicians and their songs fully embody its generous spirit.