My colleagues recently waxed poetic on LPs by The Fling and Darker My Love. These bands comprised two thirds of a bill that featured fellow Californians, Delta Spirit, on a late November evening at Webster Hall. The concert fell in the middle of a month long tour that found Delta Spirit in top form as they peddled their latest offering, The Waits Room EP.
Released in November, The Waits Room EP presents five songs recorded live in front of two microphones at Prairie Sun Studios in Sonoma County, CA. The EP takes its title from a room within the studio that has been used by, and is named for, Tom Waits. In addition to beautifully reworked acoustic versions of “Bushwick Blues” and “Devil Knows Your Dead” which originally appeared on History From Below, the EP includes three new songs. The first, “The Flood,” is best described as a ditty, while “John Henry” is a hard hitting take on a blues classic. The final song, “My Dream,” is a slow and sumptuous ballad that provides a fitting last contribution for a year that has seen Delta Spirit achieve new levels of success.
The bands growing popularity was clearly evident on that recent evening in November as folks packed into Webster Hall for a blistering set that featured songs from each of their two LPs and The Waits Room EP. Delta Spirit opened with a raucous “John Henry,” and seemed not to pause before the final note of the last song, “People Turn Around,” had been played more than an hour later. Along the way, they enchanted with a tease of Pink Floyds “Wish You Were Here” that morphed into “Trashcan,” the crowd favorite “Bushwick Blues,” and the throwback “Streetwalker.”
This weeks dates in California appear to be the last well hear from Delta Spirit in 2010, but hopefully theyll return to delight their fans in 2011.
Delta Spirit – Bushwick Blues (Album Version)
Delta Spirit – Bushwick Blues, Live at Webster Hall
Delta Spirit – Bushwick Blues (Waits Room Version)
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