Who's going to see Lucinda Williams at the Riviera Theater tonight? I know I am. Ever since I caught Lucinda's show down in Austin during South By Southwest last March I've been telling anyone who will listen about her enjoyable concerts. Make no mistake, Lucinda is not one of those wimpy singer-songwriters who whines and moans about lost love and broken hearts. Instead, Lucinda Williams rocks out in no uncertain terms. She has a badass rock'n'roll band playing behind her with two (count 'em) electric guitarists and a drummer who sounds a lot like Led Zeppelin's John Bonham. Still riding high on the success of her critically acclaimed album, "Car Wheels On A Gravel Road," Williams has been touring the United States relentlessly. She has headlined various arenas, opened for the likes of Tom Petty and even taped a performance segment on that pesky "Sessions at West 54th" television program. In essence, Lucinda Williams has quietly transformed herself from an understated acoustic blues mama into a full-fledged rock troubadour of the highest order. To top things off, the Bottle Rockets are opening the show tonight, and if you've never had a chance to see these guys perform, you don't know what your missing. Yes, their heartland rock may be getting a bit more mainstream as the years roll by, but that doesn't mean that the boys have forgotten how to entertain.
by Mitch Myers
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.