Guitar Girl Magazine had a treat reviewing the Crystal Bowersox Atlanta tour stop at the popular Eddie’s Attic venue on Sunday night. Crystal is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress and came to fame as the runner-up of American Idol’s Season 9.
The show opened with Nashville-based singer-songwriter Liz Longley who performed solo with her acoustic guitar. Liz took the stage with high energy and a keen sense of humor and started with her new single “This is Not the End.” She continued with some of her original tunes “Bad Habit” and “When You’ve Got Trouble,” and a cover of Van Morrison’s “Moondance” from her album Hot Loose Wire, “Avery,” “You’ve Got that Way,” and ended with an emotional performance of “Camaro.”
Liz is a true talent with a bright future and as The Washington Post Express stated, “This voice won’t stay small long. Straight from Berklee College of Music, singer-songwriter Liz Longley traffics in the type of sweet, heartbreak-ready tones and guitar strummed melodies that seem destined to a bigger audience.”
Liz explained how she was invited to tour with Crystal—Crystal was walking through the airport one day and someone asked her if she was Liz Longley! At that point, Crystal had to find out who she was and the rest is history.
Playing her second show of the evening to a full house, Crystal Bowersox delighted the audience with a perfect blend of original music and covers of classic songs made famous by the likes of Patsy Cline, Buffalo Springfield and Janis Joplin. Her fans were given a double treat that night because it was also Crystal’s birthday, and she was greeted by an enthusiastic chorus of “Happy Birthday to Crystal” which later on an energetic Crystal shouted out a “Happy Birthday to Me” indicating she was truly psyched to be there with her fans and with where she is in her life.
The song list was robust in a two hour show that included her own originals such as “Holy Toledo” and “Mine All Mine” from her Farmer’s Daughter album and “For What it’s Worth,” a Buffalo Springfield cover from the same album. She also performed songs from her new album All That for This which was released in March of this year which included “Movin’ On,” “Dead Weight,” “Everything Falls Into Place,” “Home,” “Somebody,” “I Am,” “Shine,” “Till the Whiskey’s Gone,” and “Amen for My Friends,” among many other tunes.
After an audience member tossed out a reference to Patsy Cline, Crystal immediately picked up on it and acknowledged that she was indeed cast as Patsy Cline for an upcoming Broadway Show called Patsy Cline…Always, and then treated the audience to a hauntingly familiar and spot on rendition of Patsy’s hit song from 1963 “Sweet Dreams.”
Crystal showcased her unique vocal ability with range and power and kept the house rocking throughout the night. The evening closed with Crystal bringing down the house in two stunning performances—an impromptu duet with Marshall Ruffin singing “Hallelujah” and then closing out with what has arguably become her signature version of Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee.”
Crystal masterfully transitions from sweet, soft ballads to sultry blues, classic country and raspy rock and roll. To quote Randy Jackson, she can “sing the phonebook.”
For up-to-date tour dates and tickets, click here.
