Carpenter teams up with Lamott in show at Royce

By Kelsey McConnell
Daily Bruin Contributor

With captivating honesty and introspection, author Anne Lamott
and singer/songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter entered the show at
Royce Saturday night. On the stage littered with sound equipment
and guitars, Lamott, Carpenter and guitarist John Jennings took
their places on three simple, striped chairs.

Lamott’s signature dreadlocks were pulled into a tousled
ponytail and a long mint green scarf swept around her neck and
almost to the floor. Carpenter’s long blond hair gave her an
almost childish air supplemented by her knee-length black coat that
hung over her guitar as she was consuming the instrument.

Carpenter began the evening with the story of how she and Lamott
came to know each other. While on the road and lamenting her
dog’s fatal illness, Carpenter started skipping soundchecks
and using the time instead to peruse the internet. She came across
a Salon.com column of Lamott’s in which the always poignant,
usually edgy Lamott wrote about the loss of a neighbor’s dog.
Touched by the article, Carpenter began an e-mail correspondence
with Lamott.

“It’s a gift to know her,” Carpenter
concluded.

“(This performance) is a fun way for somebody else to pay
for us to get together,” said Lamott.

Introductions aside, Lamott began a medley of readings from
“Operating Instructions,” a non-fiction account of her
son’s first year and her own single-motherhood.

After Lamott’s reading, Carpenter told the audience that
this show is the best gig she’s ever had and commenced to
play “The Hard Way,” a song off her 1992
double-platinum selling album “Come On Come On.”

The rest of the night oscillated between readings and songs,
showcasing Lamott’s literary wit and Carpenter’s
sensitive country sound. As well as “Operating
Instructions,” Lamott read from her novel “Crooked
Little Heart,” her “Traveling Mercies” a
compilation of autobiographical essays on faith and even her newest
novel titled “Blue Shoe” coming out in the fall.

The portions of “Blue Shoe” that she read
foreshadowed another work of the humor and sensitivity that has
become the hallmark of Lamott’s impressive writing style.

Carpenter’s laconic music and rich lyricism was
enchanting. Beautifully accompanied by Jennings, Carpenter ran
through her most recognizable songs like “He Thinks
He’ll Keep Her” as well numbers from her new album
“TIME * SEX * LOVE.” Her performance of “Haley
Came to Jackson” was a sweet tribute to Eudora Welty whose
collection of essays, “One Writer’s Beginnings,”
Carpenter claims as a major source of inspiration. Carpenter also
sighted Lamott’s work for their inspirational value.

“I go to “˜Bird by Bird’ when I’ve lost
my compass, and I get my sense of direction back,” she
said.

The audience responded joyfully to both women, and Lamott and
Carpenter indulged audience outbursts by responding right back.

Lamott paused between pieces to describe a glow-stick bearing
sect of Carpenter fans who show their appreciation for the singer
through the effusive enthusiasm they bring to shows.

Lamott contrasted the invigorated group with her own fans.

“The people who come to hear me are angry and they have
dimply thighs and won’t work out and don’t have glow
sticks,” Lamott said.

Her uncensored honesty with the audience was a trademark of her
exchanges with its members.

After an audience member declared her love for the writer,
Lamott said, “Well thank you, that’s very sweet, but
I’m bitter.”

The combination of Lamott and Carpenter became a fascinating
portrayal of beauty for the sold-out Royce Hall audience. Their
authentic artistry proved itself very real and human.

Even when playing songs that were crowd favorites or reading
passages from books dog-eared by many a reader, the women’s
words and notes stayed fresh through their incredibly timeless
resonance.