Minnie Driver
Feinstein’s at the Nikko, San Francisco, CA, September 11, 2015
Reviewed by Steve Murray for Cabaret Scenes
I shouldn’t have been surprised at Minnie Driver’s powerful opening night show at Feinstein’s, since music was, and is, her first love. Performing selections from her first two studio CDs, as well as some creative covers from her latest album, Ask Me to Dance, Driver and her band delivered an exceptional set of well-crafted, American roots-influenced rock and ballads. Her strong British accent disappears when she starts to sing, with her influences Alison Krauss and Bonnie Raitt flavoring her vocals. Clear and plaintive, her vocal style and keen affinity for excellent songwriters draw you into the lyrical messages.
Opening with her self-penned “Mockingbird,” Driver is a serious musician in touch with a great songwriter’s vision. She intuitively delves into a song to shine her own light on the words, not just to be different, but to expose a new truth.
Whether it’s The Cure’s “Close to Me” (Robert Smith), Crowded House’s “Better Be Home Soon” (Neil Finn) or the beautiful “Love Song” (Lesley Duncan), Driver lends a distinctly strong feminine approach similar to Lucinda Williams or Shawn Colvin. Adding a pedal steel (Tim Walker) and organ (Joe Kennedy) to the mix lend a country rock influence (think The Band) best displayed on “Beloved” (Marc Dauer, Driver) and “Cold Dark River” (Driver).
Right when I thought I couldn’t be more astounded by her set, Driver launched into a stunning set-closer of John Prine’s poignant “Speed of Sound of Loneliness” and a rocking encore of Paul Weller’s “Wild Wood.
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A lover of storytellers, Driver took the audience along on a beautiful ride through the contemporary Great American Songbook. As she says, she writes music because it’s “cheaper than therapy.
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” If performing is her remedy, then I say keep with the program.
