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Judging from her dynamic performance at Mechanics Hall Thursday night, Bowersox, an “American Idol” runner-up in 2010, has quite a career ahead of her. The concert was part of Symply Fargone Productions’ ongoing series of similar events.
It’s quite a drop from the millions of people who watched “Idol” to the 150 fans that turned out for the singer’s Mechanics Hall performance. Undaunted, Bowersox sang her heart out during a well-received set of mostly original songs.
Backed by a crackerjack band (keyboardist and mandolinist Rebecca Haviland, electric guitarist C Lanzbom, electric bassist Mike Friedman, and drummer Ben Artelis), Bowersox lit into “Everything Falls into Place.” Togged out in a little black dress and combat boots and with her trademark dreadlocks now shorn into a shoulder-length bob, she strapped on an acoustic guitar and presented her winning blend of folk, blues, rock, and country.
The singer ended up singing “Everything Falls Into Place” twice because of microphone problems on the first take. “This is a live show,” she told the audience. “We can do anything we want.”
Bowersox, a single mom with a young son, prefaced her tender version of “Home” by saying how happy she is after moving back to central Ohio to re-connect with her family. “Home is the place where the grass grows green,” she sang fervently.
In contrast, “Farmer’s Daughter,” the title track of her first album, was a dark piece about a dysfunctional family ripped apart by alcoholism. “All I ever wanted was you to be there for me,” she intoned in a yearning voice.
There were plenty of love songs during the singer’s stint on the Mechanics Hall stage. “Sunshine Brighter” had Bowersox singing about love as light. “You make the sun shine brighter,” she sang in a sparkling voice. “The light shines right through me.” This song will appear on the singer’s next EP, which is due to be released in May or June of this year.
Typically, Bowersox explored the bittersweet side of love with songs like “Now That You’re Gone” and “Til the Whiskey’s Gone.” Bowersox effortlessly swooped into the high register at the end of “Now That You’re Gone” and nailed the final note with perfect intonation.
Co-written with Austin, Texas, musician Charlie King, “Til the Whiskey’s Gone” took a more humorous approach to lovers trying to reconcile. Bowersox used a bluesy voice to describe a couple determined to solve their problems over a bottle of spirits “til the whiskey is gone.”
A common theme running through several Bowersox compositions is the sense of moving forward and not looking back. Her bluesy “Movin’ On” was just about that and had Bowersox belting out lyrics about “movin’ on.” after a failed relationship.
“Dead Weight” was in a similar vein. Bowersox was both plaintive and powerful on “Dead Weight” as she sang “if you don’t know I’ll tell you now: Don’t go beating dead horses, keep steady your course . . . if you’re holding on to dead weight, it’s just holding you down.”
Bowersox earned a standing ovation for her efforts and sang a rocking version of “Do It Again” as an encore.
Singer-guitarist Matthew Wade fronted the Worcester-based My Silent Bravery for the opener and won some fans with a half-dozen edgy originals, most of which you can hear on YouTube.
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