Early in his set at the Sudbury Arts Centre, Sam Chase looked around him, at the dramatic interior of the converted church, and said, “I feel like we should be whispering right now…I worship the arts. This is a hallowed hall for me.” It was the first time The Sam Chase Trio had played in a church and, indeed, the venue was an integral part of this show’s character: its ambience, its glow under the lights, its tremendous acoustics. Throughout the evening, the sound expanded and filled the space, becoming almost magical. Later, Chase said, “Churches were invented so cello and violin could be played in them,” and, full of good-spirited humour, “We’re only going to play old churches from now on. It sounds beautiful. How are we going to do The Green Note tomorrow?” From the depths of Devon McClive’s cello to the twisting highs of Chandra Johnson’s violin the church reinforced and lengthened their sonic spectrum. The music was memorable and the context of St Peter’s was too.
On previous tours of the UK, Chase has built a solid and dedicated following. Many of the folks in attendance at his shows know the songs and know the ‘shtick’ – his storytelling, comic style, the joyful quirks in the performance and his routines. In particular, after a heartfelt song, he’ll say, as many artists do, “Thank you.” But in return, his audience is expected to call back in unison, “You’re welcome!” This evening was the same and plenty of the audience members knew what to do. Chase explained that this is what happens when people give thanks in everyday life. Why not in music? He laughed, “It hasn’t caught on as well as I thought it would!” Sam Chase is a genuinely funny man and a truly engaging live performer. Though many of his songs are emotional, with an undercurrent of weary sadness, he delivers it all with a rebellious streak, a witty turn of phrase, an amusing or heart-warming story and a mischievous glint in his eye. I’ve seen many acts live but The Sam Chase Trio is always one of my favourites – smiles and laughter and a sense of kinship and community sit comfortably alongside their clear musical gifts and the sheer entertainment value in the performance.
The trio opened with ‘Feel Sunlight Burn’, a great example of Chase’s storytelling and the different aspects of his vocal: almost spoken quieter narratives gave way to soaring highs, stepping back from the mic at the peak. Meanwhile fluttering fiddle and cello gave the song a richness and texture that continued through ‘New Eyes’. Chase’s finger-picking over elongated cello notes made for a gorgeous beginning. Then, playful violin mesmerised the audience and flew up into the arches of the church’s vaulted ceiling. There was an incredible precision in the way the trio played off one another and the instrumentation paused at key parts in the song. ‘Cold Night’ was introduced as, “…a heroic and victorious song about drinking too much and having too much fun.” With reference to tour manager James Partridge, Chase expressed a hope that one day people will write about the four of them and their legendary exploits, perhaps the support act Ella Spencer. Of course, this song about making legends of our own lives has a sadness at its heart and he said, “Not all our songs are sad songs but put violin and cello in and even ‘Happy Birthday’ becomes the saddest song ever.” There’s some truth in that. Chase’s gentle strum was lifted by those long notes and sweeping strings, and his voice, quietened in the verses, became a growling, guttural instrument as the song grew with a stamping beat.
‘The World Ain’t Gonna Spin Your Way’ was played as, “…a little pick me up,” after the emotional depths of those first three songs. It was gorgeously warm with a strong beat, foot-stomping stuff with swing and sway, and Johnson’s violin was once again superlative. Having developed a, “…strong circle of trust,” the trio then played a new song that they have been working on during this tour. ‘What’s Yet to Come’ was a welcome addition to the familiar set-list, particularly notable for the lovely backing vocals and the way Johnson and McClive lingered on certain notes. The words were typically philosophical musings: “Every song’s already been sung // Every story’s already been told…What we become is what’s yet to come.” Extended notes on the violin and sonorous cello swept in ‘A Lucky One’. This was an epic-feeling song with a particularly powerful vocal performance. Controlled changes in volume and gruffness and a ranging melody took us on a musical journey around Johnson’s swirling violin. Next up was ‘Carry My Bones’, a song about the devil from the, “Faustian spaghetti rock opera,” 2019 concept album ‘The Last Rites of Dallas Pistol’. Almost jaunty, with a higher-pitched vocal melody this song was all about the string solos. Chase knelt before McClive as her warm cello came to the fore and then before Johnson as her fingers fluttered up and down the violin’s neck. As the song built up, the rhythmic cello and plucked violin were really effective.
Chase talked at length of his affection for John Prine and the impact the legend’s death had early in the pandemic. He felt like he had lost a family member and wrote the tribute ‘John Prine’ on the night the great man died. Chase marvelled at Prine’s ability to distil complex issues into perfect songs and told of how his appreciation of Prine’s songs began long before he even realised it himself. His father used to pick up a guitar and sing ‘Angel from Montgomery’ as a bedtime song and for years – right up until he went to college – Chase thought it was his dad’s own song. When a college friend played the song, Chase was taken aback! It’s a charming, authentic story, made even more significant when Chase spoke of how he and his father had the opportunity to stand at the side of the stage together and watch Prine perform close-up at the 2017 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco. If you find the video on YouTube of ‘Angel from Montgomery’ from that show, you can just about see the two men, father and son, sobbing with emotion on the side of the stage. That bedtime song was played as the sun was setting and the audience whispered along with every lyric, a huge roar of whispers that Chase described as, “…the most beautiful, magical, musical moment I’ve ever experienced.” There’s a lot of Prine’s wisdom and humour in Chase’s songs and this gentle, heartfelt response to grief is a great example. Again, the backing vocals, twisting notes of violin and resonant cello were superb.
One of the evening’s highlights was ‘Lost Girl’, featuring Devon McClive as lead vocalist. Her voice was deep and warm, then rising higher, with sweet harmony backing from Chandra Johnson, almost sounding like Simon & Garfunkel as the melody lifted. It was powerful, emotive, epic. Chase announced that there would be three more songs before they pretended to be done for the night. His humorous banter included a folky rendition of the beginning of Iron Maiden’s ‘The Trooper’ before they started the slow finger-picking of ‘All I’ve Ever Done’ with its gorgeous layers and catchy tune that tumbles down. For the final song of the main set, they delivered a tribute to tour manager James. ‘Rock Bottom Has Never Felt So Good’ was loud and fun although still tinged with a touch of sadness in lines like, “Even the longest lives don’t last for very long.” For the encore, support act Ella Spencer joined the trio as they left the stage and mics behind, relying on the acoustic of the church to deliver their sound in ‘Chasing Windmills’. This tale of a love affair between two mad conspiracy theorists breaking out of their asylum was upbeat and joyous. Chase went dancing between the chairs as he played and the audience was encouraged to sing along and become involved. It was a glorious and funny end to a terrific evening of music.
A special mention must go to Ella Spencer who opened the evening with a half-hour set. I’ve seen Ella perform a number of times and this, under the tall ceilings and within the echoing stone walls of St Peter’s Church, was her best show yet. Every song was played with precision and apparent ease, fluent melodies lilting in the warm soundbox of the church, itself like a giant instrument of sound. Her vocal range and the control of volume and pitch were on display in ‘Late Night Train’. She continued on the acoustic guitar for ‘Can I Keep It?’, which had a more forceful vocal and strum. Again, the purity and control of her voice were in evidence. ‘Warning Signs’ was loosely based on sayings she heard growing up. She used a capo to change the key and gain a higher pitch on the guitar, while contrasting this with deeper, lower vocal notes, a really effective contrast that created tension before her voice soared. The brilliantly-lyrical ‘Scotty’s Tyres’ featured a rolling, gentle melody in the verses that became more explosive in key moments. Her words, at times beautiful, were also uncompromising in their emotion: “I really want to slash your tyres and set your car on fire // And that’s something I still might do.” Spencer only started learning the banjo in April but the instrument has become a regular part of her shows. The traditional American-folk of ‘Dink’s Song’ was next with lovely chord changes, up and down the banjo’s neck, supporting her softer singing voice. There was an effective moment when the banjo paused, leaving just Spencer’s voice. She switched effortlessly over to the piano for her final two songs. Describing The Band’s ‘It Makes No Difference’ as, “…one of the most dramatic songs ever written,” Spencer produced a beautiful, very personal rendition, quite unlike the original and very much her own; the tumbling high notes and her soulful voice were quite magical. Spencer finished with her brand new single ‘I Never Told You About Oregon’. This is a gorgeous song with a timeless sound and a melody that flows on musical currents. The themes she sings of are both personal and universal: “I hate the way memories fade,” the passing of time and relationships affects us all. Meanwhile, her voice subtly changed in tone, softer delivery cracking into sharper moments with the growing confidence of a singer-songwriter finding her signature song and style and time.
Having seen both acts several times before, I had high expectations of the evening. It was everything I anticipated, with the enhancement of the warm reverberations and rich depth of reflected sound created by the great space, stone walls and vaulted ceiling. Ella Spencer and her music grew into this space, before The Sam Chase Trio utterly filled it with the resonance of their atmospheric strings and Chase’s dramatically powerful storytelling voice. Both acts and this charming venue are all highly recommended.
