There was electricity already in the air at the Lobero Theatre as the first notes of Larry Campbell’s mandolin kicked off Shawn Colvin’s double Grammy-winning “Sonny Came Home,” and so began a splendid concert. Ms. Colvin announced she and the band were having a lot of fun and everything sounded great at this Santa Barbara stop on their “A Few Small Repairs 20th Anniversary Tour.” When she released her first album “Steady On” in 1989, Shawn Colvin gave a huge shot in the arm to the lady singer-songwriter genre begun by her muse, Joni Mitchell, and launched what became an avalanche of women following in her footsteps. She set the bar very high and continues to be one of a very few completely original artists in a crowded field of (often indistinguishable) women inspired by her inimitably sublime writing, exquisite singing and unique guitar style. This concert was a ringing affirmation that Shawn Colvin is one of the greats of all time. PS – she revealed in a charming story that “Get Out of This House” is not a break-up song. It was written as a self-admonition brought on by a serious case of buyer’s remorse.
