Electricity was in the air as Johnny Irion took the stage for the latest installment of the Lobero Theatre Live! – American Roots Music series. Irion’s musical outings sans wife Sarah Lee Guthrie have ranged from rock with U.S. Elevator (heard from this stage not too long ago) to a more acoustically oriented and original take on Americana, from folk to country, blues and gospel. He’s a winning performer and storyteller whose songs are filled with yearning, a little nostalgia, hope and more than a little love. For this show he was joined for a few numbers by Alan Kozlowski on sitar (played lap-style) and Zach Gill on piano and accordion. Next up, the Jay Farrar Duo, made up of Son Volt headman Farrar and guitarist/fiddler Gary Hunt. Mr. Farrar has a distinctive voice and melodic style which he uses to good effect in his alt country musings and ramblings about life in the USA. For this show, he employed a sparer, folksier sound than his work with country rock bands Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt. Mr. Hunt’s excellent guitar work was a welcome addition to what for the most part suffered from a sameness that bordered on monotony. There were enough moments highlighting Farrar’s uniqueness to keep the audience enthralled.
