March 4, 2020

Tami Neilson & Jay Neilson, Auckland Museum, 2 March 2020: Concert Review

Tami Neilson and her brother/long-time collaborator Jay Neilson gave a thunderously heartfelt performance in the Grand Foyer of The Auckland Museum – treating us to a tasty helping of songs from her new album, Chickaboom!, some old favourites, along with a heap of wild tales of a charmingly misspent childhood. Read Veronica McLaughlin‘s review here.

The Grand Foyer of the Auckland Museum is certainly grand – massive columns, marble staircases, glorious artwork, with superb acoustics. The show was sold-out, a mainly boomer crowd. Small tables and stools were scattered throughout the room, a little cheese and crackers, plenty of wine and lager on hand – the atmosphere was rather like a posh picnic. With a large red carpet on the floor for a stage.

First up was Shore Collective, a very tight five-piece folk outfit featuring two guitars, dulcimer, cello and percussion. But their exquisite harmonies were the star of their set – so precise and angelic, wafting through the foyer like it was a cathedral. Sadly, with so many patrons still arriving, getting settled and talking throughout, I don’t think they really had a chance to shine. I look forward to seeing them again in a more settled environment.

This crowd was here for Tami and Jay. Tami opened the show solo, stepping onto the red carpet in a glittering blue-sequined dress and in a tribute to the wonderful acoustics, delivered an impeccable a cappella version of Patsy Cline‘s Sweet Dreams. Simply spellbinding, the sheer power of that unbelievable voice filled the chamber, wrapping itself around the columns, up through the balconies, laying waste to everything in its path. Whoosh! Welcome to ‘the world according to Tami Neilson’.

As the applause faded she welcomed her brother Jay to the stage. Yin and Yang. Where Tami is loud in every way imaginable, Jay seems rather circumspect, clad in a simple dark suit, sporting a pair of Buddy Holly glasses, yielding the limelight to his effervescent sibling. They’ve been playing together their whole lives, so it seemed only fitting they would perform the very first song they sang together – the pair launched into a playful take on the Sesame Street theme.

They followed this with the gospel inflected Almost Home, the first of many songs showcasing their delicate harmonies, a particular harmonic sound that seems unique to siblings, whose voices are genetically similar. For a moment, I was reminded of The Everly Brothers.

Anyone who’s seen Tami knows she is also a master storyteller. She recounted how bad-ass Kitty Wells was inspired to write It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels in response to Hank Thompson‘s Wild Side of Life, which got her banned from the Grand Ole Opry. And then launched into her own uber-badass version of the song.

From there it was wild jaunt through Tami’s childhood, her Aunt Dolly, Uncles Jerry and Kenny, the time her father tried to electrify his acoustic guitar, how her Grandma had it so hard, with Jay offering an occasional remark or detail she missed. All interspersed with an appropriate song, wrapping this first set with the uptempo Good Man.

Time for an interval. Refresh the lager. Take a breather – a Tami & Jay show is not a passive experience.

But in a few minutes, they’re back, with a costume change! Tami in a scarlet dress with a star-studded, fringed neckline – Jay in a matching cowboy shirt.

They kick off the second set with Any Fool With a Heart from Chickaboom!, a wistful song full of heartbreak, once again showcasing their beautiful harmonies, again reminding me of the Everlys.

Tami’s storytelling shifts to her life in New Zealand, moving here 16 years ago after meeting her husband on line. Having two kids in two years, the first of whom inspired the old-timey Texas. Winning the Silver Scroll award for the soulful Walk (Back to Your Arms). Becoming a NZ citizen, singing Cry Myself to Sleep half in Canadian, half in Te Reo. Her voice was so radiant I actually walked up to the stage to see if she and Jay hadn’t picked up a backup singer!

The set wrapped with a powerfully soulful You Were Mine off Chickaboom! No tender harmonies here – Tami sounding more like Aretha Franklin than Patsy Cline, shaking the museum right down to its foundations.

It’s hard to believe she’s got anything left, but she returns with a gentle lullaby, Sleep, full of soothing harmonies, giving Jay another chance to shine. The perfect ending to a perfect evening.

And a few minutes later she’s out back, signing records, posing for selfies and hugging fans. As was Jay, standing behind the table with Tami out front.

This woman is a star! There aren’t enough superlatives to capture her energy, her storytelling, her songwriting and… that voice!

The few complaints I have had nothing to do with Tami & Jay, but with the venue – and they are pretty minor. I wish the house lights could have been dimmed a bit, so the stage area was brighter than the audience. Obviously, as the museum foyer is not a theatre, turning them all the way down would have been a serious safety hazard with people sitting on steps, the tables and stools randomly placed – but dimming them a bit would have added a touch of intimacy and eliminated some of the visual distraction of people moving about. And the stage lighting was a bit strange, with a strong yellow light on Tami’s face. Yes, she was in the limelight, but I wished it weren’t quite so literal.

I also did the photography for the show, first three songs only. Click on any image to open a gallery of Tami & Jay and another of Shore Collective.

~Veronica McLaughlin