Martha Wainwright and Sam Amidon @ Sage Summertyne Americana Festival. July 20

 Martha Wainwright (vocals, guitar).

(Review by Ann Alex)

What an entertainer this lady is!  Even if she didn't sing, she could make a living as a comedienne, telling tall tales.  She had level 1 of Hall One laughing all the way, with tales of how the songs came to be written, comments about why her hair was wayward (problems with the hairdryer).  Approximate quote  ‘I used to write songs about being unloved and unhappy, now I write songs about being loved and unhappy; my husband takes no notice anyway!’  

The songs were mainly about relationships, sung expressively in a voice sometimes sweet and somewhat cute, sometimes strongly dramatic, with skilled guitar played with aplomb.  Not jazz, but songs definitely from the stable of the McGarrigle/ Loudon Wainwright families, contemporary folk.  I didn't catch the names of all the songs, but those I did identify included Can You Believe It; Four Black Sheep (written for a competition); Radio Star; This Life.

The more serious songs paid tribute to the memory of the singer’s mother, Kate McGarrigle, for instance the torch song I Am A Diamond, an unpublished song about the ocean, and a song about the environment Prosperine. The concert ended with a lovely rendition of La Vie En Rose, sung without any amplification, as a statement in favour of saving the country’s energy.

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Sam Amidon (vocals, guitar, fiddle, banjo); Chris Valalayo? (drums, bass guitar, piano, electronic effects)

The performance had  begun with traditional and contemporary folk songs from this duo which made for pleasant listening with mostly good musicianship, except for (to my ears anyway) a few jarring effects from the violin and electronics.  But a good concert all round. 

Ann Alex