Two Good

Thursday night, at an early show at the Dakota Tavern. Two duos played some great music. First up was singer Miranda Mulholland. She didn't have a full band tonight, but her fiddling and the guitar work of Joe Phillips was sufficient for toe-tapping Shiloh, driving Whipping Boy, and poignant Emmaline. With Phillips switching to the double bass, he added some heavy and catchy bass to a few numbers. Mulholland ended the evening with the stomping Charity's Kiss and a saucy How Many Times ("A lady doesn't drink alone ... so take me home").

Then a stylish Amish man and a well-dressed airline stewardess took the stage. The bearded singer turned out to be Australian folkie Jordie Lane. He played a mean guitar (as well as some great harmonica) and sang in a powerful voice. The songs might have covered well-trod territories of love (I Could Die Looking At You) and break-up (The Winner) but they lacked the mopey navel-gazing of numerous new "folk" bands. The bescarfed lady was Clare Reynolds, who provided wonderful harmony and thumping percussion via an empty guitar case. The duo also had a number of story-telling tunes including a trip through Viet Nam (War Rages On) and a man at the end of his ropes (Dig Straight Through). At the end, Lane invited on stage Mulholland, Phillips, and several local singers including Jadea Kelly and Sarah Burton for some impromptu collaboration. So the night ended with two songs about dangerous women (The Publican's Daughter, Black Diamond) filled with wild fiddling and soaring voices. With talented friends, even a "jam" comes off as a thrilling performance.