Eilen Jewell live. Q-Bus Leiden, Friday 31 May 2024

Photos Karen van de Borght

What a gift! Seeing Eilen Jewell and band play in a smaller venue with great acoustics is an immense pleasure. Singer, band and audience slowly built this interaction and mutual affection. "I am already missing you and wish I could take you along for the rest of the tour", she said at some point. In such a way that I was ready to believe her. It was the result of a relaxed and extremely pleasant show where all were ready to have a good time.

Friday 31st May was the first day of Jewell's weeks long tour through western Europe. We got to hear several songs played live in Europe for the first time. That makes the evening a little more special as well. Eilen Jewell is touring behind her 2023 album 'Get Behind The Wheel', that I have to admit had not heard and actually had missed. I heard many great songs come by and bought the album after the show.

I got to know Eilen Jewell by way of her 2017 album 'Down-hearted Blues, filled with blues covers. In facr "my" band played 'It's Your Voodoo Working' for six years because or it. Four of five members were at the show because of it. Songs come and go in bands. We don''t play it any more and so had Eilen Jewell and band as we found when we were asked for requests. They played a great version any way. And a beautiful song called 'Santa Fé'. I had not heard this one before and stood mesmerised. This song is so extremely beautiful and received a perfect rendition in the Q-Bus.

Eilen Jewell plays what I would call American roots music. One song can be more country, the other folk, the next bluesy and even rocking a little. She has a very nice voice, with supporting harmonies coming from drummer Jason Beek. She plays music that dozens if not hundreds of other female singer-songwriters present to the world. And yet, I prefer to go and see Eilen Jewell, Somehow the mix in which she presents her songs fall on fertile ground where others do not.

With Jerry Miller she has an ace guitarist who knows every guitar trick in the roots segment and plays with the a seeming ease that makes him look very cool on stage. Matt Murphy's upright bass gives the sound of the band a much fuller and warmer sound. Like she said during the show, I'm living my childhood dream: playing in a band and be able to say: "Hit it boys .... and make it smoking". The band received its moment to shine by playing 'Telstar' (if I'm not mistaken).

What I noticed during the show that more and more people around me got more and more in awe of the music coming from the stage. What I saw on the faces of people was admiration and that is the moment that an artist gains more fans because all these people will be telling about this show to friends. That was the big difference with the previous show I saw, in Patronaat in 2018. The big hall was nearly filled but some people left or started talking. This Friday it was pure enrapture. Like I already wrote, it was a privilege to have been present here. Q-Bus is a venue that comes closest to a living room show one can get. Artists like Eilen Jewell and band make sure it becomes one.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Eilen Jewell's music here:

https://eilenjewell.bandcamp.com/music