Patty Griffin in the Garden

Patty Griffin is simply awe-inspiring. I've been to many a concert, and Patty's performance at the Botanic Gardens last night was one of my favorites. She started off with a soulful cover of Sam Cooke's "Get Yourself Another Fool," followed by several songs from her latest album, Children Running Through. Overall, I was happy with the setlist, but I could have done without some of the songs, like "Stay on the Ride." "Burgundy Shoes," which is Patty's first attempt at writing a happy song, was somewhat disappointing live; it lacked the ethereal, free sound that comes across in the recorded version. Although that song seemed flat to me, the crowd still enjoyed it. I was pleasantly surprised to hear "Useless Desires" and "When It Don't Come Easy." Patty and the band really rocked out (and danced quite a bit) when they performed "No Bad News," which is one of my favorite songs on CRT.

Patty's set was shorter than I'd hoped for, and I suppose it was because of the firework show that happened immediately after the concert. She ended with "Truth #2," but came back onstage for one more song. To my relief, she and guitarist Doug Lancio performed "Let Him Fly," one of Patty's wisest and most truth-cutting songs. Her voice was still strong and beautiful at the end of the night. I went home happy and with that content, full feeling you get only after a concert like that -- one full of well-written songs that are masterfully performed by very talented musicians who truly enjoy making good music.