Laura Love ~ 2019 October 4 ~ Wamsutta Club ~ New Bedford, MA
Laura Love (vocals, bass guitar); Terry Hunt (guitar, backing vocals)
Videos
This Little Light of Mine
It's the Water
Review
I have seen Laura Love just once before, at the New Bedford Folk Festival in 2018, although Concert Going Partner was a big fan of hers in the earlier years of her career a couple of decades ago. She's got a big voice that draws from folk, gospel, and soul. She plays bass guitar so smoothly it takes over as the lead instrument frequently. Her accompanist, guitarist and backing vocalist Terry Hunt, backed her up with style and skill. These two musicians work very well together and show the type of rapport that the best duos in folk have.
Laura has a diverse range of songs, many touching upon the African American experience in this country. She was deeply saddened by the suicide of her sister a few years ago; Laura says that her sister was darker skinned than she (Laura), and that being a dark skinned person in a racist world caused her a lot of pain. But not all of Laura's songs were sad; many were upbeat and positive. Her stories introduced the songs with humor and sometimes important information about the song's origins. The two videos are a good sample of her material; "This Little Light of Mine," a joyful gospel song, had the audience singing and clapping along; "It's the Water" paid tribute to the Sioux Tribe who, along with their allies, protested the Dakota Access pipeline in their ancient lands.
This wasn't your run of the mill average venue. This folk music series takes place in a venerable old house, the Wamsutta Club, that was a fancy social club founded in the 1860s, located a few blocks up the hill from the water. The house still had a bit of a nose-in-the-air feel about it. The performance room featured a scattering of tables, enough for the smallish crowd. There was a food menu but no waitress ever approached us; not sure if you have to be a member of the club, or what, to get service. The lights and sound were good, and the quality of the concert was excellent, but I don't think I'll be putting this place on the list of venues you shouldn't miss.
Click for 2019 Concert Page with links to all 2019 concerts ... Click for Main Concert Page with links to all years