I’ve seen Shawn Colvin perform three times; once in a college town bar in 1997 while I was a grad student at Yale, once in an old winery in San Jose, and then just months ago in my office when I sat literally feet from her and hoped I didn’t look too goofy or delighted in front of my co-workers. Her voice is lovely and melodic, her lyrics are like memories from stories you knew once, long ago, as a child. She is one of my favorite female performers, without a doubt.
It’s funny because each of the times I have seen her have been memorable for many reasons. Each was a very distinct period of my life. It’s amazing to look back and see how the concerts fit into my life. She was the only performer I ever saw at Toad’s Place, which is a fairly famous venue in New Haven, CT. I had just been through a fairly big break up and my room mate invited me to go with her. I was honestly grateful to be included in a girls night out and get out of the house. At that time, I only new Shawn Colvin from her hit “Sunny Came Home.” In that first introduction to her wider repetoire of work I became fascinated.
About two years after that, I saw her at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga. Her opening act was Mary Lou Lord, an amazing singer with a quirky sweet voice. I still very much enjoy her music as well, so I included her below as well. “He’d be a diamond” is one of my favorites (which was covered by Teenage Fan Club later).
In July, Shawn Colvin was in town and through a twist of luck, she stopped by our office for a little introduction to her latest album. She sang a few songs, including “Fill Me Up,” and spoke a little about herself and her daughter. She was charming and engaging, and gave us each a copy of her new album!