It’s been nearly a decade and a half since Californian-born artist Alela Diane last performed at Whelan’s in Dublin, so the prospect of a return visit to tour her latest album, WHO’S KEEPING TIME, was widely anticipated. Now living in Portland, Oregon, Alela is part of that city's burgeoning folk scene alongside her stablemates at Fluff & Gravy Records, Jeffrey Martin, Anna Tivel, Kassi Vallazza, Jeffrey Foucault, Jim White and Margo Cilker. Also recently signed to U.K. label Loose Music, tonight’s performance is Alela’s first show in a tour of Europe that runs until mid-November.
In an ever-challenging industry for artists, it’s a delight that Alela is touring with a band, when many of her peers are finding it barely feasible to cross the pond and perform solo. Her band includes Paige Andersen, born in Nevada City, the same small town as Alela. Paige is also the frontperson of her own three-piece unit, Two Runner, who coincidentally Lonesome Highway saw play a wonderful showcase set at The 5 Spot in Nashville during AmericanaFest less than two weeks ago. Paige plays a well-received support slot, drawing much of her set from Two Runner’s latest album PORCHLIGHT. Incredibly, for an artist who started her career as a nine-year-old in her family’s bluegrass band, Paige announced that tonight is her first time ever playing solo. She also plays guitar and banjo delightfully in Alela’s band together with adding backing vocals. The other band members, who also played on Alela’s new album, were Sabastian Owens on upright bass and Danny Austin-Manning on drums.
The inspiration for writing and re-recording WHO’S KEEPING TIME was the passing of Michael Hurley, a major presence in the Portland folk music community, and tonight’s performance draws heavily from that album. In My Own Time, To Be Kind, Galloping, Dusty Roses, California, Wide Open Spaces, Piss Blood Coffee or Wine, and Fragile As A Flame all feature with the quality of the studio recordings expertly recreated.
Playing to a full house and pin-drop silence (except one inebriated punter who barged his way near the front and insisted on talking loudly to his partner while Alela introduced the songs, there’s always one), Alela's between-song banter is relaxed and engaging. She speaks of her previous night in Dublin, fondly recalling a woman singing in the Cobblestones pub, getting drenched while walking around Dublin earlier in the day with Paige, phoning her father earlier in the day at 4 am America time to ask him the name of Paige’s family bluegrass band and speaking fondly of her nine-year-old red-haired daughter who innocently asked her mom earlier to count the number of redheads while she is in Ireland.
Giving the band a short break, Alela's solo slot includes a dip into her back catalogue, with a stunning delivery of Oh My Mama followed by Lady Divine before she reluctantly agrees to a request to sing Ether and Wood, which she notes is a difficult ask. Perched at the organ and after a few false starts, she succeeds with flying colours.
The band return for the final few songs, Nothing I Can Do, Fragile As a Flame and the quite stunning Of Love, the latter introduced as a song written to her young daughter when she was in a ‘cheeky to mom’ phase. The encore is The Pirates Gospel from the album of the same name, recorded over twenty years ago, ending what was a hugely enjoyable evening with a unique songwriter, vocalist and raconteur supported by a stellar band.
Leaving the venue, the long queue at the merch desk suggests that the stock of Alela Diane’s and Two Runner’s vinyl, CDs, t-shirts, and accessories will be well depleted early on this tour.
Review and photograph by Declan Culliton