#and also a note made during my last apt was incredibly fucking wrong from what i had said before so i guess i now need to be

[avatar-aaang]

people are about to like me a whole lot less lmao

[themusicenthusiast]

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 – Lincoln Durham Unleashes a Fiery and Marvelous ‘Sermon’ for His Dallas Congregation

All photos by Jordan Buford Photography After the better part of a year away, Lincoln Durham was making his way back to Dallas, his Wednesday night show at Three Links being the final date of that current run that had taken him out West and to the Northwest before returning to the Lone Star State, and his North Texas fans weren’t about to pass up the opportunity to catch him. A strong gathering of supporters showed up early, being wowed by Onward etc. that duo putting on a wonderful set; and as Durham’s set time approached, the venue wasn’t too far from capacity. Fans of all ages (including a couple young kids sporting Lincoln Durham shirts) huddled around the stage, eagerly awaiting his arrival. Rather unassumingly, Durham took the stage at 10:02, some chatter of “There he is!” demonstrating just what high regard his fans hold him in, making it sound as if he were a rock god. That clearly was not Durham’s perception of things as he fiddled with his guitar for a moment before moving closer to the microphones, which were surrounded by his drum rig. (Two kick drums, a snare and some floor toms.) “Hey, what’s up, Dallas?” he asked in a nonchalant tone, the spectators roaring back at him. He had a 78-minute long set planned that would encompass everything from classics to current material as well as a look ahead, and it began with something from last year’s Revelations of a Mind Unraveling, “Bleed Until You Die” acting as a thrilling opener. The song epitomizes Durham’s style, being a perfect blend of undeniable rock ‘n’ roll, Americana, and Southern gothic; the singer and multi-instrumentalist injecting a bit of a demented flare into it as the refrain, “La la la la la, la la la la lie…” came around. Fitting, considering his brand of music and the manner in which he often delivers it makes him sound like a maniacal Southern preacher, and Durham’s message was just starting.

He next unleashed a couple new tunes, continuing to electrify the audience with his high-energy performance. Being fixed in one spot didn’t hinder his movements, as he took a step back from the mic every chance he could, wailing on his guitar, the thick and pronounced percussion never being anything less than commanding. “How are you feeling on this fine Wednesday night?” he asked, the fanfare in response to the previous song continuing as Durham mentioned the next song went out to “all the crazy people” there. The ominous “Bide My Time” continued the onslaught, and apparently, someone was hoping for something slightly more uplifting than a song with the chorus, “I will not go to heaven. Don’t believe in the other side. I’ll stay right here in gravel and dirt, and I’ll bide my ever-loving time.”

“That's about as light as it’s gonna get tonight,” Durham stated afterwards, laughing a bit after overhearing that remark. In some ways, the next number felt like an apt follow-up, “And Into Heaven” having some strong religious connections at times, or at the very least implying as much, and it was the first of the night that saw Durham put one of his cigar box guitars to use. The seldom seen instrument is a defining part of his arsenal, ensuring anyone who sees him will remember the show, and the sound he’s able to produce from the relatively simple instrument is something. It carries the same intensity as one of his six-string guitars and had the audience roaring. As he swapped back to a more traditional guitar he also slipped his jacket off, quipping that had been the wrong choice on this night and that the cool temps of the Pacific Northwest had made this Texas heat feel more intense. Durham knocked out one last in-your-face song for the time being, viciously striking his axe at times as he demonstrated his sheer prowess as a musician, after which he busted out something from 2012’s The Shovel Vs. The Howling Bones. The simple act of pulling a harmonica out was enough to excite the already delighted throng of fans who cheered the intro he added to “Mud Puddles”. However, the most impressive moment came at the tail end of the slower, moody track, where Durham held a note on the harmonica for what seemed like an impossibly long time. It was impressive to say the least, the audience beginning to clap before realizing he wasn’t quite done yet.

The gentler pace continued with what was easily the most emotional number of the show, “Mama”. “…Mama, lay me down. I still need you after all these years. Mama, whisper to me. Tell me to pick myself off the floor…” crooned Durham, being so invested in the song you could hear the sincerity in his voice, and as it began to swell, one noticed the feelings it conjured bleeding through on his face. It was a spectacular display of emotions centered around one of the only persons no one ever stops needing in their life. It ultimately trailed off into some gritty feedback and heavy percussion, serving as a segue into another cut from Exodus of the Deemed Unrighteous. “Beautifully Sewn, Violently Torn” kicked things back up several notches, even escalating Durham’s set to another level from what it had been during the first half, flat out shredding on his guitar at one point, further dazzling the spectators.

“How you doing tonight?!” he shouted enthusiastically as the patrons cheered. Someone even made an unexpected request, catching Durham off guard when they asked for more reverb, something he confessed he had never heard while performing before. He proceeded to get one of his cigar box guitars and subsequently laid it atop his snare drum. “Creeper” required something a bit different from him, the chilling and often pulse pounding track seeing him play the axe as if it were a slide guitar and going wild with it. However, the crowd seemed to respond best when he began hitting the other drums, one hand behind his back reaching over to the floor tom on his left side, as the song became a true powerhouse.

Before moving on, Durham expressed his gratitude to everyone for coming out, noting that since it was a Wednesday night he hadn’t been sure what to expect. “…You’re making it incredible,” he informed everyone, seeming like this was more than he could have hoped for, for his final show of the tour. “Preacher” was another highlight of the set as he offered another glimpse at some new music; and as things began to wind down, he had a few requests hurled at him. From someone wanting to see him “play the suitcase” to one of the young kids in attendance asking for a song that Durham regretfully informed him he didn’t remember. Instead, he had something to dedicate to all of the sinners. “Fuck thy sinful flesh!” he bellowed in a fiery tone, again sounding like a preacher addressing his flock. They listened intently as Durham took them through the tale of a man accepting his fate in his final hours, “Sinner” claiming a spot as a fan favorite, after which he converted the audience into a full-fledged congregation.

“Are you ready to join the congregation?!” he yelled, a hint of fire and brimstone in his voice. “It’s a congregation of miscreants and misfits…” he added, stressing it was welcoming of all walks of life and was certainly not “your daddy’s congregation”. “It’s MY fucking congregation!” he declared, swiftly launching into “Rise in the River”. Upon reaching the part that’s more like a sermon, he unraveled his microphone and removed it from the stand, stepping over his drum kit towards the forefront of the stage, putting a ton of passion and conviction into both his movements and singing as he continued to “preach”.

Following it was the subsequent track from his second LP, which he dedicated to all of the strong women in the world as well as the anti-misogynistic men. “If you don’t know what ‘misogynistic’ means, then Google it, because you might be one,” he quipped before setting up “Annie Departee” with its opening spoken line, “This here's a little story about a girl who can't seem to quit killing men…”. That was set to be the closing number, and what a stupendous finish it would have been, Durham tapping into his reserves and holding nothing back as he sprinted through it. But the fans were having such a blast (and by the looks of it, so was Durham) that he decided to give them some more, tacking an encore on to the main set. The touching and poignant “Clementine” was nothing short of gorgeous, the song drawing some strong reactions from the crowd as soon as it became recognizable.

The next song was left up to everyone to choose, the options being “Ballad of a Prodigal Son” or “Love Letters”. One of those young kids had another one in mind, though, and this time around he was wanting to hear a song still in Durham’s repertoire. He busted out “Drifting Wood” for him, much to his delight; Durham feigning as if he didn’t remember it after the opening licks, pausing briefly before tearing back into it. Upon finishing it he finally grabbed his suitcase, exciting everyone. The piece of luggage-which has seen better days-also acts a good percussion instrument, Durham keeping a perfect and often ominous beat on it as everyone watched transfixed by “Ballad of a Prodigal Son”.

With one song left to go, the musician took a seat, which was perhaps misleading, as it created the idea that maybe he had another tranquil song to do. “Rage and Fire and Brimstone” was far from relaxed, though, the dirty, gritty song finding him back on a cigar box guitar and giving his drum kit one last thorough workout as he brought the show to a fitting end, hoisting the guitar up in the air and removing it in a triumphant fashion once he was done.

Thus ended the greatest one-man-show on earth, not even every full band being capable of the same charisma and compelling persona that Durham effortlessly and expertly wielded this night. He was constantly in tune with crowd, knowing just what they wanted as he kept the performance raw and primal in a way, while also teeming with finesse. It led to the ultimate rapport, as he further energized and engaged the crowd, who in turn fueled Durham to push himself to his limits and leave it all on stage. His entire performance was a magnificent display of musicianship, demonstrating his various talents, from his slick skills on the guitar and drums to the sheer knack he has for penning songs, each one being vivid and highly story oriented. The new music fit that mold well, being in line with what fans have come to expect from him, a few of them even sure to become some of his greatest yet. I don’t believe that there’s another solo act that could deliver a performance the caliber of which Durham did. There’s a sense of refined chaos about his shows which in essence are the embodiment of rock ‘n’ roll. A slight hint of reckless abandon about it, then combined with the music that draws influence from rock gods, country icons and punk legends, it results in something truly both wondrous and marvelous to behold. If you ever get the chance, you owe it to yourself to see this one-of-a-kind act. It had been around a couple years since I first saw him, and while he was incredible then, this night was extraordinary. Durham’s a pioneer in a sense, nothing out there being quite comparable to his style. He won’t be home long, returning to the road on May 12th with a show at Duck Room at Blueberry Hill in University City, MO. That tour will take him out east and include stops at Rumba Cafe in Columbus, OH (May 16th), Mercury Lounge in New York, NY (May 21st), and DC9 in Washington, DC (May 23rd). After performing at The Masquerade in Atlanta, GA on May 28th and The Howlin' Wolf in New Orleans, LA on May 30th, he’ll conclude the tour in Houston, TX at White Oak Music Hall on May 31st. His full list of tour dates and further info can be found HERE; and if you don’t already have them, check out his releases in iTUNES or GOOGLE PLAY.