Indigo Girls Cap Historic Run At Mohegan Sun  

By John Voket

More than two decades ago, the talented musical duo of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers occasionally got to take up residence as the “house band” in various Atlanta and Athens, Ga., bars. Last week, after 14 albums and thousands of one- and two-nighters, the Indigo Girls finally got a chance to settle in to a venue for an extended stay, right here in Connecticut.

The Indigo Girls brought their tight harmonies and stimulating acoustic arrangements to the intimate Cabaret at Mohegan Sun for an unprecedented five-night run which wrapped up March 18. That series kicked off a short spring tour which will see Saliers and Ray trekking around the north and east coast before heading west to the Pride Festival in southern California in mid-May, and a guest spot on Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Tour when it rolls into Las Vegas on June 8.

In separate conversations with Ray and Saliers a few days before the run of Mohegan Sun shows, both expressed excitement at having the opportunity to play so many nights in a room they enjoy so much. But the payoff was seeing how loose and comfortable the pair was from the opening to the closing show of the series.

The opener on March 14 kicked off with the very personal “Ozilline,” from Come On Now Social, a tune Ray scripted as a tribute to her grandmother. Outfitted with banjo and mandolin, the number took on a hoedown flavor with the audience immediately hooting, clapping and singing along.

This mutual lovefest between audience and artists continued throughout the night, and presumably through the middle three shows, culminating in a raucous closing night performance that saw Ray and Saliers barraged with requests before virtually every song. Fortunately, the extended stay did allow the Indigo Girls to dip into their repertoire, pulling out material heard occasionally in duo and full band sets over the past few years, but seldom featured in any single performance.

The multiple night format also seemed to really boost Ray’s and Saliers’ sense of confidence on much of the new material from their latest offering, Despite Our Differences. Fans got to sample the haunting “Three County Highway,” which nearly brought on tears as Emily teased a lonesome slide guitar part complimenting the arrangement perfectly, especially during the opening night rendition.

At both shows, “Pendulum Swinger” brought the hard-core fans to their feet performing a loosely structured line dance that caused Saliers to laugh out loud during one particularly animated passage. Other new material trotted out during the Mohegan run included Saliers’ “Lay My Head Down,” “Run,” and the poignant ballad, “Last Tears.” Ray also shined on the hard hitting “Money Made You Mean,” during the closing show, and “Little Perennials,” opening night.

Flashing back to their humble beginnings, the pair did not disappoint longtime fans. Over the two nights, they produced “Hammer and a Nail,” “Land of Canaan,” an incredible “Prince of Darkness,” and “Kid Fears,” from Indigo Girls’ self-titled debut, the upbeat “World Falls,” and the seldom heard “Jonas and Ezekial” from 1992’s Rites of Passage.

Anyone in attendance on opening night might have thought they could never hear a more stimulating version of “Chicken Man/Bitterroot,” with Amy alternately screaming and switching to a near whisper as Emily poured out a compelling and snappy acoustic lead. But closing night brought a second pass at the epic medley which clearly outpaced the opening night performance by at least a few lengths.

Other highlights of the two shows included “Yield,” with Ray posing and pumping the rhythm guitar like a rock star, the beautifully harmonized “Wood Song,” “Power of Two,” “Heartache for Everyone,” “Dairy Queen,” and “Cold Beer and Remote Control.”

Ray took the first encore solo opening night, but was probably grateful that her musical partner was standing by close enough to help prompt the forgotten lyrics on an otherwise flawless “Cordova.” The pair also delivered the obligatory trio of concert standards, “Get Out the Map,” and two of their greatest hits, “Closer to Fine,” and the regular show closer, “Galileo.”

While it went without a title, Ray also revealed a brand new number which may have been called “Free and Clear,” based on the repetitive chorus. There is no telling when that tune may see the light of day on a new Amy Ray solo or Indigo Girls project, but it is evidence that these folkie road warriors are not resting on their laurels even though they enjoyed the luxury of putting their feet up for more than a night or two during this extremely satisfying set of shows at Mohegan Sun.