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November 30, 2007 @ Cadillac Ranch —Heidi Burson & Friends
This past Friday’s birthday shindig for local chanteuse Heidi Burson ended up being a mixed bag of sorts, though no shortfalls to arise during that evening’s show would be attributed to the fine line-up of artists assembled. I arrived at the venue running late and, unfortunately, missed what was likely to be a highlight performance of the evening given by Denitia Odigie. Nevertheless, I encourage those of you who haven’t heard Odigie to check out this soulful folkster on the web at myspace.com/denitiaodigie. You will not be sorry. Up next was Mix Master Mandy. Fronting a tight backing group—the lot of them decked out in elegant western attire—Mandy and her cohorts delivered a solid mix of pop hooks, roots rock and even a little hip hop ambience courtesy of guest dj C James. As she promised early in the set to “rock your face off,” Mix Master Mandy did not disappoint. They’re headed to NYC next with no immediate Nashville shows on the schedule, but do keep your eyes and ears out for their imminent return. It was now time for the guest of honor to take the stage. Looking charming in a retro-style, Empire-waisted dress, Heidi Burson’s set started off with an audience serenade of “Happy Birthday” from us to her. She opened with “No Regrets,” her own piano playing accompanied by a guest on acoustic guitar. Though she seemed slightly nervous for the first song, Ms. Burson slowed it down and cooled things off as she eased into the next tune, a soulful number entitled “Shouldn’t Go Back To You.” One thing about Heidi that never ceases to amaze--besides her knockout songwriting and piano playing--is the fact that if she is indeed capable of hitting a flat note, it has probably never happened within earshot of another living soul. Unfortunately, her set was cut short by a few numbers due to time constraints. It was here things got iffy, as the next act--a local hip-hop artist called Cash Villain--was abruptly shut down by the bar owner before his first song had even concluded. While his urban style apparently offended the sensibilities of some of the Ranch’s good ol’ boy clientele, the decision to cut his performance drew considerable ire from Heidi and her fans. It was common knowledge that she booked the show herself, and made the owner well-aware of the bands that would be performing as well as each band’s particular style of music. In addition to this little debacle, the entire show was cut short and the scheduled group Janissary was never even permitted to take the stage. Instead, the remainder of the evening’s entertainment consisted of a handful of weekend cowboys taking the stage to line-dance to the Georgia Satellites. Oh well. At any rate, kudos still go out to Heidi Burson and Mix Master Mandy for trying to give those interested a good show and delivering resoundingly on that intention. —Matthew Woodard |
