Mary Gauthier – Saint Luke’s – Glasgow

I had heard a few Mary Gauthier songs on YouTube over the years and recently bought one of her CDs, so I already knew she was a quality songwriter before heading along to this gig.

What I didn’t know was that I was about to discover another one.

Support came from Jaimee Harris and she was absolutely fantastic.

I’ve seen plenty of support acts over the years, some good, some forgettable and a few exceptional. Jaimee firmly fell into the last category. From the first few songs it was obvious she possessed the rare combination of a great voice and songs worthy of it.

By the end of her set I was standing at the merch table buying all three CDs she had for sale.

That doesn’t happen very often.

The good news is that once I got them home, they proved every bit as good as I’d hoped. It’s always a slight gamble buying music based on a single live performance, but in this case it paid off handsomely.

You can judge for yourself by watching her set below.

During her performance, Jaimee mentioned that she and Mary were in a relationship, which explained why she would later reappear as part of the main act, providing backing vocals and guitar throughout the evening.

It turned out to be a perfect musical partnership.

Then it was time for Mary Gauthier.

Some artists are singers.

Some are songwriters.

Some are storytellers.

Mary is all three.

Her songs are rooted in real life and delivered with a level of honesty that is increasingly rare. Between the songs she shared stories that gave the audience deeper insight into the experiences and people that inspired them, making the whole evening feel remarkably personal.

Given that one of her greatest influences was John Prine, perhaps that shouldn’t have been a surprise.

Prine eventually became a close friend of Mary’s and one of the evening’s most moving moments came when she performed a song reflecting on his passing. Like the best songs, it managed to be both deeply personal and universally relatable at the same time.

You could feel the connection throughout the room.

There was no grand production, no flashy visuals and no gimmicks. Just two outstanding songwriters sharing stories, songs and pieces of themselves with an attentive audience.

In many ways, that’s what live music is supposed to be.

The chemistry between Mary and Jaimee only added to the experience. Having already been impressed by Jaimee’s solo set, it was fascinating to watch the two of them perform together. Their voices complemented each other beautifully and their obvious affection and mutual respect brought an added warmth to the evening.

Looking back, this was one of those concerts that reminds you why great songwriting matters.

There are plenty of artists capable of entertaining an audience for a couple of hours. Far fewer can make you feel genuinely connected to the people on stage and to the people sitting around you.

This gig managed exactly that.

All in all, it was an absolutely brilliant evening of songs, stories and human connection, something that feels increasingly rare in the modern world.

If you ever get the chance to see either Mary Gauthier or Jaimee Harris live, take it.

You won’t regret it.

In fact, if you watch the videos below, I suspect you’ll be convinced of that yourself.

The footage includes Jaimee Harris’s superb support set along with Mary’s performance and some wonderful examples of songwriting at its very finest.

Jaimee mentioned that she was in a relationship with Mary and as well as being support she is also backing singer and guitarist for her. Mary was not only a fine songwriter but also a great storyteller. Well, you would expect that as her songs are influenced by John Prine who ended up being a close friend of hers and she even sung a song about John’s passing.

All in all an absolutely brilliant night of quality songs and a feeling of human connection that is so rare these days. If you get the chance to see either of these artists you should go. You won’t regret it. Just watch the videos above and you’ll be convinced, I’m sure.