John Hiatt Feted by Fellow Americana Stars in Splendid Troubadour Tribute Show: Concert Review
John Hiatt Feted by Fellow Americana Stars in Splendid Troubadour Tribute Show: Concert Review
“Let’s go to WeHo in the meantime” doesn’t have the same ring to it, but legendary singer-songwriter and longtime Tennessean resident John Hiatt returned to his old haunts in L.A. to be serenaded by a parade of boldface admirers Saturday at a benefit show at the Troubadour. The combination of classic material and an A-list of artists from multiple generations would have been enough to melt anyone’s icy blue heart, even the chilly woman who was the subject of the old Hiatt ballad of that name.
The occasion was the Americana Music Association‘s pre-Grammy celebration. (Can we call it a pre-Grammy gala? No, legally, probably not.) For most of the last 13 years the event has taken place at the Troubadour on the eve of Music’s Biggest Night, offering an annual chance to experience what is arguably the L.A. music scene’s most bodacious night, in the form of a tribute to a legend in the wide-open field of what is loosely qualified as American roots music. The Hiatt salute followed in the tradition of one given in honor of Paul Simon in 2024 and shows celebrating the music of Willie Nelson, John Prine, Loretta Lynn, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris and other luminaries in the years prior to that. Occasionally, as in the case of the late Prine, the artist will come and wrap up the evening himself, as Hiatt did in this exemplary instance... READ FULL ONLINE ARTICLE
