Best Concerts... Tift Merritt (Austin, TX)

Tift Merritt
Antone's
Austin, TX (2002)

Wandering the streets during the first year of the Austin City Limits Festival, we see Tift Merritt's name on the marquee of Antone's. Already familiar with her first record Bramble Rose, we were primed for a good show after an already long day of music. Man, what a show! In contrast to the laid-back vibe of that first album, Merritt rocked a half-full house for almost two hours, leaning heavily on covers ("Two More Bottles of Wine"!) and new tunes.

I've seen Tift a few times since then - she's already matured into a spectacular entertainer - but nothing beats seeing a new artist in her early prime. Nearly as good was her 2005 show in Nashville at the Mercy Lounge, but I was probably too wasted to remember the best moments.