Whether you consider Kathleen Edwards one of the new “country rock” musicians or a representative of that hybrid genre known as “roots rock,” her show at the Stone Church this weekend proved that Edwards incorporates just as much rock as country or roots into her music and her persona. Touring as part of what she called an acoustic “solo duo” with fellow Canadian songwriter and band mate Jim Bryson, Edwards is currently making a sweep through New England before she opens for Bryan Adams later this spring. Her blend of catchy refrains and hard rock riffs, along with her alternately soft ballads and power belts, attracted a diverse full house representative of her wide-ranging fan base and demonstrated why she has been an appropriate opening act for The Rolling Stones and AC/DC as well as Bob Dylan. 

Edwards took the stage following opening act Joel Plaskett, who could be Jackson Browne’s vocal twin and whose jittery, loquacious energy proved a striking contrast to Edwards’ laid-back, conversational demeanor. Without introduction, she and Bryson opened with the thoughtful and somewhat melancholy “Old Time Sake” from her recent CD “Back to Me,” effectively tapping into the intimate energy of the Stone Church. But the tempo and mood of the opening ballad was not indicative of the rest of the show, which quickly blossomed into one of those rare musical performances where the artist breaks through the artifice of the stage and a dynamic give-and-take occurs between audience and performer. At one point in the evening, Edwards even jokingly chastised a man who tried to give Bryson a drink, saying “Whoa! What are you doing giving him drinks?” and directed the proffered shot her way, to the delight and applause of the audience.

This kind of natural earthiness seems par for the course for Edwards, who is self-effacing and direct, aware that the power behind effective songwriting and performing is emotional honesty.  For example, when introducing a new song about a murdered woman, Edwards admitted that the song was difficult to write but she felt compelled to finish it, because it had been such a raw experience. This is characteristic of the lyrics of the songs she performed, including most of those on her new CD, which often deal with rough-and-tumble life experiences even when framed within pop constructions. Her bluesy “Back to Me,” which she referred to as her “sluttin’ and whorin’ song,” is an up-tempo exploration of scorned love, and she’s one of the few artists out there who can incorporate into a song the phrase “you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me” without making it sound like the “look-at-me-I’m-so-hip-because-I-swear-in-my-song” manipulations of the Liz Phairs of the world. When Edwards sings such a phrase, it simply reflects the pain and confusion of love gone wrong.  This is what sets Edwards apart and explains why “No Depression,” “Rolling Stone” and “Blender” have all given her rave reviews. Her appearance at the Stone Church backed them up—Kathleen Edwards is a crowd-pleaser.