Brandi Carlile at the grandstand

Star Tribune photo by David Brewster

Brandi Carlile's love affair with the Twin Cities continued Sunday at the State Fair grandstand. While it was a crowd-pleasing, 90-minute performance that produced three standing ovations, it didn't measure up to some of the bravura concerts Carlile has given here. In my review, I detailed her shortcomings, including lack of surprises, spontaneity and explosiveness. I didn't have space to mention the contributions of her fine band – Josh Neumann's cello (which added depth and class and subbed for fiddle on country tunes), Allison Miller's booming kick drum, and the harmonies, energy and visual coolness of the twins, guitarist Tim and bassist Phil Hanseroth (they did a compelling rendition of Simon & Garfunkel's Sound of Silence with distinctive brotherly harmonies). When Carlile played a free-wheeling show at the O'Shaughnessy in September 2009, she previewed eight songs from her then-forthcoming "Give Up the Ghost," her third album, due in October. At the fair, she offered only five "Ghost" numbers. But she did double-packs of the Beatles and Johnny Cash, and covers of Willie Nelson and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Throughout the concert, Carlile gushed about the Twin Cities (and all the places she's played here) like a fair-goer detailing all the sweet and carbo-laden delicacies consumed at the Great Minnesota Get-Together. Also picking up on the fair spirit were both of Carlile's opening acts – the Watson Twins and Amos Lee. The Watsons, the alt-country sisters who are striving to go pop, were better talkers (they want to harvest wind energy from giant spinning rides at the fair) than musicmakers (they're too quiet for the grandstand). Lee, the Philly acoustic soul man who (like Carlile) is a Cities 97 favorite, is more about art (soulful, deep music) than commerce (nothing catchy or commercial). He improvised a hilarious sung lead-in (about corn dogs, cheese on a stick and the butter, butter queen) to his soul seduction, "Won't Let Me Go," a perfect, in-the-moment set-closer by the perfect opening act for Carlile. One other complaint: the 30-minute intermissions after each of the opening acts seemed unnecessarily long. The band equipment changeover took about half that time. Here is Carlile's grandstand set list:

Minnesotter (a cello instrumental)/ Oh Dear/ Looking Out/ What Can I Say/ Closer to You > I've Just Seen a Face (Beatles)/ My Song/ Dying Day/ Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain (duet w Amos Lee, Willie Nelson song)/ Somewhere Over the Rainbow/ Dreams/ Have You Ever/ Turpentine/ The Story ENCORE Sound of Silence (by the Hanseroth twins, Simon & Garfunkel tune)/ Jackson (Johnny Cash/June Carter) > Folsom Prison Blues (Cash)/ Pride and Joy/ Let It Be (Beatles)