By Jon Bream

Emmylou Harris has been one of my favorite singers since the 1970s. However, in recent years, her concerts have become more and more downbeat as her music has evolved into introspective art-rock and low-key folk/bluegrass. Her low-energy performance Sunday at Mystic Lake Casino felt more like a recital than a concert.

Harris explained that everyone knows that she sings about death, divorce and cheating. Nothing wrong with that. Except she filled her 95-minute set with songs that were slow and slower. And her conversation didn't spice up the proceedings. In fact, a few times she spent the between-song moments tuning her acoustic guitar to the delight of no one.

Backed by the top-notch bluegrassy Red Dirt Boys, Harris reached back for a couple of her early country hits, "Two More Bottles of Wine" and "Together Again," to the delight of her longtime fans. However, she concentrated mostly on material from the past 15 years, including "Orphan Girl," "Red Dirt Girl" and several tunes from last year's "All I Intended To Be."

By contrast, Buddy Miller's opening set was everything that Emmylou's wasn't. He was chatty, charming and funny, talking about his heart surgery, Bob Dylan's Christmas album and his wife and songwriting partner, Julie, who was at home. And his performance was as warm as his patter. He was joined by Emmylou for two songs, including the old Left Banke nugget, "Walk Away Renee."

Emmylou Harris' set list: Here I Am/ Orphan Girl/ Red Dirt Girl/ Sailing Round the Room/ Raise the Dead/ Love and Happiness/ O Evangeline/ Jupiter Rising/ Two More Bottles of Wine/ Blackhawk/ All That You Have Is Your Soul/ Tulsa Queen/ Together Again/ Green Pastures/ Born to Run/ Bang the Drum Slowly/ Shores of White Sand/ The Pearl/ Bright Morning Stars/ Old Five and Dimers Like Me/ Get Up John