My friend Miriam and I took a little road trip down to Fall River to see the enchanting Callaghan perform as she has no Boston-area dates scheduled on her current tour. Well worth the trip! We enjoyed every second of her too short performance. Callaghan shines brightly throughout her songs about love, despair, longing and loss. Her impressive vocal range provides endless emotional resonance to the melodic songs tinged with a little folk, a little pop and a little country.

It’s not often that an opening act can turn up the energy in a room so quickly but that’s exactly what alt-country singer Callaghan did last night. Her voice fills the room. Her infectious enthusiasm for performing and singing becomes inherent during the first few lines of a song.

Playing on an acoustic guitar, Callaghan opened with “Smile,” a song she described as about someone “you might know in your life who just makes you smile.” It showcases her powerful voice and the sweet, emotional core of the song. She then played the upbeat, pop-y “Best Year.” Her intrinsic talent on display as she moved from soft to anthemic. Callaghan’s quite lovely and explains the songs and has a comfortable chit-chat with the crowd in between songs. The slow and introspective “Get Me Through Tonight” truly moves with Callaghan’s breathy vocals. She played keyboard on “It Was Meant to Be” and then performed “The Darker Side of Love,” a title she said she took from a film title she on a poster in the Tube. Finally Callaghan ended with a ripping cover of Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues.”

As Callaghan sang, we could see a beautiful sunset out the windows. While I wasn’t thrilled about driving to Fall River—all I’ve really heard associated with the town are drug deals—Narrow Center for the Arts is a delightful space for artists and musicians to share their talents. I’d go back.

2012 TOUR DATES:

5/25 Decatur, GA – Eddie’s Attic (CD Release Celebration, acoustic show)
5/26 Duluth, GA – Red Clay Theater (CD Release Celebration, full band show)
6/8 Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live (w/Matthew Sweet)
6/9 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club (w/Matthew Sweet)
6/11 New York, NY – City Winery (w/Matthew Sweet)
6/13 Nashville, TN – Music City Roots
6/15 Birmingham, AL – Moonlight On The Mountain
7/7 Durham, NC – Casbah (w/Shawn Mullins)
7/13 Three Oaks, MI – The Acorn Theater
7/22 Atlanta, GA – 99X Unplugged In The Park
7/28 Hayesville, NC – Peacock Playhouse

Callaghan website

purchase the album at Amazon: Life in Full Colour