I have written about Carolyn Wonderland before, and will probably do it again. During SXSW she played two official gigs, and I saw one of them, the closing act on the Continental Club Friday March 15th. Carolyn is playing the Blues in Hell festival in Norway in September, and for my Norwegian readers who are going there, look forward to it and be prepared for an even better show than the last time.

You can read what I have written about Carolyn Wonderland and her band here. At the concert at SXSW this year she played a couple of new songs. It seems to me she continues in the same direction she pointed out on Peace Meal, where she mixes styles and makes her own gumbo of blues, country, rock and Americana. It works well for her, and it works for me, too.

Her band is still Cole El Saleh on keys and key bass, and Robert Hooper on drums. They are a very tight band, and I specially like Rob Hooper’s playing, both hard and tight, but at the same time playful and organic.

Cole does some amazing work with his right hand, while the left hand keeps a steady bass going. At the Hell festival, the band will do a concert together with Guy Forsyth, and that will be an extra treat.

Carolyn Wonderland plays and sings with an intensity I seldom see on stage. This is combined with a superb guitar technique and a voice that carries well and can be both soft and hard. Together this makes for a special experience for her fans, which was notable at the Continental Club this Friday night.

All pictures are © Per Ole Hagen and must not be used without written permission.