The Jefferson Theater was surprisingly calm last Wednesday night when opening act Bhi Bhiman took the stage to play a set of songs from his upcoming album, “Rhythm and Reason.” The mellow atmosphere worked for Bhiman, who played his soulful folk-rock music with only an acoustic guitar, silhouetted by a single spotlight. He amped up the energy with his last song — a cover of Dire Straits’ “Walk of Life” — encouraging the crowd to participate in the song and whistle along with the tune.
Any hint of calm evaporated the minute main performer Rhiannon Giddens stepped on stage — the crowd immediately responded with cheers and claps before she sang a note. Giddens opened her set with a trio of songs that showcased her powerhouse vocals, and after pausing briefly to greet the audience, dove into a nearly non-stop set of folk and country covers that ranged from Patsy Cline to the gospel song “Can’t Nobody Hide from God.”
Giddens, a Greensboro, North Carolina native, got her start as a member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, an old-time music band which won a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album in 2011. She gained national recognition two years ago after participating in the concert “Another Day, Another Time,” which featured music from the Oscar-nominated Coen Brothers film “Inside Llewyn Davis.” In 2014, she recorded an album with Elvis Costello, Marcus Mumford and T-Bone Burnett called “Lost On The River,” which was comprised of tracks based on previously unproduced Bob Dylan songs. She is currently touring to promote her new album “Tomorrow is My Turn.”
One need not be a country music fan to appreciate Giddens’ talent. Her clear, strong voice tackled the most difficult songs with ease, and she proved adept at several instruments, including the banjo and the violin. Her onstage presence was powerful yet charming. Her banter about the similarly named pop star Rihanna elicited laughs from the audience, and she held the energetic crowd at attention when talking about her recent and incredible rise to fame.
It helped that Giddens’ backing band, most of whom are former members of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, were as stellar as she was. She let three of them, guitarist Hubby Jenkins, cellist Malcolm Parson and percussionist Rowan Corbett take center stage for an energetic performance of the folk standard “Buck Creek Girls.”
The highlight of the show was undoubtedly Giddens’ rendition of the Celtic songs “‘S iomadh rud tha dhìth orm” and “Ciamar a nì mi ‘n dannsa dìreach,” followed by a folk cover of Blu Cantrell’s “Hit ‘Em Up Style” that brought the house down. Giddens walked off stage after the Cantrell cover, but the crowd was eager for more, continuing to cheer until she came back for a two-song encore.
It was clear that the crowd loved Giddens and she loved them back, feeding off of the energy the audience exuded. Rhiannon Giddens may not be a household name yet, but if she continues giving incredible performances like the one at the Jefferson, she is definitely on her way to being one.
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