Artists who enjoy their lives together on the road, on the stage and away from it as romantic partners can forge a dynamic that is a pleasure for fans to behold in the live setting.
Shovels & Rope is one of the better-known song-writing couples out there today — Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent have officially been a duo since 2008, and in that time they’ve won awards and enamored fans of folk and alternative country with a long list of heart-wrenching tunes that can only come from two people who fell madly in love through music.
With six studio albums under their belts and with a seventh on the way later this year, Shovels & Rope made a return to Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis on April 10 for a resounding, impassioned performance to a sold-out Wednesday night crowd.
“We’re gonna get sweaty,” Trent warned the room of seated onlookers, some with full plates of grub in front of them. “Gonna be a bit of a rock show. Gonna be loud. … We’re excited to be here with you.”
Sharing refined cuts of numerous favorites and with an emphasis on new tracks in the works, Hearst and Trent showed why they’ve become beloved performers and personalities alike, presenting well-informed tunes with sass and fervor and with a timeworn style all to Shovels & Rope’s own.
Listen to Shovel & Rope’s 2022 studio album, Manticore, via Spotify:
Fans heard a sparkling, harmonious take on “Crown Victoria” from 2022’s Manticore and, in advance of the forthcoming record, the title track “I’d Be Lying.”
Several S&R hits were bundled into potent, impressive medleys. While each intentional word of their songs grabbed attention, their subtle and sometimes unsubtle communication — wide eyes of approval, quick head turns, hearty cackles — most certainly warmed the souls in the West Street venue.
It was a special occasion, too, as the opening act on this tour, Al Olender, hails from outside of Baltimore and was supported by a pack of family and friends.
Now based in New York’s Hudson Valley, Olender was joined by Hearst and Trent to close out her set and then was eventually invited back up to join them for an encore take on Bill Monroe’s “Sittin’ Alone in the Moonlight.”
Earlier in the set, Hearst recounted an adventurous spring and recalled the unusually wild times experienced alongside her longtime partner, including the recent earthquake rattling the Northeastern parts of the country.
Natural disasters be darned, Shovels & Rope concurred these days might very well represent some of their very best spent together across a fruitful career.
“Has this been the funnest tour?” Hearst asked out loud.
“It’s definitely been the funnest tour,” Trent set her straight.
“We’re musicians, and so our egos have been dead for thousands of years,” her grin was wide.
“We’re just invigorated to be playing this music for y’all.”
Listen to the newest single from Shovels & Rope, “Gotta Get Outta Here,” via Spotify:
Setlist
Wolves
Johnny Come Outside
Bridge On Fire
Hail Hail
Swimmin’ Time
Collateral Damage
O’ Be Joyful
After the Storm / Carry Me Home
Crown Victoria
I’d Be Lying
Love Song From a Dog
C’mon Utah
Birmingham/St. Anne’s Parade
Gasoline/Boxcar/The Devil Is All Around/Hell’s Bells
The Wire
Colorado River
Mississippi Nuthin’
Domino
Encore
Sittin’ Alone in the Moonlight (Bill Monroe)
Unknown Legend (Neil Young)
Below is a mix of digital and homemade black-and-white 35mm film shots of Shovels & Rope along with the night’s opener, Al Olender, performing at Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis the evening of April 10, 2024. All photos copyright and courtesy of Casey Ryan Vock.
Shovels & Rope
Al Olender
