In the 2010s, a distinct breed of singer-songwriters emerged. They were influenced by classic songwriters like John Prine, Lucinda Williams, and in Kevin Morby’s case, especially by Bob Dylan and the rootsiness of The Band — he played in the tribute The Complete Last Waltz — which he’s increasingly leaned into. While they drew on these classic influences, these singer-songwriters came up in the indie music world with its DIY ethos, as well as a penchant for idiosyncrasy and the noisy sounds of the American underground. At the Lincoln Theater recently, Morby displayed his unique lyrical and sonic vision.
A bit of a traveler, Morby, who was born in Texas, moved to Brooklyn in the mid-2000s, where he played bass with the noise-folk group Woods and formed the Babies as a side-project with Cassie Ramone of the punk trio Vivian Girls. He put in his solo debut, Harlem River, in 2013, and moved to Los Angeles later that year. He later moved to Kansas City, and his life there inspired him to write about themes of Midwestern America on his two most recent records, 2022’s This Is A Photograph and this year’s open, vulnerable Little Wide Open.
At the Lincoln Theatre on June 12, Kevin and his band played most of that album’s tracks, starting their set with “Natural Disaster,” “Die Young,” “Javelin,” “100,000,” “All Sinners,” and “Badlands.”
Watch Kevin Morby perform “Natural Disaster” live for The Bridge 909 Sessions on YouTube:
Kevin and the band finished their main set with the title, saving “Dandelions” for their encore, which also included “Beautiful Strangers,” which was recorded by the great Mavis Staples, and “Dorothy.” He filled out his set with songs from This Is A Photograph (the title track, “Rock Bottom,” which has nothing to do with Dwayne Johnson’s wrestling move, and “Five Easy Pieces,” which gets its title from the 70s film about a virtuoso pianist working in the oil fields, starring Jack Nicholson), Singing Saw (“Destroyer” and “I Have Been to the Mountain,” along with the aforementioned “Dorothy”), a couple from Sundowner (“Campfire” and “Wander”), and the title track from City Music.
Before Morby and his band took the stage, Liam Kazar got the evening started with an opening set. Kazar’s style leans more toward pop than Morby’s more rootsy approach, but the songs are solid and well-crafted. Morby, for his part, continues to be one of the better songwriters of his generation, as well as a terrific live performer, and his band did a great job conjuring the right mood and background for his songs.
Here are some photos of Kevin Morby performing live at the Lincoln Theatre on June 12, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Kyle Gustafson.
Here are some photos of Liam Kazar opening Kevin Morby at the Lincoln Theatre on June 12, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Kyle Gustafson.
