Concert review: Tiger Darrow and Emily Elbert at the Kessler Theater (December 27)

by Jessica Harp

Both were raised in Dallas and currently live out-of-state studying music. It was an impressive homecoming for the young performers.

Local music lovers got a special treat at the Kessler Theater in Oak Cliff on Tuesday night as two young DFW singer/songwriters, Tiger Darrow and Emily Elbert, performed a few tunes to tide crowds everyone over until they return to the city they call home.

Tiger Darrow

Darrow is studying music composition and theory at the prestigious New York University, and she was as endearing and adorable as ever as she performed tracks from her records – both released last year, Hello and You Know Who You Are. It seems that living in the Big Apple hasn’t changed her. She exuded a girl-next-door persona who is as optimistic as she is talented. Rarely did she take herself too seriously, but when she did, it was clear that she meant business.

Backed by bassist Allan Hayslip (who's not a mere “creeper,” but actually her uncle, she told crowds), Darrow performed some of her old songs and then debuted a new one that she had yet to perform for an audience. The new track, which she didn’t give a title to, will appear on her forthcoming record.

Although most of her songs are cute and innocent, Darrow shined during tunes like “Make The News.” She worked the mic as she performs: One moment she was singing so loudly and passionately that she had to back away from the microphone or she will bust a speaker, and the next she was whispering into it, drawing listeners in as if she had a juicy secret to share. Even when she forgot the words to a tune, she was able to make up a quick verse on the fly.

Her best song of the night, other than a sultry rendition of Nancy Sinatra’s “Boots Were Made For Walking,” didn’t include her stunning electric cello or acoustic guitar. Instead she used a loop pedal, which she had been incorporating into her performance for most of the evening, to loop snaps, claps, and harmonies a la Bobby McFerrin. Darrow warned the audience ahead of time that they were about to see something special, and she didn’t disappoint. Her performance demonstrated the talent that she has been cultivating since her time at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

Emily Elbert

Like Darrow, Elbert also attends a prestigious university, the Berklee College of Music in Boston. And again similarly, she is working on a new album to be released sometime in February. Elbert shared quite a few tracks from the new record, plus a few fan favorites and covers.

Her chill, laid-back attitude really set the pace for the rest of the evening, but when she got down and dirty, singing with fiery passion as she did for the Allman Brother’s “Whipping Post” which transitioned into Jimi Hendrix’s “Manic Depression,” it was even more apparent that this girl has some serious soul. At times her vocals were as easy as a summer breeze, but others were intense as a hurricane.

A world traveler, Elbert’s music has been colored by the many places she has been. There is a maturity in her music and a voice beyond her years. During her performance, she stated that one of the most inspiring moments she has experienced as a musician was when she visited Israel and Palestine and sang Bob Marley’s “One Love” with a group of people from different backgrounds and faiths. Elbert then mentioned that the day after the Kessler gig, she would be flying to Thailand to teach musical workshops in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy.

Elbert performed impressive covers of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” Macy Gray’s “I Try,” Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” and ended the show with an unplugged version of The Beatles' “Oh! Darling,” which she nearly lost her voice singing. But the most magical moment of the night was when Elbert invited Darrow to sing a duet of Texas troubadour Willie Nelson’s “Crazy.” Both of these women exude talent and powerful voices, and both on one stage made for an unforgettable night of soulful music.