Concert review: Bill and Kate Isles at The Open Door Coffeehouse in Arlington

by Kimberley Rockdale of Roots, Boots 'n Rambles

The Isles brought their own brand of sunshine on a rainy night.

Photo by Kimberley Rockdale

Kate and Bill Isles

The rain was coming down steadily as we made our way east on I-30 towards Arlington. We were running late, and we didn’t gain any time as our GPS misdirected us through a series of back roads, with pooling water, and winding curves. We had planned on catching Bill and Kate Isles’ soundcheck before attending a previous commitment, but by the time we arrived at The Open Door Coffeehouse, the stage was empty.

Our disappointment was short-lived however, as Bill and Kate graciously greeted us backstage, and sang a few of songs for us in their dressing room. Accompanied only by Bill’s acoustic guitar, their vocals transcended across the room, carrying us miles away from the downpour outside the windows, to a place where their harmonies drifted easily as a breeze brushing across a meadow of wildflowers on a warm summer’s eve. We couldn’t help but be carried away; this was real music, songs with a relaxed, seemingly effortless delivery that told vivid stories layered with truth and crystal clear imagery.

Bill and Kate Isles hail from Duluth, Minn., but travel relentlessly, sharing their talents for folk music lovers around the globe. According to Bill, they make their way to the DFW area about once a year. For those of you who missed this opportunity to hear them live this time, their current CD, Still Beneath the Moon and Stars, is the next best thing to being there. I slipped the disc in my CD player this morning and instantly relived listening to their impeccable harmonies of last night, as I listened to “Flood Waters.” The album, packed full of original songs, with the Cindy Walker/Eddy Arnold standard “You Don’t Know Me” tucked tightly away in the middle, will tide you over until the charismatic duo make their way to the Dallas-Fort Worth area once again.