Jonatha Brooke

I wish there were more people there! really great show. Where was the press? Why was her name taken off markee?

The Plaza being a funky old but intimate theatre venue was invting - but Jonatha just exceeded every expectation. She is a true talent - both singer and songwriter and had a lovely interactive stage presence. I have seen her before but this by far was her best show both content and talent I have seen. Cant wait to see her again!!

This was the second time I've seen Jonatha live, and she is FABULOUS!! I am a musician myself, and she is an incredibly talented, gifted composer, vocalist and guitarist. She's also hilarious!!! I love her storytelling, and lively banter in between songs. She is interesting and Laugh OUT Loud funny. She is totally awesome!!

I have been familiar with jonatha brooke after her appearance on a bruce cockburn album a few years ago. there was something about the pure vocal quality of the back ground singer that caught my ear. so upon researching who collaborated with bruce on that album i discovered who those pure vocals belonged to. seeing jonatha live is a treat not to be missed. though her albums highlight her adept song writing and poetic lyric, it is the live performance that allows ms. brooke to really showcase her vocal versatility. i will see her any chance i get from here on out.

You listen to her albums and you think she's a good singer. Then you go to her performance and then you really appreciate her voice and talent. Very poetic with her songs, and it brings you to a different reality. Can't wait for her to come back and perform again. Thank you Jonatha Brooke.

Astounding artist! Perfect venue to compliment her voice, her personality, her people.

Jonatha was fantastic. She was funny, beautiful, and sounded amazing. I loved the small venue seating at The Ark. I definitely would go see her again and go to The Ark again too. I would highly recommend seeing her in concert.

Jonatha always puts on a good show, frequently great. Tonight it seems she was more on the good side.

Jonatha was, as always, edgy, funny, warm, and surprising at times. Her voice is amazing as well as her guitar and piano playing. NEVER miss her when she's in town if I can help it. What a gifted performer. The ARK is such a fabulous venue...if you haven't been there, you should.

Jonatha continued to entertain her audience with a variety of songs from the past and present. Even her most current music, written to Woody Guthrie lyrics, brought a timeless mood to an evening you wished would never end. Her addition of the piano to her liver shows in recent years has expanded her performance and showcased her incredible vocal range. Her acoustic version of "Eye in the Sky" made you hold your breath for the entire song. Jonatha is a rare gem you wish everyone knew about but you could always have just to yourself. Amazing!

This song is for everybody, even though it s only about me. The Birchmere welcomed two of today s best singer-songwriters. Lori McKenna is a Boston housewife and mother of five when she is not one of country music s most polished songwriters and a strong singer. Within a minute of coming on stage with her guitar, she began with a song about a poisonous relationship with a troubled man ( He s fifty minutes of indifference, ten minutes of look-me-in-the-eye ). The lyrics were so smart and musical the song did not put me off. Between her funny stories about her home life, she balanced the sadness with How Romantic Is That, a song celebrating a lifetime love. Lori McKenna introduced new songs, Sweet Disposition, and All I Ever Do, then drew a roar from the crowd with the opening guitar licks of Stealing Kisses. As her hour-long opening set closed, she played a favorite, Your Next Lover about a man picking up the pieces ( I hope she can fix you . . . I watched the stars fade from your eyes ) and finished her encore with the best of breakup songs, Make Every Word Hurt. Jonatha Brooke, a former dancer, has always seemed like a performance artist to me. She entered wearing a short dress with knee-high boots and a silk scarf. I had wondered how Jonatha would sound with her new touring band. She skipped a few of her most heavily melodic favorites and instead ripped into a diverse set of alt-rock featuring the talented, versatile band. Veteran rock bassist, Gail Ann Dorsey, a sinewy black woman with a shaved head and bare feet, played the iconic bass line of Lou Reed s Take A Walk On The Wild Side, which developed into Jonatha Brooke s Blood From a Stone. The two women harmonized the Lou Reed Do do do scats. Drummer Rich Mercurio drove a deep tom groove through Nothing Sacred. Ben Butler s bluesy guitar anchored All You Gotta Do Is Touch Me, and he ripped off the searing solos to Red Dress, which Jonatha Brooke introduced as the start of the angry waltzes. Every Jonatha Brooke performance showcases her wide range of music. She purring and shouted over the rocking band. Her unusual choice of covers Friday was Pat Benetar s Love Is A Battlefield. During the encore, she decried bitter political fighting and sang the plaintive ballad Deny. Fueled by the high-energy of the four musicians, Jonatha Brooke finished with rockers, Linger and Crumbs, and a gentle lullaby, Because I Told You So.

...so i am familiar with lori, and her ability to bring such honesty to her songwriting....real life in marriage, in being a mother, in being a human being...with the earthy vocals, twangy and soulful guitar skills, and writing that brings tears to the eyes of those married/unmarried, mothers or childless, and such a real commitment to being truly, deeply in love in the most honest sense. always moving, always real, always inspiring! i knew much less about jonatha, but was really impressed with the energy and edginess of someone portrayed more "folky" , and less interesting on her site. she did not do herself justice on that site! she was great! the show was fun, and did what music should do.........got the heart, and the soul, whirring and spinning.

I saw Jonatha over 10 years ago at the Birchmere and was blown away by her performance then. Thought it would be hard to top her show I saw over a decade ago. i was wrong, she was unbelievable. Stronger voice than ever and her band was amazingly tight. Sounded as if they'd been playing together forever. Her bass player especially was awe inspiring. All in all an amazing evening. Had never heard Lori McKenna before, but she was funny when talking in between songs, and her lyrics were achingly real and beautiful. I'm a new fan. Loved every minute of this show from both artists. They "brought it!"

What a wonderful evening at the Birchmere. Lori McKeena had a marvelously soulful and witty opening set, to be following by the Amazing Jonatha Brooke and her Band. From the moment Jonatha literally jumped onto the stage with the wonderful song Hearsay, she and her Band rocked the House. The melodies and harmonies were mesmerizing. Jonatha did several great songs from her Woody Guthrie collaboration -- The Works -- often givng a bit of background before each song making you feel like you were there with Jonatha paging through the Woody Guthrie archive. She brought down the house with Linger to close the set, came back to a soft piano encore of a song about a person dying from AIDS. Then she rocked it out with three great songs to close an awesome. Another amazing night at the Birchmere. Jonatha Brooke was simply spectacular!!

Lori McKenna rocks. We adore her music and her entertaining style. We wish she would have played more of her older music and fewer tracks from her album which isnt out yet. We miss the oldies but goodies at her concert! Jonatha Brooke was good. Her French tune was great. She's quirky and interesting -- but I prefer Lori.

An energetic, entertaining and music-filled evening. Couldn't be happier! What a great combo. Jonatha Brooke's accompanying musicians/band were so excellent and had a wonderful sweet presence.

Check out Jonatha Brooke if you can live, & 'The Works' is a must-have album. Amazing songwriter and compelling performer. Opening act Lori McKenna was raw & direct, a very good vocalist as well!

Perfect setting for these 2 singer-songwriters. Perfect set length and several songs for the encore - not just one. Both Lori & Jonatha have the kind of voices that are even better live than on an album and they did not disappoint.

Good mix of variable beats. The crowd was very diverse. Old, young, hard core rockers, cowboys, etc. Everyone seemed to enjoy the entire show.

AAAAmazing...great performance and venue! The food is very good as well...JONATHA BROOKE ROCKED!

Jonatha and her band groove like they've known each other all their lives. The clear sound, the energy, and the obvious mastery of the instruments combine to make every song a joy. There wasn't a dull or wasted moment. My sister and I had a blast!

Even in the rain it was fun. She is awesome and you should definitely go see her!

Wonderful show. The artist was warm and personable, the band was great, the venue was intimate. And the food was divine. We will definitely go again.

Jonatha connects with the audience instantly. She was fun, energetic and sounded great. I guess her band-mates rotate. I've heard her with better harmonizers. All and all a great show though. The Tripple Door is the perfect venue.

Wonderful setting with delicious food. A chatty JB entertained the crowd not only with beautiful and powerful songs but also with plenty of anecdotes and stories about events in her life and Woody Guthrie. Great band and fabulous sound.

Jonatha displayed a great sense of humor and rapport with the audience. The audience was filled with all ages and was at the Oregon Zoo amphitheatre. Great setting, a little rainy, but the weather held out. Jonatha and her band rocked and the people had a great time. Her cover of "Eye in the Sky" was mesmerizing. She played for an hour and a half, but I could have stayed for another couple hours, it was so good.

She is a great performer! Very engaging with the crowd. Drummer was exceptional

For the last 13 years (since we first heard her on KINK), we've seen all but 2 of Jonatha's shows in the area (although we had tickets for them all, just missed 2), she is always good, if not fantastic, and sometimes transcendent. Last night was a bit short, and we wished for more of the older material, but it was still very good. I don't think she can deliver a bad performance, she's too good, and her material is exceptional. We can't recommend her any higher, and we cherish all the wonderful music she's produced for so many years now. We hope she never stops coming to Portland -- and we will be there!

Jonatha Brooke is one of my favorite people to see live. She is always so personable, fun, friendly and appreciative of her audience. Her voice is AMAZING and she exudes passion and emotion as she sings. In between songs, she engages the audience with stories, comments and questions. Despite the crowd of hundreds of people, it is like she is playing for friends in their living room. Everyone had a great time last night and the rain stayed away throughout the show. My only dissappointment was that I was hoping to hear a few more of my favorites and I thought the show was a little short. I guess I can't help but want more when she is such a fabulous entertainer!

great show. High energy even though it was raining