Tift Merritt

As always, Tift and her band were great! We really enjoy the new CD and the show was amazing. You can't go wrong with a Tift Merritt concert! Hard to sit still in our seats!

I was so happy to see Tift touring close by so I could not resist getting tickets. I have followed her music since her first record. This was my third time seeing her, I had even met her in 2014. Her set was lovely, a good mix of older songs with her amazing new songs from Stitch of the World! She looked gorgeous and the music was magical. Her voice and a pedal steel are a heavenly pair. I was very glad to be able to meet her and chat a bit, she is such a kind person and very gracious. A true delight! I bought these tickets to see Tift, I am not familiar with James, and I actually left before his set. The Birchmere was a great venue, my first time being there but will not be my last.

Wow, obviously James is an amazing artist and I knew I was in for some incredible storytelling and beautiful music. However, I was blown away. Tift Merritt was some of the best music and lyrics that I had never heard of. Despite the "new" factor, after hearing a couple of her songs, I felt like I'd known her for years!

Love the Birchmere! Tift put on a great show...heavy on songs from the new CD which I really like. Good mix of some old stuff....introspective and rocking songs. I haven't seen her with her band before (only as an opening act) which was a treat. She brought her father onstage as a special guest. I brought my 80+yo mom to the show and she enjoyed it as much as I did.

Another fantastic performance by this artist. She is one of the most talented writers and performers I've out there. The opening act - The Pines - also a great performance. I think the middle one may be a long lost son of Bob Dylan.

This was my first time seeing Tift in concert, after buying one of her first CDs about 10 years ago. She has a unique voice and plays a few different guitars (one is VERY well worn - - with scratch marks at the top and a hole or two at the bottom of the face of the guitar!). She also plays the piano, which I didn't know. Her opening band, The Pines, though, wasn't very good - - they played depressing songs and sounded like Bob Dylan on his last legs. :/ She could get someone much better to open for her!

Great show! Energetic, at times warm at times humorous. Great sound. The time flew by. Good mix of old and new. Her faithful fans were not disappointed, anyone else surely became a fan.

Tift's live performance brought a new dimension to the songs I had already enjoyed on her albums. Her energy, enthusiasm, and pure joy infected the entire audience, as if they even needed it. The musicianship was excellent, and Eric Heywood's pedal steel guitar, in addition to his guitar virtuosity, was a special treat. This concert was equal to the best I have ever had the pleasure of attending.

In a paragraph, Tift Merritt is one of the most talented entertainers I have seen or heard. I have been aware of her great vocals and lyrics for years and could not pass up the opportunity to experience the live show. Live and in person, Tift Merritt brings it all, and pours her heart and soul into every song. The live performance showcased an accomplished musician, strong, rich, pure vocals, and a beautiful lady with boundless energy. Also in person you discover her witty sense of humor, shared by her band (which was a fun little surprise).You could feel the connection and mutual respect between each of the band members. Seeing such a successful entertainer in such an intimate venue is a chance of a lifetime.

It is always refreshing to attend a show with good musicianship. Tift Merritt's band was solid, and Tift was in fine form. What a voice! The opening band "Dawn and Ray" were interesting as well. If she comes to your town, you would do well to attend the show.

This was the second time that I have seen Tift at the Ark in A2, and she was even better then the first time. She had her band with her and I was very pleased with that, as it gives a very professional background for her to sing with and adds dimension to her great song writing and singing. She was very powerful when she played on the piano as she exhibited a very strong voice and a lot of emotion. This is a singer/song-writer that she should be more highly recognized as her songs are great. I see her much more as a Rock artist in the sense of someone like Sheryl Crow then as a Country singer as she is sometimes categorized. I have seen her 2 times and would gladly see her again.

I love her music and was somewhat disappointed in her concert. She was in a small hall and the music was extremely LOUD to the point of having to cover my ears to listen. When someone in the crowd asked her to turn down the volume she said "we can't afford a sound man" and continued on. She played familiar songs and has a wonderful voice but she brought two guitarist and drummer that drowned out her voice and her music on on the piano and accoustic guitar. The drummer was particularly annoying. The guy on the slide guitar was excellent. The warm up band was actually much better. I would have much prefered if Tift did the show solo just playing the piano and guitar. Oh well, glad I went but the music was not as good as on her CD's.

Tift Merritt put on a stellar show at the Ark. The band was just loose enough to feel right, Tift was in fine form, and the audience, with the exception of one very lame and annoying heckler, was in complete sync with what was happening on stage. Tift and company provided beautiful music, great chemistry, and exceptional band dynamics that kept the audience interested and engaged. In addition, her warm, human, and friendly persona at the meet and greet after the show made for a memorable evening. I have been waiting for three years to see her live and this show was definitely worth the wait.

Tift and the band were right on as always. The songs that Tift performed from Her new CD came accross with a lot more energy and bite than on the CD itself. Standards such as Broken and Stray Paper are always outstanding. I can't say enough about what a remarkable rhythm guitar player Tift is. The band was very tight and Zeke was banging away like Charlie Watts. Truly a GREAT show!

An undersold show that might have been low energy with a less talented, professional, and engaging group of musicians on stage. Great energy from the very beginning; they enjoy playing together; and Tift has a voice that goes from Memphis Blues achey to pure and sweet melody without skipping a beat. Highlights: an unamplified acoustic solo on Keep You Happy-- the entire audience crowded close to the stage to hear every note and she had us in the palm of her hand. Good Hearted Man on piano-- again solo-- was a tour de force. Highly recc'd-- this artist deserves greater recognition for her voice and song-writing chops and a much wider following...especially north of the Mason-Dixon!

The previous times I saw Tift, she was solo acoustic and wonderful. With her full band at The Hiro Ballroom, she really showed she can also rock out. What a great, passionate performance with her top notch band.

Tift Merritt is a gifted songwriter and has a beautiful voice. Her drummer/husband is amazing, as are her guitarist/pedal steel player and bass player. They all look as if they are having a wonderful time up on stage--particularly Tift--she is an energetic and charismatic performer, though she was fairly restrained at the Birchmere (apparently she had a cold, though you couldn't tell it by her singing voice). The band, however, is far too loud for Tift's often-whispery voice. The boys need to back off on the testosterone-loaded play and let her sing. Perhaps it was the sound-person's fault, but the pedal steel was so loud I had to put my fingers in my ears! In addition, over the years her penchant for letting her voice trail off at the end of the words has apparently taken over her desire to have her audience hear/understand her songs--which is a shame, because they are very much worth understanding.

Tift is a gifted singer and songwriter. Unfortunately, the band overpowered her. The show was best when she was solo.

Tift concentrated on her new album, singing and performing very gamely despite a headcold (one of the hazards of whistle-stop touring, I guess). She sang with great fervor and feeling. Band provided able support, especially the pedal steel guitarist.

I saw Tift Merritt in 2008 at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and can honestly say it was one of the best shows I have ever been to. The venue was small enough so that she and her band members were able to harmonize a cappella, which they did on a few songs. Tift is totally mesmerizing live! I highly suggest seeing her live if you can!