Michelle Shocked earns standing ovation worth three encores

Screaming, screeching, jumping and singing.

Add some blues influences and rock and roll and you have the recipe for a stellar performance that could only be pulled off by a true original.

Singer-songwriter Michelle Shocked performed live Saturday night at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Audiences welcomed her with open arms and open ears as she told stories through both spoken word and song. She shared the story of the first time she learned to drive her hard-earned orange Volkswagen and how she discovered inspiration for one of her new songs, “Waterproof,” on the streets of Paris.

“I say there’s a fine line between a good story and a boldfaced lie,” Shocked said.

The audience of about 75 laughed.

She seemed at home on the stage, speaking to the crowd as if she were speaking to an old friend. She encouraged the audience to participate in her performance by assigning them parts to her songs.

Above her, a large painting of Audrey Hepburn by artist David Willardson captivated its viewers with bright reds, deep blues, oranges and greens that filled in the details of her face. But Willardson could not be there for the “HeArt” performance as expected, Shocked said. Willardson was expected to paint on stage as Shocked performed her music.

Shocked whipped out her cell phone to call him live on stage so that he could explain himself.

“Your call has been forwarded to an automated voice message system,” was the initial response, and the audience responded with laughter
again.

Later in the performance she called him again. Willardson said he couldn’t make the performance due to a scheduling conflict. Shocked kept Willardson on the phone to sing him her new song “True Story” from her upcoming album “Soul of My Soul,” about the story of when she first fell in love. Her entire next album will be compiled of love songs, she said, but half of them will be about a different type of relationship.

“My relationship with my country is a little worse for wear these days,” Shocked said.
The song “Other People” included the lyric, “I love you America, but I think we should see other people.”

At the end of her set, Shocked received a standing ovation from a audience, and she returned to the stage for an encore performance of three songs.
Some audience members said they were long-time
fans.

“I was a big fan of hers in the 90s,” Bloomington resident Lesa Peterson said. “When I was young.”  

One audience member noted her ability to make statements with her lyrics.

“I mean, a lot of the time she uses humor to make a point. They’re not just fluff,” Fort Wayne resident Carol Ort said. “She’s always trying to say something important.”

Overall, fans were nothing short of impressed with the performance.

“I think her voice is just amazing ... and her vocals are still great and her music is still relevant,” Bloomington resident Tim Clougher said.