Hayes Carll Brought His We’re Only Human Tour to the Good People of St. Louis
— by Carrie Zukoski
When you turn 50, things just shift (in more ways than one). And that’s what Hayes Carll’s newest work has done. The acclaimed roots/country/folk singer-songwriter has created new tunes that are being hailed as introspective and understated masterpieces that can be found on his new album, We’re Only Human, which dropped in August. He’s been showcasing his recent songs during his We’re Only Human tour around the U.S. and has a handful of dates left in the Midwest. Fortunately, one of those dates landed him and Gulf Coast Orchestra in St. Louis at the beloved, intimate venue Off Broadway on November 11.
The majority of his audience at this sold-out show could easily relate to the more introspective nature and leaned into every moment of his 90-minute set.
One of the rare concerts where earplugs were not needed, the night kicked off with opener Aaron Raitiere, who is not to be missed and will be with Carll for the rest of this tour. The native Kentuckian had the audience mesmerized with his wit in his songs, his jokes, and even a poem. (Go turtles! It was a whole theme—had to be there.) Raitiere strode on stage at 8 p.m. with his guitar and wearing a bathrobe, which didn’t last long due to the warm room. He was also willing to sell it, his shoes, his jacket, and most everything else (maybe not his guitar) for the low price of $300. The Grammy-winning songwriter’s 30 minutes went by too quickly with fun, catchy songs about a hitchhiking armadillo, ADHD, pick-up lines, and more.
Carll and backing band Gulf Coast Orchestra came on just a bit before 9 p.m. and the first thing Carll asked was if Raitiere kept his robe on the whole time. Carll and the five-piece band then launched into the languid honky-tonk song “Drunken Poet’s Dream” and the boot-scootin’ “Faulkner Street” off Carll’s 2008 album Trouble in Mind. The Grammy-nominated, Texas-native eventually interspersed songs from his new album that included the soft, eloquent “High,” the dreamy “I Got Away With It,” the languid “We’re Only Human,” and others. Highlights included the rollicking “KMAG YOYO” the ‘70s groove-rock inspired “I Got a Gig,” and, well, honestly, the entire roster of songs.
Thank you to Carll and Raitiere for an uplifting, lovely November evening.
See more photos from the night here: https://bit.ly/HayesC25cz
P.S. Off Broadway St. Louis has a plethora of great concerts coming up. Check it out.
