“When You Need a Train It Never Comes” might be the best country music song title of all time—it even abides by Steve Goodman’s Law—and it is brought to you by the fiddling/ukulele playing singer-songwriter Amanda Shires, who plays The State Room on Wednesday night.
Shires may well be the closest thing we have to music royalty right now. She was a member of Bob Wills’ back-up band, The Texas Playboys, when she was just a teenager. She married singer-songwriter Jason Isbell in a ceremony with singer-songwriter (and ordained minister) Todd Snider. And her daughter Mercy Grace’s godfather is singer-songwriter John Prine.
Shires is touring in support of her newest album, the critically acclaimed My Piece of Land, though she was last in Salt Lake just a few months ago when she opened for Ryan Adams at Red Butte. That day she did not play the fiddle, only the ukulele, but she will likely rosin up her bow for her State Room show. And even if she doesn’t, with her complex and personal lyrics and a voice that recalls Dolly Parton’s trademark warble, you’ll hardly miss it.
Amanda Shires plays The State Room on Wednesday November 8. The show starts at 8. Tickets available here.
