Mary Lou Lord "His Indie World"

Exiting the Wilco show at The Orpheum, we had a nice after-show treat.

My brother-in-law and I were going to hop to T and head back to his place in Somerville, but we hung around the station, because Mary Lou Lord was there.

I know she's not a huge, worldwide name, but at that point in her career (2001-ish), she was well known enough that she could book gigs at respectable venues.  She didn't have to busk to get an audience.

But she did it anyway, which I always thought was pretty cool.

Actually, don't know why more artists aren't out there.

For those who say they play because they have to, it seems like a great way to work.  Kind of like a comedian who does an unannounced set at a tiny club as a way to try out material, busking is a great chance to try out new songs on an audience, without subjecting something un-vetted on a paying crowd.

She took requests and I called out for some Richard Thompson.  Later she played an updated version of "His Indie World" changing it to something like "His Roots Rock World" substituting the hip indie bands in the original, for hip Alt-Roots bands of the day.

I always wanted to work the line in the original, about "Give me my Joni, my Nick, Neil and Bob" into something for mvy, because it seemed to fit us so well.  And our listeners would be sure to get the reference of the title of her song "Jingle Jangle Morning."  And "Lights Are Changing" just sounds like a song we should be playing.

But I don't see her on mvyradio when I hear these songs, I see Mary Lou Lord in the Park Street Station stop of the T, just playing her songs, happily, for those who wanted to stop and listen.


Hear "His Indie World" on Youtube.


Hear "Lights Are Changing" on Youtube.


Hear "Some Jingle Jangle Morning" on Youtube.