12.11.2010 - Martine Locke
December 22, 2010
The Earth House
Indianapolis, IN
We wandered into the Earth House on this blustery Saturday night, only to discover a cool old church that has been converted into a local community coffee house and performance space. We were pretty excited to see Trina Hamlin and Martine Locke perform for us in this amazing place.
The show opened up with Trina Hamlin, a Minnesota girl that I’m sure found the Indianapolis version of winter to be kind of a joke. As she was onstage, a large screen behind her showed home movies of her and her family swimming in the summer and then snowmobiling and ice-skating in the winter. This was a perfect setting for her show…particularly her song called “Winter Makes Me Think of Summer.” Trina is a very accomplished musician and it shows. So many times during her set, her guitar playing and accompaniment captivated me. The lyrics of her songs are intelligent and witty, but not too cerebral. I loved it when she would launch into the chorus of a song and give it some extra “umph” and grit in her voice.
Trina also told us some great stories about her life, learning to play piano, and not being “emotionally ready” at a young age to learn how to play classical tunes. Her interpretation of some Minnesotan blues was brilliant, along with her cover of Tina Turner’s “ I Can’t Stand the Rain.” Also, it should be noted that Trina’s songwriting ability is amazing…I loved her song “Jacaranda,” a song about a Technicolor purple and blue tree/love. I was really quite sad when Trina’s set was over. She’s just one of those artists that make you wonder how good music could be if more artists were like her.
Martine Locke then took the stage and instantly captivated us all with her great Australian accent and poo themed Knock-Knock jokes. Again, as someone who loves the simplicity of well-written lyrics and smart guitar playing, I was in heaven as I watched Martine tell us stories through her music. I loved “Smells Like Rain,” from her 2002 release “Fly”. It’s a passion filled sultry song. While Locke may evoke the Indigo Girls for many, I actually think her songs are more down to earth and relatable. Don’t get me wrong…I love me some Indigo, but something about Locke’s lyrics and hooks kept me thrilled and kept me thinking “Oh my gosh, she thinks the same things I do.” I also loved “Devil’s Clothes,” “If I Were a King,” and “Hey Girl.” Perhaps my favorites of the evening were “Final Breath” and “Rather Be.”
Locke and Hamlin did a couple of duets together, and during one in particular, a random lady suddenly appeared at the back of the stage with her dog and was dancing. Even though this was a very weird, random moment, I think it captured the heart of the evening very well: anyone can walk by a place and hear music that somehow compels them to walk in and have a listen. It is often those moments that we discover great things about ourselves, others, and the world around us. I think that is the goal of Hamiln and Locke’s music; to capture moments and thoughts that everyday people have and make you feel like you are not alone in those thoughts.
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