Looking every bit the Texan that he is -- cowboy boots, jeans, and a flannel shirt -- Joe Ely casually sauntered on stage to a warm New York yee-haw. Joining the celebrated troubadour was Norwegian flamenco guitarist Teye, proudly clad in I-wanna-be-Zorro wear. The striking clash of fashion reflected their different musical backgrounds: Ely's Lubbock-bred honky tonk vs. Teye's old-world romance. But between casual Joe and Spanish Spice, the two seemingly contrasting musicians melded together effortlessly for a night of greatest hits unplugged.

Ely set the tone for the evening with "Up on the Ridge," a haunting story of rambling riders and burning desires, which also opens his latest album, last year's Twistin' in the Wind. Teye, whose acoustic flourishes have characterized much of Ely's live and studio work over the last half decade, flavored that and other songs heavily with surprising agility and delicacy. Padding Ely's breaks with his flamenco wizardry, the guitarist toyed with the strings like a cat playing with a mouse. During one song, the dexterous Teye was tuning his guitar, singing backing vocals and picking forcefully all at once.

Despite being known for rocking the house with a full band, Ely seemed perfectly at ease planted on his stool and playing the role of acoustic storyteller. He was uninhibited and displayed a stunning precision from this new perspective, much like Springsteen's turn from The River to Nebraska. This rang especially true during "Me and Billy the Kid," which Ely delivered like a devilish secret he was confiding in the audience. Smirking as he sang, he looked like the cat that ate the canary when he said, "It was *me* she loved." Even at a whisper, his voice filled the room tauntingly.

Throughout the evening, Ely threw Teye several curveballs, including songs penned by Ely's old Flatlanders bandmates Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. But Teye stepped up and planted a wet, sloppy kiss on the unfamiliar songs. He played with an orgasmic intensity at unnatural speeds, blindly following Ely's leads to perfection. Hancock's "She Never Spoke Spanish to Me" was a natural fit for the flamenco player, but Ely seemed to get the biggest kick out of trading blues licks with Teye on Gilmore's "Dallas."

The show soon became Total Request Live, with audience members continuously shouting out songs to play during the breaks: "If You Were a Bluebird"! "Row of Dominoes"! "The Road Goes on Forever"! And, of course, Ely obliged. "Yeah, they're all good songs," he said to a hearty round of laughter. But the most passionate and fervently played song of the evening was Tom Russell's cockfighting epic "Gallo Del Cielo." Ely worked his way into a frenzy singing about a destitute young man who sets off to win back his father's land with nothing to his name but a locket photo of his sister and a prize-fighting rooster under his arm. Barely able to contain himself, Ely shoved his stool aside and strutted his own stuff as he and Teye brought the song to its climax.

With a crooked grin on his face, Ely sheepishly admitted to the crowd while mopping his soaking brow, "Tonight was supposed to be a laid back, acoustic gig. I promised myself I wasn't going to break a sweat." Promises are made to be broken.

MARIAN MONTGOMERY
(February 24, 1999)