This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
To say that Margo Price is simply reviving classic country probably discounts the uniqueness of her as a performer.
To be sure, Price brings the vintage Nashville vibe with full force, sounding perhaps more like Tammy Wynette infused with the strong sensibility of Loretta Lynn.
But she brings a sense of liberation that the matriarchs of the Opry never enjoyed, and with it a raw feeling of pain and survival that runs throughout her latest album, "Midwest Farmers Daughter," performed with a voice that is at times soaring and soulful and others — when she's at her best — mournful and vulnerable.
Price's full range was on display Saturday night at The State Room in Salt Lake City, as she guided an enamored audience through the full spectrum of what she has to offer.
Naturally, Price gave a nod to the Nashville legends, sprinkling in classic artists and handling them with style, covering Merle Haggard's "Red Bandana," Kris Kristofferson's "Me And Bobby McGee," George Jones' "Heartaches and Hangovers," and Loretta Lynn's "Rated X." But it was Price's own material where her heart showed through.
Price belted out terrific version's of "Tennessee Song," a twangy rendition of her own saloon song "Hurtin' On The Bottle," and the rowdy cowpunk track "Paper Cowboy," — which she hasn't recorded in the studio — each deeply steeped in the country traditions.
About midway through Saturday's set, Price almost winced and turned and said, "They're gonna make me do this one tonight," nodding to her band, which pressured her into performing "Hands of Time," Price's autobiographical tale of heartache and pain — the daddy who lost the farm, the scraping by on the music circuit, and the death of a child, all rolled into a package of regret and sorrow.
It's a song that is perhaps Price's best known, but one she doesn't perform many nights, and it makes sense to take a pass on it more often than not. It's got to take a toll to have your life laid bare on stage, but it comes with an unvarnished honesty that shines through.
Price is blowing up right now, with performances everywhere from "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" to "Saturday Night Live." For now, Price is eager to head back into the studio and start recording the mountain of songs she's had piling up during her time on the road.
So if you missed her State Room show, the good news is she'll probably be back with new material next time through. The bad news is, on this trajectory, it will probably be on a much bigger stage.