Early on in her set at The Horseshoe on Sunday night, West Virginia singer-songwriter Sierra Ferrell told a joke about a deer with no eyes or something like that. Before she could say it though, someone in the crowd yelled out the punchline and she never actually finished the joke, so those of us at the back of the room never did hear it. I suppose I could look the joke up to find out the punchline but I prefer to keep the mystery alive instead. I’m sure it was an alright joke though.
Ferrell probably won’t be making the switch to standup comedy, but as the sold out crowd on this night would suggest, she’s doing quite well with her chosen vocation. Touring behind her latest album, 2021’s Long Time Coming, Ferrell and her band played an impressive set of old-timey music that takes influence from bluegrass, jazz and classic country. And also maybe Bon Jovi, as evidenced by the brief snippet of “You Give love A Bad Name” that she threw out in between songs at one point.
Songs like “Give It Time” and “I’d Do It Again” stood out as highlights, while “West Virginia Waltz” included some full on audience participation as she got the crowd to join in on a singalong as she ran through a reprise of the chorus after the song was done. “Y’all sound really good,” she said afterwards and Ferrell would know – throughout her set, her powerful voice came through loud and clear.