By Jared Gudnason

Hayes Carll is a Texan songwriter. We’re Only Human his latest record was released this August. Roughly three weeks past, his recent tour brought it to St. Paul, Minnesota. It’s a collection of 10 songs and each side of the vinyl album comprises five. Human has well over 20 separate musicians contributing their excessive, highly impressive talents. Truly great songwriting aside, I feel it’s a wonderful gesture for Carll to include musicians in collaborating forms, even if they are not the composers. With that being said, who’s to say they are not?  

As an art form, I feel it’s a bit strange that us as an audience hold our own on whether a person who records on a song does not contribute to the writing. A majority of music, especially in a  studio setting, arguably thrives on collaboration. Somewhat like professional sports. The informing to someone because of hearing a new sound, especially in a creative process, has the ability to bolster what is already on the table. Similar to a teammate getting a rebound that results  in additional points. 

Our venue opened the garage door partition as there was an excess of 300 attendees. After the sound check Carll headed out the door and assumedly spent time before his set on the bus across the street. The opener took the stage in a bath robe and basketball jersey mascot-ed “turtles.” His songs were acoustic comedy, like the country Weird Al Yankovic. Chatting before he went on, he said to me that if the whole musician thing didn’t work out, he’d become a YouTuber from his boxcar in the Tennessee woods.

Mr. Carll re-entered the venue and started at 9 P.M. Along with a backing band of six, with a rhythm section easily in the year’s top ten, they absolutely  blazed through an hour 40, proving their staying power in a transforming music age.