History and Hope: a Rhiannon Giddens concert review

I’m a huge fan of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, and in recent months have become more and more interested in Rhiannon Giddens’ solo work. Her most recent album, “Freedom Highway,” is one of the most compelling pieces of American storytelling that I’ve experienced. One song in particular from her new album, “Purchaser’s Option” moved me to attend her show last weekend at the Weinberg Center in Frederick.

Sunday's show was not only stunning musically but it was also inspiring. She reminded us that “we can do more together than we can do apart,” needing only to point so far as the music she performed, which draws inspiration from across the many roots of American history and culture.

Giddens was joined by a bluegrass legend, Dirk Powell, who was unknown to me before Sunday evening. He left a lasting impression on me, not only for his musical prowess but also for the message he brought to the stage. By way of introducing their rendition of "Birmingham Sunday" (originally performed by Powell's friend, the great Joan Baez), Powell shared a personal story about the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, where 4 young African American girls were murdered by hate. 

Powell made a call to action for his friend, Doug Jones, who gave tirelessly in the fight for justice in this case and who fights now for a chance to represent Alabama in the Senate. He talked of the lessons he learned from Jones and others during this tragedy and expressed that if you do not love those who committed the bombing, you’ve already lost. He mentioned the words of wise men, such as Martin Luther King Jr, who shared the same message, that "hate cannot drive out hate." I thought of the magnanimous forgiveness of Mothers for Justice. I remembered the empowered women in Belfast who had suffered and carry with them deep trauma, but still have love to give. 

When I awoke the next day to learn that so many lives were lost in the Vegas shooting, I felt so completely overwhelmed by anger and sadness. My mind turned to politics. How could it be the president and his supporters were fighting so hard to ban Muslims, deport Mexicans, reduce our health care to nothing... all while we face the great epidemic of mass shootings. Nearly every time I think of an important issue near and dear to my heart, I feel overwhelmed by the deep divisions within our country. And I feel angry! But anger is not the answer. The story from Dirk Powell and the music from Rhiannon Giddens and band are a testament to the fact that empathy is the only answer. 

If we do not love those who sit opposite from us politically, of those who think and act in complete contradiction to what we believe, if we do not love these people too – we have lost already.

Building capacity for empathy is one of the greatest paths towards building meaningful peace. Listening to stories and music that embody the suffering, transformation and hope of our history and our humanity is an amazing way to develop this ability. 

Just as when I saw the Carolina Chocolate Drops, the show ended with the gospel song, "Up Above My Head," sending us off with an unexpected feeling of hope, difficult to attain after exploring such heavy and painful themes throughout the evening. It goes to show that the power of music is great, or in the words of the recently departed musical legend, Tom Petty, music is "pure and it's real. It moves, it heals, it communicates and does all these incredible things." May it continue to bring us closer to one another, and one step closer to peace.