It’s been almost exactly twenty years since Emmylou Harris played Liverpool. She did so again tonight on her Farewell to Europe tour with her Red Dirt Band. Those intervening years have been good to her as she looked fit, healthy and her voice was as strong as ever.
Before the main act, we were treated to an entertaining performance by Jim Lauderdale. Wearing a trademark sparkly suit, he played a solo set including songs like ‘Hummingbird’ and a new one about AI. The audience got involved in singing the chorus to ‘Headed to the Hills’, which closed his set.
Emmylou came on after the interval and welcomed Jim back on stage to sing with her. Only it seems he didn’t get the memo as he failed to appear. She started playing ‘Love Hurts’ until he eventually materialised and duetted with her.
The early set highlights included a solo version of ‘Here I Am’, ‘Orphan Girl’ and ‘Love and Happiness’, a song she co-wrote with Mark Knopfler. Emmylou recalled playing Liverpool in 1976 and singing George Jones’s ‘One of These Days’. She sang it tonight as it was one of her mother’s favourite songs. She told of touring with Townes Van Zandt before launching into ‘Pancho and Lefty’, a song she used to sing with him.
An early highlight was a surprising cover of The Beatles’ ‘For No One’ from Revolver, her favourite Beatles album. Her world-class band, the Red Dirt Boys, included Phil Madeira on keys, Bryan Owings on drums, Chris Donohue on bass and mandolin, Eamon McLoughlin on violin and Kevin McKendree on electric guitar.
Emmylou shared tales of her happy childhood as she introduced her classic ‘Red Dirt Girl’, a song she said was fictional, although the events within it could easily have happened. She described herself as a better singer of other people’s songs, particularly when she can find a real sadness in them. This allowed her to acknowledge great songwriters, those who touched her heart, as the evening progressed. Aside from those already mentioned, she spoke of Marty Stuart, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Bill Monroe before singing a foot-stomping version of the latter’s ‘Get Up John’.
Perhaps the most emotional moment of the night came when the band put down their instruments to join her at the microphone and sing an a cappella version of ‘Calling My Children Home’. That they stumbled over the words a little only added to the intimacy. ‘The Road’, her tribute to Gram Parsons, kept emotions running high.
Emmylou powered through the final third of the set, delivering many of her best-known songs like ‘Wheels’, ‘Luxury Liner’ and ‘Boulder to Birmingham’. Chuck Berry’s ‘C’est La Vie’ brought the audience to their feet and the show to an end. After a rapturous standing ovation, everyone returned to the stage for a poignant version of ‘Together Again’, which felt like a timely reminder to appreciate each other as Emmylou said her farewell.
The tour continues throughout May and details can be found here, https://www.emmylouharris.com/tour
Reviewer – Adrian Cork
On – 11.05.2026
