JACKSON, Wyo. — The 17th edition of “Showroom Sessions” at the Silver Dollar Showroom paired two decorated Nashville songwriters on Thursday evening, Natalie Hemby and Luke Dick. It was “in the round” style—trading songs and the stories that inspired them, and occasionally singing together. The pair has built an endearing stage chemistry through many hours of co-writing and respecting one another’s craft. Hemby and Dick’s relaxed, living room vibe was palpable, even addressing the cloud of awkwardness that the beginning of a show can hold. It only got more comedic and down-to-Earth from there, and the engaged audience was fully on board.
Celebrating a birthday, Dick kicked-off the set with “Polyester,” a co-write with Miranda Lambert for the soundtrack of Dick’s documentary, “Red Dog,” which reflects on a topless bar in Oklahoma City where his mother worked during his childhood. Other highlights from his rounds included a Dick-Hemby-Lambert co-write about feeling like an outsider, “Tourist,” the funny and catchy “I Am Steve,” the four-way co-write for a Dierks Bentley hit, “Gold,” and a memorable duet with Hemby with plenty of laughter during its delivery—the 2016 Miranda Lambert hit “Pink Sunglasses.” The latter song subject was sparked from the simple observation of Hemby’s daughter wearing pink sunglasses in a photo.
It’s one thing for these two artists to earn a comfortable living by following their ambitions as humble, top-notch songwriters, and to grind it out with a great deal of success in cutthroat Music City. But being able to perform these works as artists, as confident singer-songwriters, as touring musicians coming to altitude, and being comfortable on a stage in front of a listening audience whom they put at ease—it’s a complete package that’s often taken for granted. While these attributes are not mutually exclusive, they are certainly rare within an already uncommon profession.
Hemby was built for the stage and delivers her (often vocally demanding) hits with a charm and a comedic wit that sets up each song with added anticipation. She skillfully delivered the Kacey Musgraves top 40 song “Butterflies,” the funny Miranda Lambert co-write, “Alimony,” the silly and fun Little Big Town number one hit and sing-along, “Pontoon,” and an audience favorite, “Crowded Table.” The latter tune was recorded by her supergroup The Highwomen and was preceded with a story about how the pandemic era instilled a re-appreciation for family gatherings and intimate concerts.
These two songwriters have the ability to convey a minor detail or observation from a conversation or an otherwise insignificant moment into pure gold. As I sat at my own crowded table with my wife and fast friends that were strangers just minutes before, it wasn’t lost on this writer the beauty of intimacy, brilliant songwriting and the power of off-the-cuff live performance when it can be consumed in a space that only has the ripple of songs to fill the air.
