Darden Smith - From despair to hope

First printed in NUVO newsweekly 

by: Nora Spitznogle

Old Centrum

Sunday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m.

$15

Austin, Texas, native Darden Smith has been performing for more than 20 years. He was named for a rodeo rider, and his first songs naturally had a country tinge. His excellent songwriting skills have stayed consistent over time, and his sound now leans toward adult pop. Smith spent the summer touring Europe and playing festivals with musical greats Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark, Jackson Browne and Loudon Wainwright. He has great stories from the tour; from the bad — stolen suitcases (and wondering why they didn’t steal his CDs), bar fights and blackberry patch break-downs — to the amazing — sitting off stage being inspired by Richard Thompson, drinking the perfect Guinness (and missing Kenny Rogers’ set) and sitting on the cliffs of Galway.

Smith’s latest CD, Field of Crows, is much like his tour, shifting from despair to hope. This album was borne from the war in Iraq, the tsunami in Southeast Asia and the 2004 election. “It always strikes me that in times like these, with all the craziness in the world, all the personal loss and tragedy, hope holds a high value. It means something when there seems to be so little of it,” says Smith, talking about the album.

Smith is playing as part of the Acoustic Café Series housed at the Old Centrum Auditorium, 520 E. 12th St. You can expect to hear songs from Field of Crows and music from his expansive catalogue of original songs.

—Nora Spitznogle