Ashley Monroe is so much more than a Tennessee lark. At 28, she's a seasoned songwriter and performer who has worked in many different musical modes, from classic country to bluegrass to bluesy rock and roll to power pop. Leading her hot band in this First Listen Live performance at WNYC's Greene Space in Manhattan, Monroe demonstrated the range she's mastered on her new, breakthrough album The Blade. Tender ballads like "The Weight Of The Load" effortlessly meshed with rockers like "Winning Streak," and the Southern gospel-tinged sound of "Has Anybody Ever Told You" complemented the modern, swampy sound of "Dixie."After the show, this dazzled critic asked Monroe's fiddler, Eamon McLoughlin, about the tight interplay of that band, which features some of Nashville's top players. "It all comes from her," he said, extolling her deep musicality and calm leadership. Call Monroe a new traditionalist or a genre-defying breath of fresh air for country: Most of all, she's a true and truly versatile musician, and that's what sets her apart. -ANN POWERS

SET LIST
I Buried Your Love Alive
If The Devil Don't Want Me
Weight Of The Load
Has Anybody Ever Told You
On To Something Good
If Love Was Fair
Bombshell
Dixie
The Blade
Winning Streak
Like A Rose
Weed Instead Of Roses

Producer: Saidah Blount
Host: Ann Powers
Director: David McLean
Videographers: Adam Wolffbrandt, Noah Yuan-Vogel
Video Switcher: Andrea Marroquin
Audio Team: Ricardo Fernandez, Gaines Legare, Chase Culpon, Ernie Indradat
Executive Producer: Anya Grundmann

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