It was the first headline show of Sara Watkins’ brand-new solo career on Wednesday at the Dakota.

The prodigiously talented Watkins, 27, who is one-third of the great progressive bluesgrass group Nickel Creek, was so new at this that, after she played her first song, she summoned a friend in the audience, local singer-songwriter ace Dan Wilson, to fetch her set list from the dressing room.

Despite her disorganization and unpolished stage patter, Watkins was convincing musically. Working with her brother Sean on acoustic guitar and backup vocals, the singer-fiddler-ukulele player offered several selections from her excellent new self-titled CD, a couple of Nickel Creek numbers and covers of songs made famous by Linda Ronstadt, Gordon Lightfoot, Fleetwood Mac and Radiohead.

The ache and loneliness of Radiohead’s “No Surprises” and Lightfoot’s “Early Morning Rain” fit perfectly with her pained voice and the tone of most of the material on “Sara Watkins,” which was produced by John Paul Jones but sounds as if it could have been handled by T Bone Burnett.

Among the highlights were the sad, solitary dirge “Where Will You Be” (a Watkins original), Tom Waits’ so-sad “Pony,” Nickel Creek’s slow and southern “Anthony” and “All This Time” (another original) with Wilson on piano and harmonies.

After asking for suggestions for breakfast spots and if Brit’s Pub had started mowing its rooftop lawn yet (she’s a native Californina), Watkins promised to “try to do better tomorrow” when she returns for a second night.

On Thursday, the Dakota staff could try to do better, too; managers would be wise to tell their staff near the bar to keep the noise to a minimum. Watkins is a quiet act who doesn’t need extra percussion from silverware sorters and wine-glass rackers.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 at 10:40 pm and is filed under Concerts, Local, Main. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.