Natalie Merchant, still one of the more unique and instantly identifiable of high-profile singer-songwriters, is more than the sum of her hits. Of this fact we were reminded when she settled into the Santa Barbara Bowl last week for her fifth appearance in this venue — offering a sumptuous survey of her songcraft from over the years.
Coming five years after a dire health scare kept her from singing for many months and after COVID’s merciless clampdown, Merchant’s appearance had a triumphant air about it. Even so, as most veteran pop artists know, there are the radio-kissed hits that keep on giving and pulling in the crowds, and then — for those artists who keep their creative fires burning — there are deep cuts and new material in the margins.
After her tasteful band, a rhythm section plus string quartet, struck up the sound of the tune “Lulu,” Merchant came twirling on stage in her flowing black dress and bright red coat. At one point late in the song, the crowd seized on a silence to start clapping prematurely. Merchant chided them, saying, “No, there's still one more verse. It goes to show how many of you bought that album. I did make albums after Tigerlily, you know,” she said, referring to her most commercially successful record today, circa 1995, following the end of her band 10,000 Maniacs.