Iris DeMent brings her heart-wrenching songwriting to the Plaza

By Ashley Belanger on Tue, Jan 20, 2015 at 5:31 pm

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The often-imitated Iris DeMent hits her notes in ever-wavering bursts of energy that never fail to convey the sort of sincere emotion that keeps folk fans hugging her records since the very first track, “Let the Mystery Be,” resonated on her debut, Infamous Angel, in 1992. But whether you prefer her vocalizing heart-wrenching insights on My Life, getting politically charged on The Way I Should or partnering up with John Prine for some of country’s cheekiest duets, you likely lost it when she bounded back in 2012 to release Sing the Delta, her first record in eight years and her heftily praised return to songwriting after 16 years of starving us of her brilliance. She’s bold and frail, strong and enviably unique, and all that makes it that much tougher not to get weak in the knees when her voice commands a room.

IRIS DEMENT with Pieta Brown | 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24 | The Plaza Live, 425 N. Bumby Ave. | 407-228-1220 | plazaliveorlando.com | $29.75-$34.75