Pop : An Undernourishing ‘Country Christmas’

The fourth annual “Country Christmas” concert on Saturday at the Universal Amphitheatre may have helped feed the hungry--the event is a benefit for the LIFE (Love Is Feeding Everyone) organization--but this year’s edition didn’t provide the musical nourishment, nor the drawing power, the series has produced in the past.

Last year, the headlining Judds drew from beyond the country audience, and Garth Brooks kicked things into high gear artistically. This time, the star attraction was Merle Haggard, a legend and a genius to be sure, but not an automatic ticket-seller, and the 6,000-seat hall was well short of capacity.

The Bakersfield bard offered his customary commanding performance, but most of the three-hour-plus show was in the hands of bland, middle-level contemporary acts. LIFE co-founders Dennis Weaver and Valerie Harper tried to pump up the enthusiasm as they shared hosting duties with country deejays, but none of the key performers tapped the spirit of the season or the issue of hunger in any special way.

Following Shelby Lynne’s opening set, the Pirates of the Mississippi executed their boogie-flavored country, and Shenandoah ran through some of its hits with bright efficiency. The group’s Memphis flavor is slightly distinctive, but Marty Raybon’s faceless vocals were overshadowed by Jimmy Seales’ guitar work--rich, sustained tones full of high-tech, echoing atmospherics unlike anything else in country.

Gary Morris is similarly anomalous in his field--who else in country appears in operas and musicals? Accompanied by his acoustic guitar, the melancholy Morris sang everything slowly, deliberately and with deadening gravity. He excelled on “Bring Him Home” from “Les Miserables,” but then indulged his vocal acrobatics beyond all sense and proportion on “Amazing Grace.”

Haggard, looking as casual as a trucker, tipped his show toward the bluesy side. He was in playful spirits as he ordered solos from his players with a glance or a nod, and put his resonant voice directly on each emotional target with deceptive ease.

He closed with a brief excerpt from “If We Make It Through December,” a late reminder that the performances at the LIFE concert should be uniquely tailored to the event. This time, all was a little too calm.