Back to Rockville: Concert review: Allison Krauss & Union Station

Above: Don't let the pretty face fool you. She knows how to use a fiddle and whip a bluegrass band into top shape.

The lonesome whistle of a nearby train provided sublime accompaniment to Alison Krauss & Union Station on "Away Down the River" Tuesday night at Starlight Theater. Even with this unexpected intrusion, the storied outdoor venue provided an ideal setting for Krauss' sophisticated earthiness.

The leading figure in bluegrass music, the 35-year-old Krauss is sort of a fiddle-wielding version of Norah Jones. Impeccably tasteful, both women are capable of inducing narcoleptic serenity. Krauss' increasingly manicured version of bluegrass surely sounds better in a shiny Mercedes than in a rusty Ford truck. And many of the adoring audience of approximately 5,000 appeared accustomed to luxury vehicles.

Yet Krauss' reserved beauty shouldn't be mistaken for innocuous fluff. Krauss is most effective when wallowing in songs of regret, despair and hopelessness. The mournful come-on of "Let Me Touch You For Awhile," the fourth of 26 songs she and her band performed, provided the first of many spine-tingling moments. Her take on "A Ghost In This House" was magnificent, as was the morbid "Jacob's Dream." Even on upbeat selections, listening to Krauss' pure voice is like having your best friend tickle your ear with soft whispers.

In a band of virtuosos, Jerry Douglas shone brightest. In her introduction of Douglas, Krauss labeled him "the greatest dobro player who ever lived." It was probably no accident that the sound mix favored him. Many in the audience gave Douglas' seven-minute solo showcase a standing ovation.

The splendid Appalachian twang of Dan Tyminski provided the perfect counterpoint to Krauss' wispy voice. Tyminski sang his famous lead on "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow," but the song lacked the crackling energy of the rest of the two-hour set. Otherwise, the band's exquisite interplay, including the work of Ron Block's on banjo and Barry Bales on bass, was stellar.

When this group gathered around a microphone to offer an a cappella reading of "Down To the River To Pray," the result was so stunning that the conversation of a couple of careless vendors could be heard throughout the otherwise silent venue.

It wasn't a perfect night. The addition of a drummer and keyboard player on several songs sometimes propelled the band away from their intrinsic strengths. The Nashville fodder of "Simple Love," for example, was an unwelcome intrusion. "Whiskey Lullaby," Krauss' recent hit duet with Brad Paisley, might have been a better choice.

Krauss' voice may not be able to stop a train. But it managed to take the breathe away from a few thousand mesmerized fans Tuesday evening.