In concert, Sturgill Simpson's 'Metamodern' country sounds timeless

Maybe having Sturgill Simpson cancel on us this summer wasn't such a bad thing after all.

The Kentucky-bred, baritone-voiced neo-twang star finally made it to Minneapolis on Thursday just as his May release, "Metamodern Sounds in Country Music," is starting to show up on year-end lists as one of the best albums of 2014. His very sold-out show Thursday at the Fine Line also turned out to be one of the best local concerts of the year.

Simpson, 36, backed out of Minnesota State Fair appearances in August so he could tour as Zac Brown Band's summer opener. Perhaps playing to somebody else's crowds in bigger venues had an effect, or maybe it was just having four more months of gigging under their belts, but Simpson and his three-man backing band were exceptionally tight and electrifying in the club.

The well-greased-machine metaphor fits, but the thrill of Thursday's 90-minute performance wasn't just in high-revving, barn-burning tunes such as "Railroad of Sin" and the encore-closing Osborne Brothers cover "Listening to the Rain." Simpson and his band could also hit the brakes with deft skill, perfectly nailing the stop/go grooves in "Living the Dream" and "Life of Sin." They also idled with vibrant, deep resonance in mellower gems such as "Voices" and the encore opener "I'd Have to Be Crazy."

Best of all, guitarist Laurs Joamets — whom Simpson found in the not-so-country-sounding country of Estonia — was the secret boost under the hood, a stylish Telecaster-twang master in the vein of James Burton and Marty Stuart, but one with an almost speed-metal-like swiftness and steadiness. One of the loudest cheers near the start of the show followed Joamets' thickly slathered guitar licks in "Long White Wine," and the mid-show highlight "Some Days" turned into a jammy showpiece for the guitar ace.

Couple the band's live skills with the greatness already heard on "Metamodern Sounds," and the concert was doubly a notch above. Simpson's sophomore record balances traditional country influences and his deep, piercing, Waylon Jennings-like voice with hints of jam-band psychedelics and lyrics about love lost and wasted existence. He earned a loud cheer with his line, "I don't have to do a goddamn thing except sit around and wait to die," in "Living the Dream." And then there was the surreal experience of having 600 alt-country fans sing "The Promise," an '80s synth-pop hit by When in Rome that he turned into an epic, stormy ballad on the album.

"The Promise" wasn't even the best cover of the night. Simpson reached even higher with the lowdown elegance of country pioneer Lefty Frizzell's "I Never Go Around Mirrors," a reminder that he might offer "metamodern" twists but is still rooted in timeless twang. If he keeps playing shows like this, Simpson himself could be one for the ages.

Chris Riemenschneider • 612-673-4658