I’ve seen him a dozen or more times over the past quarter of a century. I originally opted to skip this show, mainly because:
I had seen him so many times prior to this show.
Tickets weren’t cheap and I’m trying to save cash.
As a suburban 52-year-old with a job, a wife and 4 kids (two of whom I have to wake up at 6 a.m. every weekday) I can’t make as many shows as I’d like to.
But last week some friends of mine were talking about going, and I got the fever. One catch: the show was sold out. I checked StubHub and SeatGeek to no avail. On a last-second “what the heck” whim, I checked Craigslist, and lo and behold, another suburban dad had a pair of tickets that he had to unload because the concert conflicted with a Daddy-Daughter dance. Which is how I wound up at a Kroger parking lot on a Wednesday night, meeting a stranger for a ticket purchase.
The show was a typical RT show… which is to say, amazing. I don’t think you’ll find his rare combination of talents in too many folks:
virtuoso guitarist – I’d put him up against any teenage phenom. Even solo and acoustic, like last night, the dude can shred
phenomenal voice – so strong, even at age 68. And the acoustics in Memorial Hall did it justice.
fantastic songwriter – great, sometimes twisted lyrics and wonderful melodies. It’s no wonder his tunes have been covered by the likes of R.E.M., Elvis Costello, Bob Mould, Bonnie Raitt, Reckless Kelly, The Neville Brothers, Marshall Crenshaw and Dinosaur Jr. (that’s a festival lineup I’d like to see).
entertaining stage presence – that dry British wit is always in evidence. Last night after absolutely tearing up the solo on “Valerie” and getting much-deserved applause from the audience, he shrugged his shoulders and said “it’s easy.” He also referred to himself as a “folk rock dinosaur.”
I went with my neighbor/friend Mark, a true music fanatic (he’s been to hundreds of shows over the last 40 years, still plays in a local band, went to Cleveland a few weeks ago to see Patti Smith… you get the picture). Mark’s a longtime Richard Thompson fan, and saw him in 1986 in the same venue as last night’s show. The vast majority of folks in the audience were in the same age bracket as Mark and I are. (The show should be sponsored by a doctor who specializes in knee and hip replacements – he’d make a killing.) That’s a shame. Richard’s always been a niche artist, an acquired taste, a critic’s darling almost completely ignored by the mainstream. But he puts on a fantastic show everydamntime. You whippersnappers should go see him – now get off my lawn!
Next time I have a chance to see such an amazing artist in a gorgeous venue, I won’t trust my fate to Daddy-Daughter dances.
My wife and two youngest children are on a Spring Break trip out west, with our friend Heather and her two kids. Meanwhile I’m stuck in rainy Cincinnati with our teenage sons. (I’m not bitter.) The way my music-loving mind is wired, every time my wife sends me a photo of their adventures, it makes me think of a song.
They started their trip in Las Vegas (where my Raiders are moving):
So naturally that makes me think of “Viva Las Vegas” – but not the Elvis version, the Shawn Colvin version from the Doc Pomus tribute album (and The Big Lebowski credits).
Next up was the Hoover Dam:
I cannot hear the words “Hoover Dam” without thinking of Sugar’s song by the same name.
They spent some time on Route 66:
Then they headed to the Grand Canyon:
That’s your cue, Drive By Truckers…
They’ve been spending a lot of time in Arizona
That calls for a double-shot, twin spin:
Yesterday they were in Sedona:
Great scenery… great tune by Houndmouth too!
And tonight they’ll get to Phoenix.
Looks like they’re really enjoying their time way out west:
And I am too, vicariously, via the soundtrack in my head.
His influence appears to be diminishing (along with his sales and airplay) and his legacy is losing a bit of luster because you can’t find many of his albums and/or songs on digital and streaming platforms. So he’s missing out on a chance to gain new fans.
I found the article fascinating… and I was also fascinated by the fact that it was written by Tim Quirk, who was the lead singer of the band Too Much Joy, a group I remember from my early 90s days at 97X, mostly for their fun (and funny) songs like “Long Haired Guys from England” and “That’s a Lie.”
Check out the article. Then check your dad’s record collection for some vintage Seger.
NPR Music’s “First Listen” allows you to stream entire albums prior to their official release date (usually about a week in advance). This week, it’s a sonic smorgasbord of tasty tunes, featuring new releases from:
Hurray For The Riff Raff – The Navigator
Alynda Segarra, a.k.a. Hurray For The Riff Raff
The Magnetic Fields – 50 Song Memoir
(it’s one song for each year of Stephin Merritt’s life, NPR streams the first 20)
Stephin Merritt, not a UPS driver.
Valerie June – The Order of Time
Valerie June, not Medusa
Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives – Way Out West
(produced by Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)
They sound as good as they look.
First Listen also features an original Broadway cast recording, an Afro-Cuban album and the new release from Jay Som, a 22-year-old indie rock artist from Oakland who plays every instrument on the album. Get your ears over there now, add them all to your listening queue and have a harmonious Hump Day.
An article about Craig Finn’s living room tour is on Salon.com, and the writer was in attendance at the show at my house (fondly referred to in the article as “a stranger’s living room somewhere in Cincinnati”). So I’m a stranger, but an internet-famous one.
It’s a nice interview, and there’s an interesting video diary too.
Hat tip to Professor Joe Sampson (who attended the show) for sending the link my way.
Adrian Belew is one of the most inventive guitarists ever. Don’t take my word for it, just ask anyone who has ever seen him play. Way back when, he toured with Frank Zappa and David Bowie. He was a member of King Crimson. He’s also played with everyone from Talking Heads to Nine Inch Nails to Paul Simon, and put out several solo albums, as well as albums with the brilliant but overlooked power-pop group The Bears.
Adrian Belew is also one of the nicest rock stars I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. He’s from Covington, Kentucky, just across the river from Cincinnati, and back in the early 90s when I worked at 97X in Oxford, Ohio, our paths crossed quite a bit. My friends and fellow DJs Ric and Dave agreed that his nickname should be “The Nicest Guy in Rock.”
You can read more about Adrian’s work on the movie, as well as his contributions to Bowie and Zappa tributes, here. Another interesting interview is here.
Kevin Sullivan on Warren piece: “Praise Warren. He also said, “You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long…” Jan 15, 08:48
Damian on Eternally Grateful… still: “Thanks for reading, and thanks for sharing that song, Chuck! You’re absolutely right that the Deadhead community is amazing.” Jan 15, 08:17
Chuck Wiggins on Eternally Grateful… still: “I’m ambivalent at best about the Grateful Dead’s music, but there’s no discounting the incredible community built around it. And…” Jan 14, 09:05
Kevin Sullivan on Spoken and Unspoken: “You lived the brotherhood Damian, and that is a full plate. Peace to you and peace to John.” Nov 18, 16:54
You done said…