Big Star - Shepherd's Bush Empire London - 28th August 2008
Review by Patrick Wilkins
Big Star's early 70s records influenced a whole slew of performers in the following decades, REM, the Replacements, Wilco, Elliott Smith, Counting Crows, Matthew Sweet, anyone pigeon holed as 'powerpop', and, in particular,Teenage Fanclub, who have had more success imitating Big Star than Big Star ever managed. It's a bit like the Velvet Underground thing, not many people bought their records but those that did were often inspired to go and form bands. This line up features mainman Alex Chilton, original drummer Jody Stephens, and two of the Posies, Ken Stringfellow on bass and Jon Auer on guitar. The Posies have made a few decent powerpop records (with a hint of grunge) in their own right as well as appearing on the 'new' Big Star record 'In Space' in 2004.
Alex Chilton is an unlikely rock legend, he has the look of a nervous Biology teacher about to deliver a lecture on the habitat of the crested newt. All that geekiness evaporated when he strapped on a guitar and hit 'In the Street'. Ive owned Big Star records for about 3 decades, it's the first time I've heard them played live, and it's a wonderful thing. The best moments came with Alex singing the classics, 'September Gurls', 'The Ballad of El Goodo' and 'Thirteen' turned into audience singalongs, you can feel the warm glow of love the diehard fans have for these songs, perfectly illustrated when many of the seated watchers leapt to their feet at song conclusion to applaud, yell and whoop their appreciation. The crunching powerpop of 'When My Baby's Beside Me' was perfection, and the rocky 'Don't Lie To Me' had plenty of power. Drummer Jody Stephens sung a couple of songs including a fine 'Way Out West'.
The sound quality at the start was not good, cocking up the sound in this normally excellent venue is quite an achievement, but the bass was booming and the vocals were too low in the mix. The sound did improve though. It did seem slightly odd when one of the Posies boys took lead vocal, Jon Auer does just fine with 'Back Of A Car' and the Chris Bell song 'I Am The Cosmos', but it was still like watching a tribute band, even though half the real band were up there. Alex, lurking on the right hand side of the stage, didn't exactly exude charisma, but he did have an aura and calmness about him, the band were not what you would call slick, and the level of showmanship/stage-craft hovered around zero, at times it was more like watching a rehearsal rather than an actual show, but it was still very watchable.
It appeared at first that the set was going to be a run through the many high points of 'No 1 Record' and 'Radio City', which would have been just fine with me, but other numbers crept in, 'Thank You Friends' from 'Third', a bunch from the recent 'In Space' album (not improved with age), 'Baby Strange', Todd Rundgren's 'Slut', a couple of garage/Nuggets type covers I didn't know, and, most bizarrely, a brief tribute to Edward Elgar (Alex is a fan of Brit classical music apparently) and an encore of the Beach Boys 'Wouldn't It Be Nice'. It wasn't a great night but it was great to finally see Alex play Big Star's finest. |
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Steve Cropper & The Animals and Friends - Millfield Theatre - 2nd September 2008
Review by Jonathan Aird
I really am having trouble believing what I saw last night. The Millfield Theatre is in Edmonton on the edge of London, it's a smallish arts theatre, seating about 350, a bit shabby around the edges. And I saw Steve Cropper playing guitar there last night. I was there, it did happen, but I can still hardly believe it myself.
The Millfield brochure had waxed lyrical over Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, how he's been voted one of the greatest living guitarists in numerous music magazine polls, how he's worked with everyone (Otis Reading, Sam & Dave, Booker T & the MGs, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Robert Cray,......), about his astonishing back catalogue. He was Stax records personified. He is a living legend, and a guitar god of note. And I disagree with none of this - so why is he playing a local arts theatre ? Why are his tickets cheaper than a Blues Brothers tribute band (he was, after all, in The Blues Brothers Band). Is there, in truth, no justice ?
The prospect of course was quite tantalising - Steve has his own history (I loved his post Blues Brothers solo album – “playing my thang”) and he's also in the last couple of years been the driving force behind the sound of two Frank Black albums - Raider man and Honeycomb. The latter of these in my opinion is far and away the best thing Frank Black has ever done (honesty requires me to mention that The Pixies are not a band I have much regard for).
The slightly unwieldy monikered band Steve's playing with is an incarnation of The Animals that differs quite dramatically from the original line-up, with one original Animal - John Steel (drummer) and one near original Mick Gallagher (keyboardist who replaced Alan Price - whose name they couldn't bring themselves to say - for a year). The bass player/vocalist is Peter Barton, and the guitarist is John Williamson.
This was also is a first visit to The Millfield, on the edge of London and not too easy to drive to, and worse to park at ! Got there just in time, and found my seat - it was like a school chair - the proper theatre seats don't start until the 5th row back from the stage. The whole thing felt a bit like a school hall, not the best vibe for a gig. I had an uneasy feeling building up as the audience was, well, predominantly a nostalgia night audience. The unease grew when The Animals took the stage and I realised I was looking at a combined age of ~200+, or, to put it another way, the 4 piece band in front of me was twice the age of the original 5 piece animals ! Unease reached a new level as Barton introduced many songs by referring to their original year of release ("ok, it's 1964 !"). When I could detach myself from the distractions of the spectacle I'd have to say they did a damn good job, Barton does a more than passable Eric Burdon vocal impression, and several of the songs still contain some power - most notably the set closer of "We gotta get out of this place". All the early hits were there (baby let me take you home, It's my life, Please don't let me be misunderstood, I'm crying, Bright lights - Big City, Bring it on home to me, She said yeah). I suspect they deliberately keep to the material that both the "originals" performed, which is fair enough. By the third or fourth song in I was quite enjoying it, although it still felt a bit weird
After a shortish first set of ~45 minutes, and a shortish interval, the band were back on stage and, as the opening chords of "Time is tight" burst out Steve Cropper joined them, and suddenly the evening was transformed. Steve's been playing some UK festivals with the Animals as his backing band, and at a guess he did this gig for fun, and he really seemed to be enjoying himself. And how lucky can it be to see this legend from a distance of 15 feet or so ? His presence also seemed to affect the band, which seemed to be swept along by Steve's crackling guitar sound, Mick Gallagher in particular seemed to be determined to keep up with his organ playing. Introducing three songs - Midnight hour, Dock of the bay, and 634-5789 (on which Barton took vocals) Steve reminisced about Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Eddy Floyd : "I said to Ottis, ok, let's see what you got?" was the laconic introduction to Dock of the Bay (which included a, thankfully brief, audience participation on the whistling part). Then Steve suggested he save his voice by doing "Hip Hug Her”. "Steve", I thought, " you do what you like, 'cos it's all good".
Two strong feelings hit me during the hour long set - the first was when everything came alive and it was suddenly a real gig - it was like the fantasy sequence in The Blues Brothers when Curtis (Cab Calloway) fills in with Minnie the Moocher and the shabby venue suddenly becomes a glitzy hall with the band dressed to the nines. The other, later on, was that the unreality of it was like a bad movie where the band turn up to play the big gig but the guitar player is ill - "hey", someone shouts, "isn't that Steve Cropper ?." And, brandishing his guitar he drawls "Sure fella's, I'll help you out". It's like seeing Dylan drop in at the local folk club - it could happen, but is it likely ? Even Steve is aware of this - following the "Hello Edmonton" with "it didn't take me a long time to get here, it took me a lifetime". But with the temperature rising, and Steve's infectious good humour as he reminisces about the songs, the singers, and where ideas came to him it's all just a great event. The name that tune introduction of "you might get this one on the first or second note", was followed by Steve's head shaking "aw shucks" at his story being undercut by the correct call out of "Soul Man" - named in zero.
In the end Steve also stuck to the 1960's throughout, giving us a long boogie workout on "Give me water" (from the late 60's Jammed together album), and also making exciting guitar excursions on the Animals tracks "justify my life" and their version of "Put a spell on you" - which was probably Barton's best vocal of the night. A couple of reference to the late 60’s Stax-Volt tour of England had me musing that this was very much what those gigs must have been like – there were no really big venues back then and the stage was very close, not something I’d thought I’d get to experience myself with someone of Cropper’s musical stature.
They closed out the set with Hooker's "Boom-Boom".
The encore was "Green Onions", which is one of those tunes that you know well but don't really think about but if you listen to carefully you realise that Steve is playing some nasty chunky chords that really rip into the big sound provided by the keyboards. Again this became an extended jam, quite brilliant. And finally it was The Animals' signature tune - "House of the rising sun", which is another fantastic song that was once more lifted by Cropper's guitar work. And then it's "thank-you" and "goodnight", the bass player and guitarist start to head off stage, but Steve revived "Time is tight" (which he'd explained earlier he always ends with when playing with Booker T) and they had to do a double take and fall back into place and start playing again. Quite wonderful, and to finish on this signature tune with extensive side steps of improvisation was a crowning glory for a once in a lifetime set.
So, very strange, but ultimately oh so enjoyable. |
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Eliza Carthy and the Ratcatchers - The Stables, Wavendon - 6th September 2008
Review by Jonathan Aird
Turns out that now I've found it The Stables is actually near enough to home for the occasional trip out to it, and Eliza Carthy offers a pretty good reason to make such a trip. A talented musician, a strong singer and an inspiring songwriter. New album out to pretty good reviews - deservedly. The Stables is almost sold out, but I'd booked nice and early so we're up fairly near the front. Eliza Carthy came on stage on her own and did the opening three songs solo before getting the band (cello, upright bass, drums, keyboards/accordion) out. The first surprise was, "oh, she's pregnant" - something she would refer to a few times through the show (apparently it makes putting on tights and bending over quite difficult - who'd have guessed, eh ?).
Eliza Carthy has a great booming voice - although it seemed to be suffering a bit as she kept sucking on throat lozenges and she hit fewer high notes than she used to. Her fiddle playing is great and her 4 string guitar playing ok. She seemed unhappy with the tuning of both though - commenting during a particularly lengthy bit of retuning of the 4 string guitar that it ought to be possible to keep a made up instrument in tune. She had mostly given up accordion duties to a new member of her band.
Oh what an attentive and polite audience - and you may feel I'm a hypocrite as I've complained often enough about loud annoying audiences - but to my mind it's a fine line. Quiet - but excited, or at least anticipating excitement - is the thing I look for I guess. Naturally, seated auditoriums are always a bit subdued, but this was like being in a library (or at least back when libraries were supposed to be quiet, but I digress and I'm sure you get my drift). I'd also guess that this was a mainly "folk" audience, in that it erred to the slightly older than Eliza Carthy and band age range. And this is perhaps the problem with having been a folkie, and sometimes still being a folkie, but at the same time being a singer-songwriter using rhythms more akin to flamenco and swing : you might not get the "right" audience on any particular night.
For tonight’s gig pretty much everything came off "Dreams of breathing underwater" and "Angels and cigarettes", with a couple of tunes from "Rough Music" (which was also billed as Eliza Carthy and the Ratcatchers but then the ratcatchers were Spiers & Boden and now they are not). Does this all seem confusing ? It was that kind of an evening.
In the first half the songs that hit home for me were “Exactly Two Tears", about not showing emotion in a relationship breakup, and "Mr Magnifico" - a rather grubby tale of a rather grubby man and 2 young French backpacking girls. Mr Magnifico may fancy his chances, but he learns a lesson. All wrapped up in the most upbeat tune of the evening.
Particularly in the second half the song introductions became a bit involved - for example the explanation of "Oranges and Sea Salt don't go together" lasted longer than the actual song (which reveals that if you're drinking tequila it's worth knowing that "Oranges and sea salt don't go together, they don't go together, don't go together, no"). This also featured the only attempt to get the audience to join in on the chorus. On occasion the intro's were necessary - I hadn't realised that one of the songs off the new album was mocking prefabricated bands like Steps. “Remember them ?”, she asked, ruefully, commenting that 7 years between albums can hit you topicality !
Overall it was a good evening, but in places it was a bit like Eliza Carthy still trying to throw off the "next big thing in folk" label, and be treated as a singer-songwriter. Good luck to her, she'll need it! |
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Kim Edgar - Abbot House, Dunfermline - 11th September 2008
Review by Graeme Scott
You know that some days I think that I've got one of the best jobs going, and the day that this young Scots lass first came to my attention was most certainly one of them. Kim is blessed with a fine voice and armed with a talent for crafting engaging, insightful songs. Displaying an empathy for everyday people, objects or situations Kim infuses her songs with dashes of Traditional Folk, Country and Roots and to simply call her a singer songwriter would be like calling Ruebens a sketch artist. Drawing on a mix of songs from her debut EP "Wee Dote" and her excellent album "Butterflies and Broken Glass" plus a clutch of new, as yet unrecorded songs, Kim enthralled a near capacity audience in this delightful, atmospheric historic building in the heart of Dunfermline. Opening the first of two sets with the semi autobiographical 'House On The Hill' Kim proved to be a relaxed and charming host for this evening. In part this was down to her happy personality but also the room brought a warm and cosy effect to the proceedings. In no particular order she followed up with 'Shelf', 'Thaw', 'Tucked In My Pocket' and the gorgeous 'Cinderella's Slipper'. Hitting her stride with the powerful 'Scissors, Paper, Stone' a quite chilling song about domestic abuse and the complete contrast of Robbie Burns lyrics 'The Bonnie Lad' allowed Kim to display the range of her vocals. You really can't go wrong if you decide to spend an evening with this lass. |
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Emmylou Harris with Kimmie Rhodes - City Hall, Newcastle - 10th September 2008
Review by Maurice Hope
The opportunity to perform in front of an audience at Newcastle’s City Hall may have in many ways meant more to Texan singer-songwriter Kimmie Rhodes than the 60 year-old Emmylou Harris. But, she was not for showing it since her show was the best I have witnessed by her in a good few years. So good was she that on more than occasion I thought, boy, the famed Hot Band or when she went acoustic and had the Nash Ramblers in tow. So good did she sound, apologies in advance to all Buddy Miller followers when he led her band. Of whom you can count me as one, but this was something else.
The beginning of another exciting chapter, maybe, in a career that has now been going over 30 years she is still the running on well-greased wheels. She is still making wonderful contemporary country music, and sniffing out good and in some cases relatively little known writers and their songs. As in Southern California singer-songwriter Jude Johnson (Hold On) plus Patty Griffin (Moon Song) and re-jigging such oldies as Billy Joe Shaver’s Old Five And Dimers and though it did not make the set list Merle Haggard’s heart-tugging classic Kern River from her new All I Intended To Be (Nonesuch) —demonstrate Harris still has the hunger and desire to sing (like an angel).
First up was Rhodes with the aid of her family, husband Joe Gracey on bass and their hugely talented son Gabe Rhodes on acoustic lead guitar had showed off her wares —and, she certainly had a good deal stored away in her war chest and from what I have heard from her over the years plenty more from where her generous forty minute came.
Three songs came from her album West Texas Heaven, including the title-cut with which she opened, coupled with Maybe We’ll Just Disappear where she brought some humour to the stage as she gave an impersonation of Waylon Jennings. Who himself covered the song, and Gabe, who on pressing a finger against one nostril sang in the nasal tones akin to her good friend, Willie Nelson.
To close her set she went back to an old song from Gracey, a Mexican piece that allowed young Gabe room to produce some of his most effect playing on the set. While Rhodes was solid and workman like, Harris and her band the Red Dirt Boys were master-class.
Last time the Queen of Country rock was in town she had minimal instrumental support with the gentle female vocal harmonies of Pam Rose and Mary Anne Kennedy flanking her efforts that did anything but thrill. Tonight, she had Canadian lead guitarist Colin Linden in support, plus Bryan Owings (Buddy Miller), Rickie Simpkins, Phil Madeira and on bass guitar, Chris Donohue. So incredibly tight were the band as a unit it wasn’t only the work of guitar ace Linden that captured the attention of the audience when they took their eyes off Harris. Since as the evening progressed their playing oozed greater confidence. Simpkins on fiddle and mandolin (and vocals) with Owings via his sublime work on percussion who set a bench mark of the highest order it still left the deft fill-in piano/ accordion of Madeira alongside O’Donohue (bass) —who, likewise never issued even the hint of a false move.
With so many magical moments, from 1970s and her days with Gram Parsons the classic Return Of The Grievous Angel, an accordion opened Pancho And Lefty and Blue Kentucky Girl among others to report there are bound to be some fine songs missed off, but since there is not sufficient room to name each and every one I am sure you will give me a little scope. But, I must note the great energy that exuded on Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run, and her rousing working of the Bill Monroe classic Get Up John (arguably her strongest effort) as the boys gave sterling support both instrumentally and by way of stunning vocal harmonies.
When she returned for a two-song encore, the very least desired by a hugely appreciative audience —had she done a handful more they would still be up for more. However, we had to settle for the flowing One Of These Days (George Jones) and her own Boulder To Birmingham where though good, it did fall a little short of expectations.
Harris my have undersold herself as a writer for all too long but through the likes of the poetic Gold, she is having people turn their heads as she hits her stride. |
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Alex Cornish - Cabaret Voltaire Edinburgh - 12th September 2008
Review by Graeme Scott
The dungeon like club played host to this homecoming gig by Alex and his band as they drew nearly to the end of a nation-wide tour. Looking slightly ill at ease Alex struggled at first to distract the audience from their very annoying loud chattering as he opened the set with a new song featuring just him and acoustic guitar. However after a well chosen rebuke, and surrounded by his band of road warriors, things definitely improved. Due to this venue being changed into a night-club the actual set was restricted in time so wisely Alex kept the music coming at us with minimal pauses. Being championed by the likes of Dermot O'Leary, Stuart Maconie and Mark Radcliffe has done much to raise the profile of this talented young man and, as a unit, this band can certainly cut it live. The addition of a cello adds colour and texture to songs often complex in nature allowing the live arrangements to come closer to the album production. Amongst those included tonight were 'Same Ride Same Way', 'My Word What A Mess', 'Scotland The Brave' and of course the album title track/new single 'Until The Traffic Stops' which closed out the evening. Intriguingly the selection of the only cover for the night was, in some ways, the most interesting. 'Sweet Child Of Mine' was slowed right down to almost a slow waltz tempo. A simple acoustic guitar, nice brushwork at the back, non-intrusive keyboard fills and with the cello taking all the main guitar parts it just worked brilliantly. Full marks for here for the unusual treatment and I hope it makes it to a new album at some point. |
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Jen Chapin & Rosetta Trio - Inn At Lathone, St Andrews - 13th September 2008
Review by Graeme Scott
Any artist making their first move into new territory will find, by its very nature, that audiences will not be too great in numbers. So it was last night for Jen and her merry band of musicians. Not put off by the small numbers Jen brought the sound of New York to this lovely sleepy Fife coaching house. As journalists we tend to like to place our reviews within genres so as to provide a peg our readers can recognise. Jen is not that easy to categorise. For sure there are elements of Folk and Americana and yet the underpinning has to be a that of Urban Jazz. With husband Stephan Crump on upright bass, Liberty Ellman acoustic guitar and Jamie Fox on electric guitar there was much here to enjoy. With four excellent albums to draw material from the evening progressed through a mix of self-penned songs towards the climax featuring several terrific and unusually treated covers. I particularly enjoyed 'Gold', 'Let It Show, 'NYC', 'I Could Fall (In Love With You)', 'Insatiable' and 'Election Day'. However things kicked up a gear, if that is not a strange thing to say considering we were left with just voice and bass, on 'Open Wide'. The same pairing completely outstripped the bleakness of Springsteen's "Nebraska" album with a stunning version of 'Born In The USA' (I know it did not come from that album). To out perform a writer/performer of the magnitude of The Boss takes some doing but this Jen and Stephan did completely and brilliantly. The set drew to a close with a selection of tracks from the current covers album "Light Of Mine" including 'Backdrifts', 'You Haven't Done Nothin'' and the superb 'Into The Mystic'. If the queue at the CD table afterwards is an indication of success then tonight was and many folk went home well pleased with the entertainment. |
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Angie Palmer - The Village Edinburgh - 16th September 2008
Review by Graeme Scott
It has been nearly two years since I last saw Angie perform live. Now almost permanently a resident of France she has returned to do a string of dates here in the UK in advance of her new album "Meanwhile As Night Falls" being released. However it was the familiar 'Fools Gold' to which Angie turned to open up her first set. Once again I was impressed throughout the evening with the dynamic range Angie brings to her songs. Drawing heavily on literature for inspiration Angie, and her writing partner Paul Mason, weave, often, complex tapestries of love, loss, strife and betrayal. The dreamy whimsical 'Down The Street Of The Cat Who Fished', 'Footprints In The Snow', 'Comin' Home' and 'The Ballad Of Love And Strife' plus 'Less Than I Need You' were all given an airing. The first of the new songs of the evening was a rather strange tale of a deceased Lucinda being given a final chance of redemption by being rescued from the devil. Lucinda blows the chance at the last moment and falls back to a doomed eternity in 'The Fiery Lake'. More new ones in the shape of 'On The Eve', 'I Hear That Locomotive', and a lovely lullaby 'Ile d'Yeu (Smugglers Song)' were enjoyed by the good-sized audience. 'Premonition Blues' and a cover of Townes Van Zandt's 'White Freightliner Blues' brought the evening to a close. Angie was excellent value for money on a wet Scottish night. |
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The Wilders / Robert Bray / Jane Taylor - The Musistadl, Limekilns - 28th September 2008
Review by Brian Christie
Artists from all over the British Isles have taken to the Musistadl stage over the last couple of years. The Wilders though made the journey to the tiny Fife village of Limekilns from Kansas City. Surely a record unlikely to be beaten. The four piece produced the sort of energy that should be captured and fed back into the national grid. Their infectious love for the music they played spread quickly through the room. With fiddle, banjo, double bass and acoustic guitar they kicked it from the start. Opening with ‘Lighthouse’, a foot stomping Hillbilly classic. This was a wonderful journey through America’s musical heartland; Honky Tonk to Blues, Hillbilly to Country. If these sessions were held in a bigger venue the audience would’ve been on its feet from the start. ‘High Steppin Country Girl’ doesn’t have a whole lot of lyrics, but it makes up for it with fun. This is headbanging music for Hillbillys. Great fun for all in the room. The Musistadl will need to install a dance floor if The Wilders are to return. Fantastic!
“All my songs are about either about love or the rejection of technology”, Robert Bray informs the Musistadl audience. Well, as opening lines go, it was certainly designed to grab the attention. Bray is a very witty, extremely intelligent musician. His lyrics, particularly during my favourite track ‘Reasons to Become a Hermit’ are both satirical and thought provoking. “I need four passwords just to start my day”. Don’t we all know that feeling? Bray shines in front of an audience. He was obviously having a ball throughout his 40 minute set. His infectious humour had the audience on side from the beginning. His talent though is as an instrumentalist. With ‘The Concrete and the Steel’ and the fabulous ‘I Can Hardly Wait’ he finger picked to perfection. The next project for Robert is a release with his band “The Predecimals”. I for one will be keeping a close eye on this excellent talent.
These intimate concerts hosted by Graeme Scott began over two years ago with a wonderful set from Bristol songstress Jane Taylor. The Living Room Sessions finally went full circle with her return as she began promotion of her excellent new album “Compass”. Taylor has a mesmerising quality which is rare. The audience sat transfixed through her set, which included a fair smattering of tracks from her debut album “Montpellier”. ‘Fall On Me’, the finest song from her first release, sat perfectly beside new compositions such as ‘Old Friends’ and the beautiful lament to her grandmother ‘Hallelujah’. Towards the end of her set she tells the story of an electrician who fell through the roof of her flat, only for Jane to find out he was someone she knew. “What are the chances of someone you know falling through your ceiling?” Hopefully as good as the chances of us seeing Jane Taylor once more shine at the Musistadl. Taylor is a star on the rise, and it’s where she deserves to be. |
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Sam Baker - Classic Grand, Glasgow - 27th September 2008
Review by Mike Ritchie
Sam Baker spends ages, he admits, writing his songs – but he only takes seconds to win over his audience even if his opening set was a bit nervy, possibly due to a documentary film crew’s presence. His material delves and dredges through emotional traumas, family scrapbook memories or edgy observations on a range of issues to tease out totally engrossing tales that are well worth the wait.
The simplicity of his playing and the dustily cracked, slowly delivered vocals ensured the big crowd’s attention throughout. His songs glint and dazzle in the spotlight where he stands meaningfully, yet mellow. He’s a self-confessed sucker for stories, but his own are more gripping, insightful, gently witty and pungent than most.
A major part of his real life story is that he survived a bomb blast in Peru followed by eight hours of life saving surgery and a series of reconstructive operations. Despite, permanent hearing difficulties and having to learn how to play left-handed because of the injury to his right, Sam never hits maudlin – the exact opposite in fact as his between songs chat is amusing, wry and very enjoyable. A major plus factor is that he is a genuinely pleasant guy. You could sidle up to him at any bar, toting a beer and you’d want stay for hours.
There’s nothing flash about Sam, who topped my live show list of 2007. Sheer songcraft and tunes that get locked away in the mind for a very long time sustain his performances. He slightly tweaked some numbers but there were no wholesale his-Bobness-type changes. We were on familiar territory and it felt absolutely fine. So as we await is third CD release, it was a joy to listen to Kitchen, Orphans, Boxes, Baseball, Truale, Broken Fingers and Pretty World and many more once again in an intimate live setting. |
