Graham Parker ~ 2006 March 25 ~ Rosendale Café, Rosendale, NY
Graham Parker accompanying himself on Fender electric guitar, Gibson acoustic guitar, harmonica, and kazoo
Set List
[Gibson acoustic]: Watch the Moon Come Down - Chloroform - Heat Treatment - The Girl Isn't Ready - The Other Side of the Reservoir [new song] - Stick to the Plan [new song] - [Fender electric]: Don't Ask Me Questions - First Day of Spring - Weeping Statues - Temporary Beauty - Obsessed with Aretha - [Gibson acoustic]: And It Shook Me - The Raid - Hotel Chambermaid - Hard Side of the Rain ... encore ... [a capella] Someone To Watch Over Me - [Fender electric]: White Honey - Back to School Days - What'd I Say {Ray Charles}
Review
The second night of my three consecutive nights of Parker was at The Rosendale Café, a restaurant/folk club in a very hip, very left-wing small town in the Hudson Valley. The café boasts good vegetarian food, a friendly, helpful staff, and good sound. Geep sat for this concert on the very tiny stage. I'd never seen him sit while performing, and I'm not quite sure why he did it except that this club has a real folk ambiance. He was dressed all in black. GP had an extensive guest list at this show, including his teammates from his soccer team and his family, including his college-age daughter Natalie who staffed his merchandise table and is a personable young woman, who admits to liking her dad's music. This concert was the best of the three I saw over this weekend; even though he played fewer songs, it was a more cohesive show and the crowd dynamics were the best.
The highlights were the new songs. "Hard Side of the Rain" has the makings of a real crowd favorite, but GP and I share an astonishment that he has written a song characterized by hope and optimism. "Stick to the Plan," with kazoo, would be a #1 hit in a parallel universe. "The Other Side of the Reservoir" is a very pretty song with a lovely vocal line, with an unusual subject matter -- the destruction of several villages to make a reservoir.
I've heard GP sing "Someone To Watch Over Me" before but it is still a real treat. Anyone who thinks GP isn't a talented singer needs to hear him perform this a capella number. Although GP makes fun of himself for singing it, he does a fantastic job with it.More Chairman
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