Graham Parker ~ 2004 February 22 ~ Bull Run Restaurant, Shirley, MA
Graham Parker accompanying himself with Fender electric guitar, Gibson acoustic guitar, and harmonica
Set List
That's What They All Say - Watch the Moon Come Down - Class Act - You've Got To Be Kidding - Sugaree {Grateful Dead} - Things I've Never Said - Thunder and Rain - Devil's Sidewalk - Fools Gold - The World Keep On Turning {Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac} - Our Anniversary - Lady Doctor - Almost Thanksgiving Day - Cruel Lips - She Never Let Me Down - Crying For Attention - Get Started. Start a Fire - Discovering Japan - Nation of Shopkeepers ... encore ... Tell Me (You're Coming Back) {Rolling Stones} - Hold Back the Night {The Trammps} - Heat Treatment
Review
This is the kind of venue that makes you wonder if you have fallen through the Looking-Glass. It just didn't seem like a place where you would go to hear rock 'n' roll. It is about a hundred miles from the nearest sign of civilization. It is so far from anything remotely evocative of rock 'n' roll, it has a New England covered bridge out back. The building is an antique structure from the 18th century, formerly used as a stagecoach stop. Outside decorations include a bizarre, tacky statue of a bull.
Inside, the building is surprisingly bigger than it seems from the outside. It has at least three different performance rooms. GP's venue was the "Sawtelle Room," set up with round tables seating eight, complete with white linen tablecloths, and hanging drapes over the windows and above the bar, making it look exactly like a wedding reception venue. I practically expected a wretchedly bad band -- the kind with a sax player and a singer who thinks he's Tom Jones -- to come out and sing "Help Me Make It Through the Night."
Instead, for an opener we got the astonishly inept .... oh I feel so bad saying his name because I hate to badmouth the opening act. They are trying their best, but I have nothing good to say about this guy. So I'll just skip saying his name. He came out on stage with a cap pulled down over his nose so you couldn't see his face. Now he can still go out in public. He sat down on a stool (bad sign right there), and fussed over his guitar for at least a minute before he even looked at the audience. Before this guy had uttered a note, you could already tell he was going to be an opening act whose lack of entertainment value has known no parallel. He proceeded to play for about six hours (well, maybe it was 30 minutes but it seemed to go on forever). He sang badly, played badly, forgot lyrics, chose weird cover songs, and treated us to originals that sounded like they were rejects from a high school talent show. But nobody had a gong to get him off the stage. Concert Going Partner and I looked at each other, gave a long sigh, and realized we had something to remember about this show other than just the magnificence of Graham Parker.
After a quick stage change-over, on came GP, wearing black trousers, black sneakers, and a short-sleeved lavendar shirt, with a sweatband on his wrist. He was in great spirits and made some very funny references to local events like the closed military training base nearby (the former Fort Devens), and told interesting stories, some the same and some different from the ones he'd told the night before at The Narrows. He had the capacity crowd laughing. One spontaneous story told of how he's become his own roadie, and in fact was mistaken for such by some fans before tonight's concert.
He opened with "That's What They All Say," followed by "Watch the Moon Come Down," and when he impulsively blurted out "This is a strange place," we knew the night was off and running. He just couldn't keep it to himself -- it really does have a wedding reception vibe. He played the same number of songs as last night (22), but the set was almost completely different. He only repeated eight of the 22 songs. He wandered seamlessly through the chronology of his abundant musical catalog, jumping from 1976 to 2004 and back with ease. Musical highlights were many, and included some rarities and surprises. He played "Class Act," from the Art Vandelay Tapes, an album of GP obscurities and non-releases; I had never before heard this song. He played "Our Anniversary," a joyful, yet solemn love song. A completely unexpected treat was his performance of an early British blues obscurity, "The World Keep On Turning," a Peter Green song from Fleetwood Mac's first album. GP did a pretty darn good imitation of the legendary PG on his Fender. He added in his hits "Lady Doctor" and "Discovering Japan," again offered up a blistering rendition of "Get Started. Start a Fire," and did a convincing cover of the early Rolling Stones' "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)." There were five songs from the upcoming album, including the catchy, easy singalong "Nation of Shopkeepers."
The audience (close to a sell-out) was receptive and enthusiastic, and when the show was over, again waited with patience and good humor for a chance to chat with Graham for a few moments and get an autograph or a picture.
I've seen many musicians perform over my concert going career, and now I have seen Graham Parker twice, two shows that will go on the list of all-time great live shows. Graham Parker is not only an immensely talented songwriter and singer (I already knew that from listening to the records), but he is a down-to-earth man who does not seem to suffer any ego problems. He is a skilled performer who not only sings very well, but he entertains the audience with a style of humor that matches his songwriting in that it ranges from the warm and touching to the bitingly sarcastic. His authenticity, spontaneity, and wit made these shows two of the most enjoyable I have seen in a long time. I look forward eagerly to the release of Your Country on March 9 and to other opportunities to see Graham Parker perform.
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