Graham Parker ~ 2006 June 9 ~ Bull Run Restaurant, Shirley, MA
Graham Parker accompanying himself on Fender electric guitar, Gibson acoustic guitar, harmonica, and kazoo
Opening act: Eric Lilljequist accompanying himself on guitar
Set List (with guitars noted)
[Gibson acoustic]: High Horse - Heat Treatment - If It Ever Stops Rainin' - Thunder and Rain - Stick to the Plan - Hard Side of the Rain - Saturday Night Is Dead - [Fender electric]: Howling Wind - Blue Highways - Evil - Temporary Beauty - Lady Doctor - Fools' Gold - Don't Ask Me Questions - [Gibson acoustic]: Wrapping Paper - Three Martini Lunch - Hotel Chambermaid ... encore ... [Gibson acoustic]: The Raid - Hold Back the Night - [Fender electric]: White Honey - Discoving Japan
Review
Graham Parker put on a humdinger of a show last night at the Bull Run in Shirley, Mass. I had been to this venue once before -- in Feb. 2004, to see Graham -- and at that time I was less than impressed. It is out in the middle of nowhere -- it is so far from civilization there is an authentic New England covered bridge behind the venue. And there's a tacky, life-size plastic statue of a bull outside. Inside it's a wedding reception venue with decor one would expect for that sort of setting -- frilly white curtains on the windows, white tablecloths -- but location and decor notwithstanding, it turned out to be an excellent venue for the Chairman. The sound was good, the lighting was good, the stage was huge (although only about 2 inches off the floor), the employees were friendly and helpful, the food was good and reasonably priced, the soundmen knew what they were doing, GP was welcomed with the accolades he deserves, the opening act was excellent, the master of ceremonies had a good sense of humor and announced the Red Sox baseball score after the show was done, and the crowd was big and enthusiastic.
The opener was Eric Lilljequist who performed a set of about 8 songs all of which were excellent. He included covers of old blues tunes, a couple of originals including a beauty called "That's What the Earth Tells Me," a song sung entirely in an astonishing falsetto, and a breathtakingly soulful cover of "She Loves You." He expertly accompanied himself on an acoustic Takamine. Overall I'd say he was one of the best opening acts I've ever seen.
Graham came on stage with the same two guitars I've seen him play many times -- electric Fender and acoustic/electric Gibson. He was dressed in a long-sleeved striped blue shirt, glasses with amber lenses, and his trademark black Keds. He opened with a favorite of mine -- "High Horse" -- which had at least one member of the audience who hadn't heard the song before laughing out loud at the absurd animals it refers to. (I brought two GP newbies to the show.) Graham announced that since it's been raining for a week, he was going to play a lot of weather-related songs ("of which I have about a hundred") and launched into another favorite of mine, "If It Ever Stops Raining," a song in which I can't help but hear the Figgs sing along in my imagination, followed by "Thunder and Rain." He referred to the U.S. military blowing away Iraq terrorist al-Zaqari (sp.?) and said that in the news photos, he thought the dead man looked more like the opera singer Pavarotti. He continued with the 'kazoo song,' "Stick to the Plan," which had the same previously mentioned GP newbie in stitches again, then another weather song, "Hard Side of the Rain," which I have decided is my favorite of GP's new songs. He introduced it as a song of hope, with a tone of distaste or maybe incredulity (as if to say, "Graham Parker does a song of hope? what is the world coming to").
After switching to the Fender electric he did "Howling Wind," but neglected to mention that it was another weather song. He complained that his harmonica holder is 25 years old and says he needs a new one, then played a brilliant surprise, "Blue Highways" from Mona Lisa's Sister, which, from where I was sitting, sounded very echoey, but maybe that's because I was so close to the stage that I was hearing the music from Graham's monitors as well as from the overhead speakers. It was a really nice effect, actually. He boasted that two of his songs had been used in an Evel Knievel special on Country Music Television; one of the song was "Evil," which he then played. (The other was "Fairground," which he didn't play.) Some loud-voiced individual in the back had yelled stentoriously for "Temporary Beauty" twice, and GP then played it, more to shut up the guy than for any other reason, I think. I do wish GP wouldn't take requests -- it's better when he plays what he wants to play. There was one moment during the show when so many people were shouting requests, somebody yelled "something you've practiced," and Graham remarked that being a musician isn't as easy as it looks.
Back to the Gibson, he said, "here's a song some people like" (an apologetic remark?) and played "Wrapping Paper," a song I'd never heard him sing live before. I think it has a very pretty melody -- one of GP's prettiest -- but the lyrics aren't Graham's best. "Pull your skin like wrapping paper 'round my heart"? Not GP's smoothest metaphor; he's done better in other songs. Then he told a funny, and apparently true, story about being pulled over by a cop for supposedly weaving on the road on his way home from an evening football match (Graham's lived in America a long time, he called it "soccer"), and the series of weird sobriety tests the cop ("he's scary, he's big, he's got a gun") subjected him to. The cop determined GP wasn't drunk but that he was distracted, and when he asked him why he was distracted and Graham said he was trying to roll a joint on top of a CD while driving, told him "you're not drunk and you're white, so you can go." Of course after this GP had to play "Three Martini Lunch."
After an enthusiastic standing ovation with GP soaking it up on stage (he's not too cool to show his appreciation for OUR appreciation), he played a four-song encore. The 21 song show was thoroughly satisfying. The set list was a bit heavy on the first two albums, which I'm sure a lot of the fans like, although I personally would rather hear more of the new songs. He said that the new album is finished and he said that it would be ready for release in four months, or ready for release early next year (which don't match, but I suppose they're close as far as the record business goes). No title yet for the new record. After the show he set himself up in the corner with some recently discovered copies of Christmas Cracker, a last few remaining children's Your Country t-shirts (if you go to a show, do the man a favor and BUY one), and copies of The Other Life of Brian. In response to a comment from a fan, he said that he likes performing solo better than with a band, because with a band "you learn 22 songs and you're stuck with them." I thanked Graham for coming to Massachusetts, and he told me another show at the Narrows (Fall River) is being set up. Two weeks till Springfield!
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