Graham Parker (solo) ~ 2007 August 5 ~ SoNo Arts Festival, South Norwalk, CT
Graham Parker accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and harmonica
Set List (with guitars noted)
[Gibson acoustic] I Discovered America - Hard Side of the Rain - Waiting for the UFOs - Sugaree {Grateful Dead} - Fool's Gold - Something You're Going Through - [electric Fender] Devil's Sidewalk - Can't Take Love For Granted - Durban Poison - Lady Doctor - Sailing Shoes {Little Feat} - Stick To Me - Temporary Beauty - Stop! In the Name of Love {Supremes} - [Gibson acoustic] Wrapping Paper - Somebody Saved Me - Saturday Night is Dead - Socks 'n' Sandals - Hold Back the Night - The Raid ... encore ... Cupid {Sam Cooke} - [electric Fender] Discovering Japan - No Woman No Cry {Bob Marley} - Don't Let It Break You Down (with a little bit of Here Comes the Sun)
Review
The SoNo Arts Festival is an annual street fair and music festival in this southwestern Connecticut town. The fair features a puppet parade with 10 foot high puppets, many street vendors, an open house at the little railroad museum, and a full schedule of musical acts. A reggae band was performing when I first arrived. It was a rare delight to attend a concert not just with my usual Concert Going Partner, but with my entire Geepclique -- Maureen, bringer of flowers; Jerry the Bellboy; and the Infamous Capgirl.
It was also a rare treat to stand at a concert. Although there were rows of folding chairs with adequate seating for a pretty good crowd, there was also plenty of space in front of the stage for standing. And the stage was about four feet high so there was no problem with blocking the views of those in the seats. Also it was a treat to listen to an outdoor concert on a hot, hot summer day. The stage was covered so Graham started the show in the shade. As the afternoon went along the sun dropped in the sky until first GP's black sneakers were in the sunshine, and the light continued to creep up him like a light Swedish massage until he was in the light from the waist down.
Geep wore a sleeveless white "bony chested t-shirt" with a vest that had an antique map of the world. Very appropriate for "I Discovered America." He enjoyed poking fun at the street fair's puppets, and mentioned that he was considering a "guerilla appearance" at a similar fair next week in Bridgeport to which he had not been invited. The set list featured more covers than usual; sometimes a performer likes to include songs people will know for this sort of crowd, which tends not to be composed mainly of fans of the specific performer. But he also played a nice selection of songs from all eras of his own recordings. When he played "Stop! In the Name of Love" he claimed he wrote it in 1964; and it gave my girlfriends and me the chance to do a silly Supremes routine.
More Chairman
Interested in my other Graham Parker reviews? Here is a page with a handy list of links to all pages on this website with Geep content.