James McMurtry with Ray Mason opening ~ 2012 April 26 ~ Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River, MA
James McMurtry accompanying himself on two electric guitars; show opened by Ray Mason accompanying himself on Silvertone guitar (James McMurtry played on one Ray Mason song)
Set List
Ray Mason:
Castanets - I'm Not That Kind of Guy - Liner Notes - Up But So Loose - Monkey in a Convent - When I Meet You On the Moon - My Lips Are Lonely [with James McMurtry]
I did not keep track of James' set list since I am not all that familiar with his material, and so many of his songs are so verbally rich it can be a challenge to identify the song title.
Review
Texan storyteller James McMurtry played the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River. Up on the third floor of an old mill building, the venue is run on an entirely volunteer basis. There have been some changes since the last time I saw a concert there; cocktail tables with four padded chairs each have replaced the old church pews. Bathroom renovations are complete, and an elevator is in place. But the best renovation of all is the stage. The old stage, while roomy enough for a multiple piece band, was low to the floor, making visibility restricted from the back rows. But now the stage has been lifted about another foot higher, and the performers can now be seen more easily over other concert goers' heads.
James played two very beautiful guitars. In particular I enjoyed listening to the twelve-string, which had a wonderful sound. He's a very skilled player and complex and hypnotic guitar lines flowed smoothly from his big Texan hands. On one song he used two capos, one covering just five of the six strings. He often re-tuned the guitars between songs, making no attempt to cover his tuning with banter. In fact, he tuned loudly and aggressively.
He bantered a little, with occasional humor, but more often with the grim seriousness that also characterizes his songs. He had a penetrating gaze with which he assessed the audience. He played a number of songs I recognized from a compilation album that I own, including the spellbinding "Choctaw Bingo" and the crowd-pleasing "Can't Make It Here Any More" (which James referred to as a "medley of my hit.") I think I would like to hear him with his band. His songs are a lot like stories, with lots and lots of words.
The show was opened by our friend Ray Mason, Silvertone king of western Mass. He played an entertaining set of eight songs that were a real contrast to the seriousness of James' material. Ray's songs are playful, tuneful and in some cases nostalgic. His set was well received by the audience, who laughed quite a bit at his humorous lyrics and his droll banter. Ray said that one of his songs, "Monkey in a Convent," was mistaken by a radio listener for a Graham Parker song. The audience got a real treat when James McMurtry joined Ray for the final song in his set, a song called "My Lips Are Lonely," which is about a young woman in the Army Reserves being called up to active duty. I could see why James wanted to play on this song, since it's a lot like a song he might have written himself.
More Ray
Here is a page with a handy list of links to all pages on this website with content relating to Ray Mason, the Ray Mason Band, or the Lonesome Brothers.
Click for 2012 Concert Page with links to all 2012 concerts ... Click for Main Concert Page with links to all years