Thought I would quickly mention what I did tonight. About 3 months ago I bought a ticket to see Billy Bragg/Mavis Staples at the Tarrytown Music Hall. I was very excited about this concert and was looking forward to that evening.
Unfortunately, due to an unfortunate family emergency, Billy was forced to cancel his last tour dates. Word is that his mother has pancreatic cancer and is not doing well. Very sad. So while I am disappointed that I missed out on his performance, I am very happy that he is where he needs to be right now. My best wishes, for what they are worth, go out to his family in this trying period. One of my all time favorite performers and individuals.
Hello, Wisconsin!!!
The great Chanteuse Neko Case volunteered to fill in as an opening act for Grammy Award winning singing legend Mavis Staples. The Music Hall gave ticket holders the option of a refund, but honestly turning down hearing Neko Case sing could get me institutionalized. As Mavis tacitly stated what every man woman and child in the theatre was thinking, "She has the voice of an angel". Her singing is pure narcotic bliss, the best legal medication you could purchase. So good she will probably get banned in one of our "Red States". I saw her perform at Tarrytown with Kelly Hogan's backing vocals and the combined double onslaught was too much for my ears. Luckily I was far enough from the stage--otherwise I might have come out a stupor a few hours later to find I had loaded all their gear on their truck for them like a zombified worker ant.
Tonight it was just Neko and extraordinary guitarist Jon Rauhouse. And that was plenty. It's not like you want to smother a prime cut of steak with ketchup, you know. But he was terrific accompaniement, in his rakish hat and jaunty vest, picking, plucking, and surrounding us with sonic soundscapes. He is pretty much Vudi to her Mark Eitzel. I say this because during the concert I was inexplicably fantasizing about her doing a crazy duet album with the American Music Club frontman ala Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell. How amazing and wild would that be! She, like Mark is an accomplished songwriter, many her songs resembling historic folk recordings, the only difference being that the subject matter actually reflects the thoughts an feelings of a real woman. So in summation, if I was weaving on my way North from Tarrytown this evening it was not from alcohol it was from sonic intoxication. Or simply music soothing the savage beast. I think tonight we were all a little bit Canadian.
And I also enjoyed the Mavis Staples set. She is a tiny powerhouse, with a strong stage prescence and commanding vocal abilities. She was accompanied by a crack three piece band and three backup singers.
She had a wonderful way of communing with audience making us all feel like we were part of the show, like we were all sharing something. Her act was a joyful mix of entertainment, religious gospel, social justice and fortitude. She seemed like genuinely great lively person, quick to ad-lib with the crowd, who showed the audience great love, which we gave back with no remorse. She told some great stories and anecdotes--by the end of the show I had become completely testificated by her enthusiastic sermons.
My only regret was that there was not very much interaction between Neko and Mavis. I had heard that Billy Bragg and Mavis did their own sets and then came out and performed together as a finale. Neko only came out and performed a verse of the Band's The Weight during her set. (I completely forgot that the Staples Singers were performers in The Last Waltz concert. Ms. Case came out and tried to sneak around Mavis, but that wasn't about to happen--she wound up giving Neko a humongous hug. I would have enjoyed seeing how Billy and Mavis would have interacted as it must have been a very special tour. Of course, Neko's coming in at the 11th hour would have precluded any elaborate collaborations. But despite the tragic circumstance, an entertaining time was had in Tarrytown tonight. And the sound quality was pristeen, as I have come to expect when I visit this historic theatre. Good night everybody. And do yourself a favor--get out and support the Arts. You will be rewarded for your good efforts.
Correction: Sadly,Billy Bragg's mother passed away on March 19. Condolences to Billy and his family and friends. For a temporary Bragg fix I noticed that on his web site he has for sale a Live at the Barbican double CD that kindly does not edit out the wonderful between-song-monologues that he is celebrated for. And reasonably priced at 9 pounds.
Showing posts with label Billy Bragg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Billy Bragg. Show all posts
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Poetry and Flowers, Pretty Words and Threats; Valentines' Day with Billy Bragg
Valentine's Day. It's not over till we say it is. Here's to the new Romantics.
So, I was trying to think of romantic music and the album Workers' Playtime came to mind. I've always been a big fan of Billy Bragg. He is one of the great live acts and I am going to see him perform with Mavis Staples next month at Tarrytown Music Hall. He is such an engaging gregarious and charismatic entertainer, full of humor, anecdotes, and compassion for the downtrodden. I saw him perform about ten years ago in New York with a full band which included celebrated Faces keyboard player Sir Ian McLagan. Great show. Sometimes I was disappointed when he broke off his banter to sing. He would have no problem doing spoken word shows like Henry Rollins, believe me.
On this memorable night, he discussed such English delicacies as Marmite (I've tried it--it's something that people shouldn't put in their mouths). He described it as "salt mixed with sulphur, then add more salt". He also gave us his rendition of traditional "Morris" dancing and basically made fun of English people's dancing ability, including his own.
On a more serious note, (this was right before the Bush-Gore presidential campaign of 2000), he made an announcement that Ralph Nader was speaking in New York that evening. Nader was a presidential candidate for the Green party, who made the dubious claim that the two major parties were exactly the same. I feared the worst about this spiel. He continued with "if you are interested, go check out what he has to say and what his ideas are." But then he said with great prescience, "but remember, any vote for Nader is a vote that Gore won't get, and if Gore doesn't get those votes, Bush may win."
"And you don't want that", he said. "He's a bad, bad man, and not someone you want running your country."
I am paraphrasing, but that is what I remember most about that night. But anyone who knows the music of Billy Bragg also knows that when he is not singing about politics, or decrying injustice, he is probably singing a love song. Sometimes love and politics actually merge in his lyrics. He certainly has a knack for penning a poignant phrase, for describing emotional states, and (as he has so often sung), the power of a union.
I don't want to knock an artist for having extraordinary vocal gifts--after all it's not their fault--singers like Sam Cooke or Neko Case, or Colin Blunstone were born with this curse. Billy Bragg was not so afflicted.
But I think that is why his music is so affecting. There is no smoke and mirrors here, just old William Bloke, the Bard from Barking singing his proud heart out. And that makes him a great singer in a different way. It's just so very real--he's one of us, and that's where the comparisons to a Bob Dylan stand up. Maybe he isn't the voice of a generation (I would venture he'd recommend you think for yourself), but his words ring pretty true from his heart.
Granted you see the cover festooned with Chinese Social Realist Art and think that this album does not merit a spot near your Al Green albums. But I must admit that he delivers the romantic goods here. While I admit I am most impressed by his earlier albums, this album is a pretty sexy number, but by no means paint-by-the -numbers romantic zombie music. Take for example Must I Paint You A Picture?
It's bad timing and me..
We find a lot of things out this way
And there's you...
A little black cloud in a dress
The temptation
To take the precious things we have apart
To see how they work
Must be resisted for they never fit together again.
Of course there is the heartbreaking Valentine's Day Is Over. A Bragg song for the ages.
Poetry and flowers pretty words and threats
You've gone to the dogs again and I'm not placing bets
On you coming home tonight anything but blind
If you take me for granted then you must expect to find
surprise, surprise...
And of course The Only One.....(there's always room for Cello).
But wait, there's more. Five Star albums are usually like that. There's the tender The Price I Pay, The Short Answer (you try and fit Marzipan and Marx in a love song and make it work), She's Got A New Spell, and the acapella Tender Comrade. "You're upset Cos I can't read your mind" he implores on the uptempo Life With The Lions.
But wait, there's even more... The deluxe version comes with demos of some of the songs, nifty versions of The Jam's That's Entertainment, Tim Hardin's Reason To Believe, and Bonnie Raitt's Love Has No Pride.
And we can't really forget the album closing raveup Great Leap Forward!!
Here's the updated, New World Order mix...From one of the greats. Happy Valentines.
So, I was trying to think of romantic music and the album Workers' Playtime came to mind. I've always been a big fan of Billy Bragg. He is one of the great live acts and I am going to see him perform with Mavis Staples next month at Tarrytown Music Hall. He is such an engaging gregarious and charismatic entertainer, full of humor, anecdotes, and compassion for the downtrodden. I saw him perform about ten years ago in New York with a full band which included celebrated Faces keyboard player Sir Ian McLagan. Great show. Sometimes I was disappointed when he broke off his banter to sing. He would have no problem doing spoken word shows like Henry Rollins, believe me.
On this memorable night, he discussed such English delicacies as Marmite (I've tried it--it's something that people shouldn't put in their mouths). He described it as "salt mixed with sulphur, then add more salt". He also gave us his rendition of traditional "Morris" dancing and basically made fun of English people's dancing ability, including his own.
On a more serious note, (this was right before the Bush-Gore presidential campaign of 2000), he made an announcement that Ralph Nader was speaking in New York that evening. Nader was a presidential candidate for the Green party, who made the dubious claim that the two major parties were exactly the same. I feared the worst about this spiel. He continued with "if you are interested, go check out what he has to say and what his ideas are." But then he said with great prescience, "but remember, any vote for Nader is a vote that Gore won't get, and if Gore doesn't get those votes, Bush may win."
"And you don't want that", he said. "He's a bad, bad man, and not someone you want running your country."
I am paraphrasing, but that is what I remember most about that night. But anyone who knows the music of Billy Bragg also knows that when he is not singing about politics, or decrying injustice, he is probably singing a love song. Sometimes love and politics actually merge in his lyrics. He certainly has a knack for penning a poignant phrase, for describing emotional states, and (as he has so often sung), the power of a union.
 |
| I Dreamt The World Stopped Turning |
I don't want to knock an artist for having extraordinary vocal gifts--after all it's not their fault--singers like Sam Cooke or Neko Case, or Colin Blunstone were born with this curse. Billy Bragg was not so afflicted.
But I think that is why his music is so affecting. There is no smoke and mirrors here, just old William Bloke, the Bard from Barking singing his proud heart out. And that makes him a great singer in a different way. It's just so very real--he's one of us, and that's where the comparisons to a Bob Dylan stand up. Maybe he isn't the voice of a generation (I would venture he'd recommend you think for yourself), but his words ring pretty true from his heart.
Granted you see the cover festooned with Chinese Social Realist Art and think that this album does not merit a spot near your Al Green albums. But I must admit that he delivers the romantic goods here. While I admit I am most impressed by his earlier albums, this album is a pretty sexy number, but by no means paint-by-the -numbers romantic zombie music. Take for example Must I Paint You A Picture?
It's bad timing and me..
We find a lot of things out this way
And there's you...
A little black cloud in a dress
The temptation
To take the precious things we have apart
To see how they work
Must be resisted for they never fit together again.
Of course there is the heartbreaking Valentine's Day Is Over. A Bragg song for the ages.
Poetry and flowers pretty words and threats
You've gone to the dogs again and I'm not placing bets
On you coming home tonight anything but blind
If you take me for granted then you must expect to find
surprise, surprise...
And of course The Only One.....(there's always room for Cello).
But wait, there's more. Five Star albums are usually like that. There's the tender The Price I Pay, The Short Answer (you try and fit Marzipan and Marx in a love song and make it work), She's Got A New Spell, and the acapella Tender Comrade. "You're upset Cos I can't read your mind" he implores on the uptempo Life With The Lions.
But wait, there's even more... The deluxe version comes with demos of some of the songs, nifty versions of The Jam's That's Entertainment, Tim Hardin's Reason To Believe, and Bonnie Raitt's Love Has No Pride.
And we can't really forget the album closing raveup Great Leap Forward!!
Here's the updated, New World Order mix...From one of the greats. Happy Valentines.
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