Concert Review: David Lowery

I come her not to praise David Lowery, but to bury him.

I went to the show with Donaldson and my son Jon. I was really, really excited. I often referred to Lowery as "The Funniest Man In Rock And Roll. I had seen he and his band Cracker ast least 5 times and have the most beautiful memories of seeing them play with Counting Crows at Mississippi Nights. I am no longer sure it really happened but the memory is no less indelible. I am a long time Camper/Cracker/Lowery fan and I attend a reasonable amount of shows each year for an old man of 49.

Johnny Hickman, his long time lead guitar man and collaborator came on and opened and had a perfectly servicable set of country tiwnged rock. leaning on his working class roots he made the guitar sing nd although all the lyrics were much too earnest for anyones taste but the rabid fan, it was a good opening act. earnest and true and he exhibited his extraordinary talent as a guitar player. But Hickman is a side man. An opener. That is none the less extra ordinary but it is what it is. I will never buy his solo stuff. it was (the harshest indictment of all) pleasant.

I was REALLY excited for Lowery. I heard he was going to tell a lot of stories, it made me even more excited. he was always, always an engaging performer with with awesome showmanship. That having been said I have never been more disappointed in a performance, and let down than I was in this one. He came on and had taped down with masking tape his Mac Book. He had a page of handwritten notes and he sat down and began to tell a tale of their (his and Hickman's) time in Iraq. I truly respected what he had done. I was interested.... well into the 5th minute of the story. it went on and on....it digressed...it regressed. It gressed in ways I had never considered which is really quite amazing. then he marched into one of the sweet songs from his new solo CD which if not brilliant, is at least brilliantly done. the song was "I was the man who sold the Arabs the moon". It is a really good song but after the interminable story.... was a dirge. but i persevered. i love this guy and you don't judge a show by one song.

But then he started to tell another story. it too went on forever and I cannot even tell you what it was about and then he started singing "Mery Christmas Emily". A great Cracker diddy that rollicks along in their sad sweet sway. And it was also a dirge. And I started to fall asleep. In an angry, angry way. I went to pee at the end of the song and as I came back he was still telling his third story/song intro that had to do with his love for the English and Victorian times and... I don't fucking know.... but he went into "Deep Oblivion"....from the new CD...and so did I. Donaldson had already left and I was embarrassed I had brought him out When that song ended and the fourth monologue started (and by the way "Deep Oblivion " also seemed like a funeral dirge...I went and got the check. It is always a long process getting the check at the Duck Room. I commented to the bartender that this was the worst thing I had ever seen and he nodded agreement. I paid the check. He was still talking. I got Jon. We began walking past the Cracker merch table....up the steps...he was still talking. One hours... three songs....hell. .I walked out at 11 having heard 4 songs in an hour. I was sleepy, bored and angry. I have always told people that Lowery is the funniest guy in rock but brevity is the soul of wit and he is no Mark Twain. The stories were long, rambling, contained multiple digressions and the punchline was never enough of a pay off. I never walk out. I respect the artist. I bought Neil Young's CD "Trans" for God's sake. The whole show.... 10 SONGS! that included 2 encores.

I know I sound like a grumpy old man but the show left me really sad and the audience sadder. And I hated the audience. they were awful. At least 1/2 of them encouraged him to keep talking. They laughed knowingly. They applauded when he needed. God I hated them. This was not a good show. I have never walked out on a show before in the literally hundreds of shows i have seen over the years. He needs to play his songs. Do short intros and let the music talk because he has put together a great body of work. But he is no Mark Twain.

He is no Mark twain. Someone should tell him. Even now 12 hours later I am incredulous over how un-entertaining I found him and the songs, though bueatiful were dirge-like when combined with the monolgue. Hickman by contrast was light and self efacing and though much less of a lead guy, put on a show. If you have tickets to see him on this tour, stay home. I got on the RFT site and wrote a comment about how bad the show was. I went to the Lincoln Hall/Schubas site where he was playing the next night and begged people not to go. You might think this is harsh but I decided that when Lowery comes through town again I want him to look me up, just so he can punch me in the face. At least that would be engaging.

He is no Mark Twain. He aint even Garrison Keillor.