Concert Review: James Mc Murtry @ The Duck Room

Sooooo I went to see James Mc Murtry at he Duck Room last week. It was a school night but I love this guy. I believe him to be the greatest living and performing American singer/songwriter. I could be wrong, I have been before but I kind of doubt it. I mean Dylan is alive and performing and without question has a more comprehensive body of work but for at least the last yen years and perhaps the last 20 the shows have more often then not been incomprehensible and sucked more than a little. Mc Murtry is of course the son of American treasure Larry Mc Murtry (noted book collector and sometimes author, wrote"Lonesome Dove" and what not).  Mc Murtry has only been recording since 1987 or so.   His first CD was produced by John Cougar Mellencamp and had a lot of his band but it was sparsely produced and brilliant...but I digress.  

Unlike Dylan Mc Murtry is still putting out quality new material and performing tight shows.  He plays every Wednesday at midnight at the Continental Club in Austin when he is not on the road and what that means is that he is always honing his chops. Always performing, always working. He has had a resurgence over the last couple of years.  Outlaw Country on SIRIUS keeps him in solid rotation (her should have his own show' in fact they should broadcast him live from the Continental Club every Wednesday night) and "Choctaw Bingo" which he claims celebrates "the north Texas Sutheast Oklahoma methamphetamine industry" is really just a celebration of a fucked up white trash family reunion at their whacked out old uncle Slaben's place. But folks love it and it is a great sing along meh also recorded a song called "We can't make it here anymore" which has become an anthem of sorters for  the problems and opportunities in our post neo con enconomy.  It is biting, and sad and true. More overlooked are his brilliant ballads "Carlos and Rita"  and "Lights of Cheyenne". He is a BRILLIANT writer.   He has an authentic voice and never forget, he plays guitar like a rock star.  

So I went to see him.  I thought it was. A early show with opener at 8 and Mc Murtry at 9:00 but as is well documented, I am, of course, an idiot.  I showed up at 8:15 figuring I would miss part of the opener, a band called “The Five And Dimers”.  I was going to go with my wife because it was an early show but than another friend wanted to go and then it got late and so my wife decided not to go and then the friend decided not to go, which left me going by myself which suited me... just fine.  So I got there and of course had not bought a ticket and of course it was sold out.  I had not anticipated that so many people in St. Louis shared my excellent taste.  The Duck room has capacity of 350 so perhaps it was not that remarkable and was just bad planning because as stated immediately above and reaffirmed here, I am an idiot.  I stood around and there were several people waiting for tickets but I persevered.  Ultimately another person who like me (when I buy tickets0 bought more than he needed and I paid face value and got into the show.  

Unfortunately the show was not the show yet.  Doors were at 8, opener at 9, Mc Murtry at 10.  Ooops.  Did I mention it was a school night.  I got my spot centered on the stage, about 10 feet back.  They had set up tables in front which seemed a little stupid but... BEATLE Bob was there!  I had just had a discussion the week before about whether or not he was dead but apparently not.  the Five and Dimers came on prompltly as i sucked down a Stag and was trying to be removed but the band sounded really good.  It was a little Byrdsy, Burrito Brothers sounds with a nice violin and understated banjo and a decent singer guitarist.  They were really surprisingly good and I will need to devote a little time to their catalogue.  Tey got done at the crack of 9:50 and then we waited about 25 minutes for Mc Murtry and company to set up.

He came on at 10:15 and and he was accompanied by Darren Hess and Ronnie Johnson which is really all the band he ever needs.  He was playing loud using both of his electrics as he tore into “Turtle Bayou” and “Hurricane Season” and got the crowd going.  Really going.  A packed house swaying clapping and yelping and Mc Murtry playing a little bit to the crowd and a lot for himself. He has been doing this for so long and these guys are so tight together and it is nice to see someone at the height of his game.  He might be tired.  he might even be bored but you get the feeling he plays every night with fear and arrogance.  He respects his aurdience as much as they respect him and this Duck Room crowd was a little chatty once you got twenty feet from the stage.  I never understand why people come to a show like that and talk all the way through it but...shit happens.

He brought the house down with “Choctaw Bingo” and then sent the boys off and did some solo numbers where he showcased a little sweet acoustic guitar.  The band came back, the crowd amped uop and beatle Bob danced and danced with every drunken girl at the front of the stage.  Everything the guy does is so nuanced, whether it is the way he plays, sings or stares at the crowd.  He turned 50 last march and he has some hard miles put on that face and maybe on his soul as well but there is something there that sees and can channel a portion of America that lies just out of your headlights or just around the corner but there, and real and haunting and sometimes even joyful,  It was a serious performance and even after seeing him 10 times he is a wonder to watch. Don’t miss him the next time he comes to town.  And remember to buy a ticket prior to the show.

If you want to find out more or listen NPR covers him pretty well

http://www.npr.org/templates/search/index.php?&sort=match&searchinput=mcmurtry

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.