As a fan of a wide variety of popular (and not-so-popular) music from the 1950s (and sometimes even earlier) up through the present, one of my bucket list projects for years has been to put together a list of my 100 favorite songs of all time. At some point I decided that, once I got around to figuring that out, I could put it out on a blog, for the infinitesimally small proportion of the Internet world that might be interested. So, here we are. While the Top 100 will be a major focus, I also plan to post on a variety of other musical (and occasionally non-musical) topics, in which you may or may not be interested. (If a particular posting doesn’t ring your bell, you’re only a few clicks away from a dancing cat video on YouTube.)

Friday, April 6, 2018

Richard Thompson w/ Joan Shelley – The Birchmere, 4/4/2018


Table 216 – 8-person table parallel to the stage, house left section, about 1/3 of the way back. I was the first one at the table, so I claimed the seat closest to the aisle facing the stage. Not super close, but a nice view.
 
Recipe for a great, sold-out, 110-minute Richard Thompson show:
 
Old favorites – Beeswing, 1952 Vincent Black Lightning, Wall Of Death, Dimming Of The Day, etc.
Stuff I’d never seen him perform before – Gethsemane (which opened the show), Crazy Man Michael, Push And Shove, They Tore The Hippodrome Down, Right From Wrong (from his upcoming album)
Audience participation – Hots For The Smarts, Tear-Stained Letter (first encore)
Great guitar workouts – most notably on Valerie and Shoot Out The Lights
At least one REALLY old song – Matty Groves
 
Traffic was good in both directions. I arrived shortly after 4:00, and the line already extended most of the way back along the building.
 
 
Joan Shelley and Martin Salsburg (both on guitar) did a quiet but effective 30-minute opening set; I liked both her voice and her material. Something like Carrie Newcomer in her more contemplative moments, or even the Milk Carton Kids (if one of the latter was a woman, who did almost all of the vocals).
 

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