Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Guest Post: Tom Russell at Knuckleheads in KC

I had hoped to attend, but when I realized I couldn't get to Tom Russell's show in Kansas City I contacted my friend on the spot, honorary Magdalenian Jennifer Wilding, and inquired whether she would be interested in "covering" it for Q- blog. She was, and took her friend Rick Malsick. Turned out Tom was new to them, but it didn't hurt their appreciation (or understanding) a bit. Rick:

"I wasn’t familiar with Tom Russell. Come to find out he wrote Outbound Plane, a damn fine Nancy Griffith song. But I didn’t know that going in. Anyway, impressions. Wish I’d been taking notes. First, there was the sign at Knuckleheads imploring patrons to muzzle their cell phones and to keep quiet during the performance. Singer-songwriters have to love that. Then there was the music. The collaboration with Thad Beckman was very tight. I have to believe these two have spent some time together. The guitars were always is sync, even when the rhythms were tricky, and the vocals were always in harmony. But the most powerful impression was the songwriting. These are songs for smart people, with the right blend of sincerity and irony, pathos and humor.

"Moreover, his songs take an inductive approach, telling stories of individuals – the aging fighter, the guy stealing electricity, the dude who loses everything in a cockfight – in such a way that even those at great cultural remove can feel the pain. Finally, there was the audience. Many were longtime fans and Tom’s rapport with them was as funny as it was loving. It’s good to know that there’s a fan base in KC for this kind of first-class music."

Jennifer adds:

"For me, Tom Russell made the evening all about appreciation. His appreciation for his friend, the [Kansas- born--SB] writer George Kimball, who was in the audience, for the Knuckleheads staff, for his most excellent musical collaborator and for his audience. In return, Russell got a whole lot of appreciation back. My favorite moments were the two times he launched into songs, being absolutely certain that the audience was going to chime in for the sing-along moments. It was like he had leapt into the audience, counting on them to pass him overhead from person to person, but he never left the stage."

Yes!

5 comments:

turn me loose, set me free said...

We're big fans of Mr Russell and his songs, art, and blog.(just bought a painting for new house). If he gets close to Little rock or Crested Butte we will be there!

Steve Bodio said...

Fans of all of the above-- and waiting for his Santa Fe show this fall...

CZLion said...

Been a fan for years. Here's a recent performance on Letterman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5pbQWhoncY

Paul said...

I think his show is at the Outpost in ABQ...

PSD

Steve Bodio said...

BOTH I think!