July 5, 2012

Concert #453 - Judith Owen at McCabe's Guitar Shop (June 22, 2007 & Nov 2, 2007




I first became acquainted with Judith Owen in 2001, when she was picked by Richard Thompson to be part of "1,000 Years Of Popular Music", his highly enjoyable show I was fortunate to have attended twice over the years. On both occasions, Judith sounded and looked good, so in 2007 I grabbed my ticket without hesitation, when McCabe's announced her headlining gig there.

I went to her June 22nd show well prepared, after having listened extensively to two of earlier albums, "Twelve Arrows"and "Here", from 2003 and 2006, respectively. Accompanying herself on keyboards, Judith sang nothing but her own material and she impressed me quite a bit with her songs and singing. I was less taken by her excessive talking, even though most of it was humorous. Still, one could not miss what Richard Thompson himself did not miss, that is Judith's undeniable talent as a singer and songwriter. The title song from "Here" was the best song of the evening.

California-based British chanteuse Julia Fordham took the stage to duet with Judith on one song. Sporting large sideburns and understandably keeping a low profile, hubby Harry Shearer popped in to play the upright bass.

Harry Shearer
Julia Fordham

All in all, my first encounter with Judith The Headliner turned out to enjoyable, so a few months later, when she was booked for a return engagement at McCabe's, I was there once again, this time accompanied by a friend. Not unexpectedly, her show was very similar to her appearance in June. Harry Shearer was not in town, but Julia Fordham was, so they joined forces once again for a song or two. The number I liked the best was "My Father's Voice", yet another outstanding Judith Owen composition.

Just like in June, Judith was in a talkative mood, so she talked and talked and talked. The crowd responded well to her act, but I was there for her music, so after a while I felt a bit unhappy with the course of events. Since then, I have not caught any more or her live shows, but I'll be back again one day, I'm pretty sure.


July 1, 2012

Concert #643 - Chris Smither at McCabe's Guitar Shop (June 29, 2012)

It's hard to describe what makes me want to catch Chris Smither in concert almost every time he's in town. Save for his new material, Chris' shows are pretty much the same. It's always just him. No unannounced guests, ever. No band, either. Always plays sitting down, with a piece of plywood under his feet and a microphone strategically placed a few inches above the plywood. Invariably delivers the same kind of self-deprecating humor that quite often involves his relationship with the other gender. Everything about a Chris Smither live appearance is predictable and, time and time again, all predictions materialize.

Yet there is an invisible force out there that makes me steer my car precisely to where Chris is scheduled to appear. Seeing Chris in concert may have become a routine thing for me, but it's yet to become a drag.

Friday night at McCabe's, Chris focused primarily on his new album, titled "Hundred Dollar Valentine". The new songs were "vintage Chris Smither", which is just another way of saying that his songwriting has not deteriorated with the passage of time. I liked all the new songs, but still, I found more pleasure in the songs I knew, especially the topical "Surprise, Surprise", "Origin Of Species" and "I Don't Know", a funny song written about the inquisitive mind of his adopted daughter. Dave Carter's "Crocodile Man" sounded great and so did Chris' own "Lola" and "No Love Today". There were no Bob Dylan covers, and that's just a statement, not a negative.

Chris Smither at McCabe's
Chris was in good vocal form. His guitar playing was exquisite, but then again, it always is. I will never get tired of watching his fingers at work and the way they produce that inimitable vibrato sound that I can instantly recognize as his and only his.

The 8:00 PM concert was a sell out, so a late show was added. This resulted in a slightly abbreviated first set, not too bad. For his one-song encore, Chris chose to play "I'll Be Home Soon".
The final bow
Before going home, I bought his latest two releases, the aforementioned "Hundred Dollar Valentine" and an all-covers six-song EP titled "What I Learned In School". I listened to the latter while driving home, so the good vibes of the show stayed with me a little longer.

The songs of "What I Learned In School" (2011)
It's true, Chris Smither's concerts are predictable, but his formula works every time to my full satisfaction. I'm pretty sure this wasn't my last time to see him perform live.

Stage set-up
Chris Smither greeting friends at McCabe's
Concert poster