The brothers Reid at the Iron Horse

At 47, twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid, aka The Proclaimers, show little loss of energy or voice after a career in which their high-powered, intertwining vocals and thick Scottish burrs have delighted fans.

Thursday night they played the Iron Horse in Northampton Mass for the second time. Their last show was way back in 1997.

Thursday the Reids played all the "hits" (only one of which was truly a hit on these shores). They began with my favorite, "Letter From America," and ended with everybody's favorite, "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)." In between they sang the two upcoming singles from their forthcoming album. They sang "I'm On My Way," which found new life in the Shrek soundtrack, and they performed such gems as "Sunshine on Leith" and "Cap in Hand."

As a solo act, the duo don't have a broad dynamic range. What makes them great, and inevitably interesting, is the intensity and power of every song. But with only a strummed acoustic, the vocal onslaught leaves one wishing for some relief.

We sat at the table with Juliana, from San Jose, who may be the biggest Proclaimers fan. Just 23, she's seen dozens of Proclaimer shows, and intends to cover several on this seven date swing.

I'm gonna be

At the Iron Horse tonight with...

American Music Club at the Iron Horse

Lucy and I decided at the last minute to head to Northampton to see American Music Club last night, and the babysitting tag team of Monica and my sister Patty made it possible.

Since I heard the album California 20 years ago, I've been a huge fan of Mark Eitzel's brooding, moody, romantic, confessional, loosely structured songs. The band produced half a dozen complex, sometimes hard to fathom, but always interesting albums before they broke up, and Eitzel released an equal number of solo albums.

They got together again a few years ago and produced Love Songs for Patriots, and this year released Golden Years both of which recalled the fire of the earlier albums tempered by time passed.

Last night the band, which now only includes Eitzel and Vudi from the original combo, sounded as powerful as ever. Eitzel sings with passion in a rock crooner style which reaches deep to unleash the demons. As Lucy said, he even sings the old songs as if they were brand new. Vudi's exotic solos, couple with Eitzel's intriguing guitar style mixed rock with roots and exotica. The show was sublime, and the audience lapped it up.

Eitzel joked that the band had changed its name to Enduring Freedoms, with a slogan of "hot love" shouted with a pumped fist. He said, "You know, "enduring freedoms?" There aren't any left." The band played songs from throughout their careers, including several from the new album, and two of my favorites from California, "Western Sky" and "Blue and Grey Shirt."

Concerts of the week

The Primate Fiasco
Perform Sgt. Pepper's
Sat. Feb 16, 7 pm
Iron Horse, Northampton Mass

Down in New Orleans, the jazz bands have been doing a mash up with jazz, funk, rock and whatever for years. The young bands have always understood that the boundaries between musical genres are fragile and breakable. The Primate Fiasco are a Northeastern and white version of their funky brothers in the City that Care Forgot. Boundary breakers they are too. You might hear Satchmo or Jelly Roll, then again, it could be the doors or Sublime. If you've seen them, you'll understand. If not, their concert at the Horse on Saturday should be a convincer. Think four Liverpudlians dropping acid in Treme.

Altan
Sun. Feb. 17, 7 pm Iron Horse,
Northampton Mass

Many years ago I was writing an article about Green Linnet Records for FolkRoots magazine, and as I was leaving after a long interview with label-cofounder Wendy Newton, she handed me a white-label pressing of an LP which she insisted I had to hear. I asked who it was, and she told me Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh (if she passed through Ellis Island, we might call her Mary Mahoney) and Frankie Kennedy, who were just about to form a band called Altan. It was an earshattering experience. I loaned the LP to the late Bill Domler, who left it in his car on a hot summer's day, and well, life is ephemeral. Frankie Kennedy died 14 years ago, but his widow, Mairead, and the band keep making wondrous music.

Hiatt and Lovett tix on sale

John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett will visit the Calvin Theater in Northampton MA on February 23 and advance ticket just went on sale to members of the Iron Horse mailing list. It's an acoustic show, and appears the two will share the stage.

I was able to get a couple of tickets in the first row, and not worry that the scalpers were going to beat me to it.

Concerts of the Week

Richard Shindell
Iron Horse, Northampton MA
Friday November 9

Great songwriter. Great songs. Great performer. No need to know more.


Nerissa and Katryna Nields
Sounding Board Coffee House
Unitarian Universalist Society, Fern St. West Hartford
Saturday November 10

Nerissa and Katryna are now mothers, and they've travelled the road of rock, and they are all the better for the wear. The sisters with the celestial harmony have settled into the folk and traditional music they know so well. Their new album Sister Harmony showcases the rootsiness of family making music together.

No sign of a dead skunk

Loudon Wainwright III appeared at the Iron Horse in Northampton MA last night, and it's been half a dozen years since I've seen him. I've forgotten how damned entertaining he is. Wainwright writes honestly, painfully and hilariously about his own struggles with relationships, family matters and of course Dead Skunks (though this night he skipped the dead skunks).

The surprise of the evening was the performance by Lucy Roche Wainwright, his daughter by Suzzy Roche, who seems to have inherited dad's sense of humor. She began her career at the Horse in February. This evening her mom sang a few with her, and then appeared later to sing When I'm at Your House, with Loudon and Lucy.

Loudon sang lots of family songs, referring to his performance as the "parent's weekend" concert.

He ended the evening by selling old LP copies of his early albums, personally signed.

Concert of the Week

Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles
Saturday September 22, 7 pm
Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton MA

She's from Boston with an asterisk. That's how most of the descriptions of this amazing honky tonk hollering singer from Mass, begin. Then they get down to the real issue. She sings Southern, she sings rockabilly, she sings vintage country and blues like she was born to them. A great voice, a lovely face and a smoking band. How can I get to the Iron Horse on Saturday?

Epistle from SF Hansen about Uncle Earl

Susan Forbes Hansen attended the Uncle Earl/Devil Makes Three show at the Iron Horse, and this is what she had to say:

A terriffic show! I got there after the line had entered the Horse, but still got a good seat because it wasn't very full at six-ish. The place filled up slowly and was packed by the time the music started. As with Washburn's show at Wesleyan, I wasn't the oldest in the house, and the musicians weren't the youngest. The audience was VERY loud in its appreciation. Lotsa fun.

Concerts of the Week

Uncle Earl and The Devil Makes Three
Friday Aug 10
Iron Horse, Northampton Mass

This all-woman string band brings a new energy to traditional old-timey, bluegrass and Appalachian music, and weave a traditional approach into their original songs. Uncle Earl has already sprung a young superstar, Abigail Washburn, onto the scene. The Devil Makes Three takes old music from many decades and spins them into an appealing new sound.

The Devil Makes Three and Pariah
Saturday Aug 11
Charter Oak Cultural Center

Rock Yer Socks is injecting new music energy into a decades-old musical dormancy in Hartford. This not-for-profit production company is unconcerned with musical labels, or with their audience's ability to move readily from punk to folk. As a result, they have brought some of the most adventurous billings to Hartford in the past two years. This appears to be a night of retro-ragamuffin and insurgent country music. And it sounds like fun.

Concert or the Week

Randy Newman
Sunday July 15
Calvin Theater, Northampton Mass



You know Randy Newman, even if you don't. In fact, you may know him in a way that makes you dismissive of his talent. Randy Newman, you know, Short People, I Love LA, Mama Told Me Not to Come, You Can Leave Your Hat On. That's all Randy. But that's not all to Randy that there is. Newman's musical genius, his wicked humor, and his use of irony and dramatic monologue, have gotten him in trouble. For my money, he's one of the greatest American songwriters ever. He's written dozens of brilliant, deceptively simple, insightful songs (Sail Away, I Think It's Gonna Rain Today, Marie, Dixie Flier). His controversial concept album "Good Old Boys" may be one of the most brilliant albums of the album era. And his dozens of movie scores include incredible music for The Natural, Avalon, Toy Story, Ragtime, The Three Amigos, and Seabisquit. And he cast Don Henley as Faust. Perfect.

His live shows are hilarious and monumental.

Interesting interview in the Springfield Republican today.

Concerts of the Week

Tastes, Sights and Sounds of Middletown
Friday June 6 and Saturday June 7
Downtown Middletown, CT
All Concerts are Free




Friday, 7:30 - 9:30, Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem







Saturday, 4 - 5:30 pm, The Mark Mulcahy Band

Saturday, 9 - 11 pm, C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band
Fireworks Saturday Night, 9:30 pm

A little shift in the hometown Independence Day celebration to include a food and arts and crafts festival with music and fireworks. Can't beat free concerts by these great musicians.

Dr. Ralph Stanley
East Hartford Community Cultural Center
Friday June 6, 7:30 pm

This great bluegrass pioneer and giant is still going strong, and the East Hartford venue is a wonderful chance to witness a legend.

Carrie Rodriguez
Sunday June 8, 7 pm
Iron Horse
Northampton MA

A wonderful fiddler, singer and songwriter from Texas, now living in NYC by way of Berklee School of Music. She's just stepping out from beneath the long shadow of her mentor and musical partner Chip Taylor, and her solo album was a revelation.



Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues
Monday July 9th, 8:30 pm
Pearl St.
Northampton, MA

The talented Chan Power has left her struggles with alcohol behind, and her once-maddeningly incosistent stage performances have turned into a thing of beauty and, well, power.