Graham Parker may indeed be one of the most criminally underrated singer-songwriters of the past forty years. Though contemporary “angry young men” such as Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson became household names in the 1980s, Parker has always inexplicably flown under the radar. This has nothing to do with lack of quality, of course, as he has recorded with the likes of Nick Lowe, Jack Nitzsche, and Bruce Springsteen. His 1979 magnum opus Squeezing Out Sparks is even on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The best part is, he is reunited with his original band The Rumour, they are back on the road and recently released a new album entitled Mystery Glue on May 19th. In support of the record, Parker & The Rumour took to the road this month, and on Thursday June 11th, they played a nearly sold-out show at Huntington, New York’s The Paramount with opening act Lowell Thompson.
The venue was filled with an enthusiastic crowd of many die-hard Parker fans, many of whom were pleasantly surprised by Thompson’s brand of Alt-Country. He sang personal songs that tug at the heartstrings, but never sacrifice melody for melancholy. The Vermont native, who has been on the road for the past fifteen years, has joined Parker & The Rumour on the entire tour, promoting his new album, Stranger’s Advice, set for released last year via his own label, Bunkbed Records label. The record was his first in five years, and the skillfully crafted Pop gems he performed indeed reflected the time and care of a master songsmith.
Thompson performed his set nearly solo, accompanied only by a pedal steel guitarist, which added a deeply-rooted Americana feel to his already wistful vocals. The result was musical bliss, and the audience reflected their appreciation of his performance by generously applauding after each number. After his set concluded, the room continued to fill up until it was nearly at capacity. Though there were some younger “in the know” fans in attendance, the majority of the crowd was middle-aged, and had almost surely been following Parker’s career since he burst onto the club scene in the 1970s.
The headliners took the stage as the room erupted with cheers. Though Parker himself has been performing consistently for decades, he had usually toured solo, playing nuggets from his deep catalog on an acoustic guitar. He did not reunite with The Rumour until Spring of 2011, which was partially chronicled in Judd Apatow’s 2012 mid-life crisis Comedy This Is 40. The Rumour is an incredible group of musicians in their own right; they have released three albums of their own, two of which were on the legendary Punk label Stiff Records. Impressively, the classic lineup has remained the same, consisting of Martin Belmont (Guitar), Brinsley Schwarz (Guitar), Bob Andrews (Keyboards), Andrew Bodnar (Bass), and Steve Goulding (Drums). Some of them have been playing together in various groups since the late 1960s, including the early Nick Lowe band Brinsley Schwarz and Ducks Deluxe. Their getting the band back together proved to be a rousing success, and have kept it going ever since.
They fittingly kicked off the night with “White Honey,” which was the first track off their 1976 debut album, Howlin’ Wind. From there, they never let up for a second. Though their song selection heavily favored the classic tunes of yesteryear, Parker and The Rumour peppered their set with new triumphs, such as “Flying Into London” and “I’ve Done Bad Things,” both off their aforementioned new album Mystery Glue. Though the new songs are wonderfully tight Pub Rock compositions filled with Parker’s trademark brand of anger and humor, the audience was especially enthusiastic when they played their “hits” from the 1970s. Several people in attendance sang along to every word, a testament to the band’s lasting impact on a fan base that stretches across generations.
The energy in the room, both onstage and in the audience, grew with each passing song. About halfway through the concert, Parker put down his acoustic guitar, grabbed the microphone, and dove into a slew of fan-favorites. “I try to write a song,” he sang at one point. “But it comes out in frustration.” Glorious frustration, that is, which has become a staple of his throughout an incredible career. Additionally, Parker’s wry sense of humor made his banter between songs nearly as enjoyable as the music itself. If he was not such a talented musician, he could probably have a decent career as a stand-up Comedian.
They concluded their set with “Don’t Ask Me Questions,” which was the final song off their debut album, book-ending the performance beautifully. The audience was not ready to go home, however, as they continued to clap and cheer wildly. Thankfully, the band had more in their arsenal, and returned to the stage for an encore. The first song was “You Can’t Be Too Strong,” the unnerving and deeply emotional ballad from the perspective of a man whose former lover has undergone an abortion. Heavy subject matter indeed, but Parker has never shied away from difficult subjects in his lyrics.
The next song of the encore was “Back To Schooldays,” which musically owes a lot to classic, Chuck Berry-era Rock-n-Roll. It is deceptively raucous, however, as the bouncy melody masks lyrics that tell the tale of a young man who has been led astray by the system as he came of age. As usual, there is a lot to interpret, if you are not too busy dancing. The dancing continued through the final song of the night, “Soul Shoes,” also off Parker & The Rumour’s debut. Despite turning sixty-five later this year, Parker sounded as energetic and emotive as he did when the record was released nearly forty years ago.
As the show ended and the lights came up, the room was full of smiles. Parker and the band’s performing together certainly showed, as The Rumour sounded incredibly tight and played with a high level of energetic skill. After all, only a few years ago, it looked doubtful that the band would reunite. Thankfully for everyone, they did.
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