Through the raindrops last night for the music of...

Nick Lowe

Last night, my brother and I saw Nick Lowe. It had been several years (decades?) since we had seen him. The last time was at, of all places, the old Variety Theatre on Lorain.

The Venue: The venerable Beachland Ballroom. Hadn’t been to the Beachland in a while, but it remains one of the best concert settings in town. They had the chairs set up for this one, with standing room along the sides and back, for this sold-out show.

Stage Banter:: I’ve always liked Lowe. He has an awesome sense of humor. I recall when Bowie came out with the “Low” album, he came out with one named “Bowi”. Last night, he looked like your uncle. Hair even whiter now (he's 59), he wore a white shirt and dark slacks and seemed to be having a great time. And last night, he had two soliloquies that made me laugh.

“Thanks so much for coming out tonight on this tour. It’s not really a tour, as I’m really on my way home. I came out to San Francisco to do a benefit with my two good friends, Ry Cooder and Jim Keltner. Then I appeared on two programs, “Prairie Home Companion” and then filmed a segment for “Austin City Limits”.

It is really an honor to be asked to appear on those American programs. They have been around for, what, 35 years? They are national treasures, really.

But I realized it was a terrific opportunity for me to present my music to an enormous audience of “Joe Sixpacks and Hockey Moms.”

Later on, before introducing a new song, he said this:

“I’d like to play a new song for you next. I understand when people pay good money to hear you play, there is always a pause when you hear that. Now whenever I’m in the audience and I hear something like that, there are two schools of thought. Much like you’re thinking right now.

The first is: “My God, start playing it already. I really want to hear this. The man’s a genius. Really, when does he sleep?”

The second is: “How long is this going to take?”

I tend to fall into the latter category. Trust me, I feel your pain. But, keep in mind, most of my songs run only about 2 minutes, 30 seconds. And remember. All of the songs you have come to cherish were at one time...unplayed, untested, unloved.”

Then he sang the new song, "I Read A Lot". Not that that's a tagline of mine or anything.

The Tickets: Got the tickets ahead of time for this General Admission show. We grabbed a couple of seats at the end of a row on the left. The back cushion of my chair fell off early, but we slid it back in with no further mishaps.

The Crowd: Absolutely no need for the chaperone hat. They could have called me “Sonny.” But, when we walked in, I said, “Gee, does Nick Lowe have any female fans?” A disarmingly male-to-female ratio at the start, got a little better as the night continued. Maybe with good reason.

Because this loud-mouthed bitch would not stop yapping. Seriously, this was a person who must wake up each day and say, “How can I be even more obnoxious today?” The type of person you want to tell that I’m lookin’ at my ticket and I don’t see your name on it. Very annoying. Finally, someone about 40 minutes into Lowe’s performance suggested that she be quiet.

The Sound: This was a solo show. Just Nick Lowe and his guitar. There was a terrible buzz during his first two songs, the second in which he abruptly stopped and said, “Can you hear that? I thought I was the only one.” A replacement microphone was installed and the sound was fantastic from that point forward.

There was an opening act. Greg Townson, who is in some local band (?), the Hi-Risers. He was solo, as well, with his guitar and played about 30 minutes. Most of his songs were in the Jonathan Richman mode. His high point was probably “One Note Joe”, a song about a guitar player.

The Stage: The setup is about as basic as you could get. Nick Lowe, in the center of the stage, with his guitar and a small amp in the back.

The Music: Lowe played about 85-90 minutes and covered a lot of material. This show was a terrific showcase of his songwriting ability. I was not familiar with most of his recent material, but he touched upon all phases of his career. There were times these songs were so beautifully constructed, you could hear a pin drop. Yes, even the loud-mouthed one knew when to shut it during these interludes.

Setlist: (I think)

"People Change"
"Soulful Wind"
"When I Write the Book" (from the Rockpile days)
"What's Shakin' on the Hill"
"Heart" (also from Rockpile)
"Lately I've Let Things Slide"
"Has She Got a Friend?"
"All Men Are Liars" with the lyrics:

“Do you remember Rick Astley?
He had a big fat hit that was ghastly.
He said I’m never gonna give you up or let you down.
Well I’m here to tell ya, that dick’s a clown
Though he was just a boy when he made that vow.
I’d bet it all that he knows by now.”

"I Trained Her to Love Me"
"I Read A Lot"
"Cruel to Be Kind"
"The Kind of Man That I've Become"
"I Live on a Battlefield"
"Hope for Us All"
"Without Love"
"Rome Wasn't Built in a Day"
"I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock and Roll)"
"(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" You tend to forget that Lowe wrote this song, as Elvis Costello has co-opted it all these years. But to hear it this way, solo, acoustically...Man, the melancholy just oozes out of the record.

Encore:

"Heart of the City"
"The Beast in Me"
"7 Nights to Rock"

Meal of Links

Top "US Celebrities in Japanese Commercials". The Ben Stiller one made me laugh. Peter Falk, who I love, but as a bartender, WTF?

Matthew Modine talks about his movie roles. I happened to catch the end of "Full Metal Jacket" the other day. It still rocks.

Al-Jazeera, of all places, exposes Ohio racism at a Palin rally. These folks actually reside in our state. “I’m afraid if he wins, the blacks will take over." Good God!

I have the debate recorded and have not watched it yet, but are we sick of Joe the Plumber yet? I heard the Couric interview today and he says, "At least with McCain, you know where he stands." Dude, Obama cannot be clearer. If you make more then $250,000, you'll have higher taxes. That's where he stands. Turns out Joe may have connections to Charles Keating. Ha ha.

The red squirrel. One tough bastard of a rodent.

Exercise Yard

Super Bowl tickets have reached the $1,000 level. That is more than I pay for a season's full of Browns tickets. Football is king.

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45 Across: "Law and Order" staple (6 letters) Answer: Lineup