Graham Parker has aged well ... even if he has developed multiple personalities over the years.
Parker didn't say anything to the audience Friday night when he took the stage at Lafayette's Duncan Hall. He just launched into a stormy acoustic version of "If It Ever Stops Rainin'." Then, instead of greeting the crowd, he fiddled around with his equipment for a few moments. He even seemed to scowl a bit.
I started preparing myself for an evening with an angry middle-aged man. Oops. Quick as you can say "Passion is No Ordinary Word," Parker turned on the charm.
Over the next couple of hours Parker made one joke after another. During the introductions to many of his songs, Parker slipped into the personna of Brian Porker, the protagonist of his short stories collection called
"Carp Fishing on Vallium." For that matter, his introductions were really aural short stories. Hilarious ones.
He perfectly mimicked Keith Richards' raspy voice during one introduction. He made fun of the folks in the crowd during another; Parker said audience members often find it hard to keep their clothes on as they listen to "Custom Fanny." The problem, he said, is the folks who come to his shows are mostly old and ugly.
Funniest of all, though, was when he became the hillbilly Youtube sensation Tex Skerball, Parker's alter ego. Parker's eyeballs bulged as he clucked and sang "Glue 'n' Chickens." The audience, for about the 50th time, howled.
He didn't sing "Howling Wind," but he did cover cover tunes that spanned his career, which started more than three decades ago. Some of the 23 songs were intense ("Discovering Japan") and some were quiet, eloquent even ("Last Stop is Nowhere.") Parker also performed about half the time on acoustic guitar and half on his Telecaster.
I loved all the tunes — even the shaky a cappella version of "Someone to Watch Over Me." The highlight, though, was probably "Local Girls" with the audience singing the choruses.
Parker might not be an angry young man these days, but he still plays fierce rock 'n' roll. I just wish my students had been savvy enough to join the old folks for a great night of music.
Here's Parker's setlist:
1) “If It Ever Stops Raining” (acoustic)
2) “High Horse” (acoustic)
3) “Nothing's Gonna Pull Us Apart” (acoustic)
4) “Chloroform” (acoustic)
5) “Custom Fanny” (acoustic)
6) “They Got It Wrong (As Usual)” (acoustic)
7) “Pollinate” (acoustic)
8) “Black Lincoln Continental” (acoustic)
9) “Glue 'n' Chickens” (acoustic)
10) “Hotel Chambermaid” (acoustic)
11) “Soul Corruption” (electric)
12) “Stick to Me” (electric)
13) “Temporary Beauty” (electric)
14) “Love Gets You Twisted” (electric)
15) “Discovering Japan” (electric)
16) “Passion is No Ordinary Word” (electric)
17) “Someone to Watch Over Me” (a capella)
18) “Brain Surgery” (acoustic)
19) “Hard Side of Rain” (acoustic)
20) “Back in Time” (acoustic)
21) “Last Stop is Nowhere” (acoustic)
22) “Local Girls” (acoustic)
23) “Not If It Pleases Me” (electric)
On his new album, "From the Root," Zac Harmon offers a lot of perspectives on the blues.
