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| Tom Rush |
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| Me, Tom Rush, and my Mom, September 7, 2013. |
Back in September, my Mom and I saw Tom Rush at the Cedar
Cultural Center in Minneapolis. My Mom is a huge fan of Tom Rush-she has many
of his albums from the 1960’s. This is the 3rd time that I’ve seen
Tom Rush with my Mom, and he puts on a great show every time. Rush is a
relaxed, easygoing performer. He has a mellow baritone voice and he’s an
excellent guitar player. He is also very funny and witty on stage, spinning
yarns from his 50 years in the music business.
Tom Rush first came to prominence as part of the folk boom
of the 1960’s. He recorded several albums for Elektra Records, before switching
labels to Columbia in the 1970’s. Rush’s most famous album is 1968’s “The
Circle Game,” which featured songs by young songwriters like Joni Mitchell,
James Taylor, and Jackson Browne, as well as Rush’s most famous song, the
self-penned “No Regrets.”
Rush is equally adept at singing folk or blues songs, and he
also enjoys singing humorous songs like his concert opener, “Making the Best of
a Bad Situation.” Rush performed this concert solo, just like the other times I’ve
seen him, with just his guitar for accompaniment. But when you’re as good a
guitar player as he is, no other accompaniment is needed. Rush’s voice is adept
at coloring the emotions of a song, whether it’s good humor or painful
memories. Rush’s version of “The Remember Song,” a humorous song about losing
one’s memory as one ages, has become a surprise hit on YouTube, with over 6
million views. One of my favorite songs was the old blues song, “Baby, Please
Don’t Go,” on which Rush used his ring as the slide on the guitar. Another
great song was Rush’s mellow version of “Drift Away,” which was a hit for Dobie
Gray. Just before the end of the first half of the concert, “Spider” John
Koerner joined Rush on stage and sang “Rattlesnake.” Koerner and Rush have been
friends since the 1960’s, and Koerner is a legend in the Twin Cities folk and
blues scene. As usual, the highlight of the first half of the concert was the
closing song, “Panama Limited,” which is an old Bukka White song. Rush does
amazing things on the guitar during “Panama Limited,” as he imitates train whistles,
and the sound of a train speeding up and slowing down. It’s amazing, and always
leaves me breathless.
The second half of the concert featured more great songs and
more fantastic guitar work on tunes like “Ladies Loves Outlaws,” and the
humorous John Prine song “Let’s Talk Dirty in Hawaiian.” Rush sang a brand new
song, the lovely “How Can She Dance Like That?” As usual, Rush’s last song
before the encores was “No Regrets,” with the instrumental “Rockport Sunday.”
Rush said of “No Regrets,” “I’ve written better songs, but that’s the one that
sticks with people.” And it’s been covered by many, many people, from the
Walker Brothers, who had a British hit single with it in the 1970’s, to U2, who
have incorporated the song into their concerts. For the encore, Rush sang his
version of Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love?” It was a great and fiery version of
the song, although it’s a song quite at odds with Rush’s image. (I highly doubt
the gentle Mr. Rush uses a “cobra snake for a necktie.”)
Seeing Tom Rush at the Cedar is always an enjoyable evening
full of fine singing and terrific guitar playing. Rush also talks to fans and
signs autographs during intermission, and he’s just as nice off stage as he
seems on stage.
Set list:
Making the Best of a Bad Situation
Fall Into the Night
Woody Guthrie song-Dust Bowl Blues?
Urge for Going
The Remember Song
Baby, Please Don’t Go
Fish Story Song
Drift Away-Dobie Gray song
Rattlesnake-with Spider John Koerner
Panama Limited
Ladies Love Outlaws
What I Know
New song-How Can She Dance Like That?
Let’s Talk Dirty in Hawaiian
Merrimack County
No Regrets/Rockport Sunday
Encore:
A Child’s Song
Who Do You Love?/Bo Diddley
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