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Richard Thompson Band at Uptown Theatre, November 7, 2024

Uptown Theatre presents the Richard Thompson Band; with opener Kacy & Clayton
1350 3rd St, Napa, CA 94559-2902 USA
7:30 PM, Thursday, November 7, 2024

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2024 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2024 event list! ☸ On to the next event!

Set One: Kacy & Clayton

[8:00 PM] {lights down; band out without introduction}

  1. [8:00 PM] The Forty-Ninth Parallel
    [8:03 PM] {Kacy responds with thanks to a fan's expression of love; greetings; Clayton is going to sing the next song}
  2. [8:03 PM] High Holiday (CL)
    [8:07 PM] {Kacy says “We're gonna play a song about partying. Do you guys like to party?‚” and is surprised that tonight's audience seems uninteresting in partying}
  3. [8:08 PM] That Sweet Orchestra Sound
    [8:11 PM] {Kacy talks about Saskatchewan‚ and being stalked there}
  4. [8:12 PM] West Caribou
    [8:15 PM] {Kacy: Are you ready to have fun? Kacy gets lost in a digression about fiddles; Clayton then talks about the next two reels}
  5. [8:17 PM] Medley: Le Reel du Pondu AKA Hangman's Reel & Gilbert's Duck Dance
    [8:20 PM] {Kacy riles up the crowd by asking if anyone here lives in a nursing home; then proceeds to introduce a tune about moving into one}
  6. [8:22 PM] Providence Place
    [8:25 PM] {Kacy thanks RT for having K&C as the tour opener.}
  7. [8:26 PM] Brunswick Stew
    [8:30 PM] {applause and final thanks; all off for break}

Performers

Set Two: Richard Thompson Band

[8:44 PM] {pre-show announcements, then dead air} [8:50 PM] {lights down; band out without introduction; ZP on acoustic guitar}

  1. [8:50 PM] Turnstile Casanova
    [8:55 PM] {RT comments that he's glad to be back on tour after a five year break; brief talk about the new album; ZP swaps to hand percussion for the rest of the night?}
  2. [8:56 PM] Take Care the Road You Choose
  3. [9:03 PM] Hard on Me
    [9:14 PM] {RT talk about Sandy Denny; snark about the educated Napa crowd; ZH swaps to acoustic guitar here?}
  4. [9:16 PM] John the Gun
    [9:22 PM] {RT tells us that the next tune is one he co-wrote with Linda}
  5. [9:23 PM] Withered and Died
    [9:26 PM] {RT talk about doing shows with Bob Mould & rearranging the next tune as a punk rock banger; ?ZH back on electric?}
  6. [9:27 PM] Turning of the Tide
    [9:31 PM] {RT swap to acoustic guitar (?ZH too?) & introduction of next tune}
  7. [9:33 PM] Al Bowlly's in Heaven
  8. [9:39 PM] The Day That I Give In
    [9:42 PM] {band off}
  9. [9:44 PM] 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
    [9:49 PM] {all back; ZH & RT back on electric guitars; RT wise-cracking that he can't remember the name of the next tune}
  10. [9:50 PM] What's Left to Lose
    [9:54 PM] {ZH swaps to mandolin}
  11. [9:54 PM] Guns Are the Tongues
    [10:02 PM] {ZH back to guitar; RT back-announcement of the previous tune title}
  12. [10:02 PM] Singapore Sadie
    [10:05 PM] {RT mentions that's another tune from the new album; Long RT digression about Henry VIII}
  13. [10:09 PM] The Old Pack Mule
    [10:13 PM] {RT tells us the next tune is a sing-along}
  14. [10:13 PM] Tear-Stained Letter
    [10:20 PM] {applause at end of set; all off}

    Encore
    [10:22 PM] {RT back out on acoustic guitar‚ joined by George Galt; joking between the two old pals}
  15. [10:23 PM] Down Where the Drunkards Roll
    [10:26 PM] {RT jokes about the next tune being inappropriate for him}
  16. [10:27 PM] Parchman Farm
    [10:31 PM] {band back out; RT swaps to 12-string guitar}
  17. [10:31 PM] The Bells of Rhymney
    [10:35 PM] {RT swaps back to guitar}
  18. [10:35 PM] Jealous Words
    [10:40 PM] {final applause}
    [10:41 PM] {show ends}

Performers

Notes

It's hard to believe that it's been nearly ten years since I've seen RT playing with a band (xref: 2015-11-10) – I love the wild sounds he gets. Until today I'd have argued that no one plays like him, but it's pretty clear that he's taken time to tutor Zak Hobbs in the same style. With my eyes closed tonight, it wasn't always possible to tell who was playing a given line. It will be very interesting to see how Zak develops his talent.

We were blessed with a good listening crowd tonight, and except for sporadic outbursts of enthusiasm from the super fans sitting on both sides of us, it was a very good night for listening to the band. Of course, extra credit goes to the house and band crew: you don't get to experience a fine-sounding show like this without LOTS of hard work being the scenes.

Richard has been playing a fairly static setlist this tour – likely a concession to the band – and numerous times I wondered how the topics of the songs seemed appropriate for the current moment. Other times, I was really buzzed by a song choice that I hadn't expected (not having previewed recent setlists). Parchman Farm, for example, wow, what fun! And The Bells of Rhymney started out with Michael and Taras setting up a groove strongly reminiscent of Tomorrow Never Knows before Richard's jangly 12-string brought us back into the Byrds-zone… and offered a bit of hope among the generally bleak RT-penned topics.

Photos

Big thanks to Ting for the photo gallery!

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Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2024 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2024 event list! ☸ On to the next event!