P.D. Kelley I’m not sure just what I expected when I took my seat at the Rogue this past Friday, February 2nd, but I definitely got more than just an excellent guitarist with a social message. The stage set was gorgeous with a camouflage-style backdrop that brilliantly reflected the well-designed light show – a fine complement to a truly outstanding musical production. Cockburn (pronounced co-burn) was joined by three other accomplished musicians and treated the audience to one great song after another. Each number was musically interesting, unique in sound and construction, and just plain fun to listen to. Bassist John Dymond was deceptively smooth and just about perfect. Drummer Gary Craig switched it up and created moods and patterns to match each song. If you google the phrase “all the bells and whistles”, a picture of Craig’s drum kit should appear on the screen. He made some fantastic noise. John Aaron Cockburn (Bruce’s nephew) mostly played the accordion and my bias about this instrument was blown up. The sound he added to the mix was very cool and because a note can be sustained for more than a few bars, it can act like a melodious thread that binds the other musical lines. He also played guitar and violin and it was thrilling to watch him. DNA will tell. And then, of course, there is Bruce, guitarist extraordinaire, and at age 72, he appears to have lost none of his chops, although the voice might not be as strong as it once was. Some of the song lyrics carried progressive social themes, and Cockburn described himself as a “leftie snowflake liberal” (well, he is Canadian after all) but with one exception, the music came before the message and after 40 years in the biz and 30 plus albums he’s savvy enough to know that if folks don’t like your music, your message won’t matter much. This tour is promoting Cockburn’s new album (streaming, CD and vinyl) Bone on Bone and it, as well as the rest of his discography, is mostly folk rock with touches of blues and jazz. His band is headed for northern California and he’s the kind of artist who has developed a loyal following over the decades – fans who appreciate his talent and share his politics. If you missed him this time, check his tour schedule and gather the gang in the VW bus. He’ll be back here again though, for sure.
Catch you on the flip side…