I was a fan of Brinsley Schwarz (the band and the guitarist) in the early 70s. In the mid-70s, he and the keyboardist of his group, Bob Andrews, joined forces with Martin Belmont, Andrew Bodnar, and Steve Goulding to form The Rumour as the back-up band for Graham Parker. They did some great music in the late 70s and early 80s, before going their separate ways. They got back together last year, issuing their first album in 31 years. We got to see them last night at The Egg in Albany and they were impressive! Musically, they were great. They hadn't missed a beat. Well worth the trip.
We stayed at the Ramada Inn near downtown Albany. Nice big room with a king-size bed and about a 5 minute drive from The Egg. What could be better? I booked it through Expedia and it was one of those where you get it dirt cheap if you book it without knowing which hotel it is. I love pleasant surprises.
Katie and I look for BBQ joints when we go places, so prior to the concert, we had dinner at The Towne Tavern in Averill, NY, about 20 minutes east of Albany. It's a neat little restaurant in what was once a blacksmith shop. They have an extensive menu, but the BBQ had been praised by a number of people, so we decided to give it a try. I had brisket with potato pancakes and a salad and Katie had a combo of chicken and pulled pork with slaw and baked beans. It was exquisite. Well worth seeking it out. We'll return the next time we're in the area. (Also, they have a great selection of craft beers, some on tap and others in bottles, as well as "Bud" and other InBev brews, if that's your choice of poison.
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| I was a big fan of the group Brinsley Schwarz. Brinsley is on the right. The guy in the middle is Bob Andrews who was also a member of The Rumour. Others in the photo above are Nick Lowe, Ian Gomm, and Bill Rankin. |
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| This is Brinsley Schwarz early in his career. |
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| This is Brinsley as he looks nowadays. |
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| Bodnar, Parker, Belmont, Andrews, Goulding, Schwarz |
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| Bodnar, Andrews, Belmont, Parker, Goulding, Schwarz |
The write up below is from the Albany Times Union.
By GREG HAYMES
ALBANY – When Graham Parker and his band the Rumour launched their recording career back in 1976, he was among those leading the charge as the Angry Young Men of the British New Wave. But what was often lost back in those days was the fact that the Rumour was as much a great soul band as they were torchbearers for new wave rock.
Last year, Parker and the Rumour reunited for “Three Chords Good,” their first album together in more than three decades, and on Wednesday evening, they rode their surprising comeback into The Egg – older, a bit gentler and with a good deal more humor. Gone was much of the venom and bile that Parker used to spit out in his song lyrics. And with age, the 62-year-old Parker has become quite a genial frontman, as well. There’s still an occasional snarl and sneer to his vocals, but he’s softened it a bit with a knowing wink. Mellower? Probably not. But certainly wiser…
Of course, Parker hasn’t exactly been languishing in obscurity since parting ways with the Rumour. He’s written a book of short stories; he’s released a number of pretty fine solo albums; and he’s toured fairly extensively with another great band, Saratoga Springs natives the Figgs.
But back together with the Rumour, he’s settled once again into a deep soul groove, propelled by the versatile rhythm section of bassist Andrew Bodnar and drummer Steve Goulding, the twin guitar attack of Brinsley Schwarz and Martin Belmont and especially the keyboards and backing vocals of Bob Andrews. With all of his original bandmates surrounding him onstage in a semi-circle, Parker resurrected classic nuggets from the late-’70s – the boogie-inflected jazz blues of“Lady Doctor,” the rippling “Discovering Japan” and, of course, the anthemic sing-along of “Local Girls.” Reggae was also a crucial element in Parker’s music from the slinky “Howlin’ Wind” to the barn-burning encore of “Don’t Ask Me No Questions” to the reggae-goes-roadhouse crunch of “Protection,” and Goulding and Bodnar were spot on.
But it was the new material that was really at the heart of Wednesday night’s show, and songs like the organ-infused soul stroll of “Long Emotional Ride,” the British music hall romp of “Last Bookstore in Town” (complete with a kazoo solo from Parker) and the bouncy pop of “What Do You Like?” (which isn’t on the new album, but was recorded by Parker with the Punch Brothers for the soundtrack of Judd Apatow’s latest film, “This Is 40″). And then there was the rocking “Coathangers,” which tackles the thorny subject of abortion. “I’m an equal opportunity offender,” Parker explained by way of an introduction, “and I’m hoping this will offend a few of you people here tonight – with luck.”
No Parker hasn’t mellowed over the years. And while a few of the songs may have lacked youthful energy, there was certainly no shortage of musical passion.
*
Graham Parker & the Rumour
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
Where: The Egg’s Swyer Theatre, Empire State Plaza, Albany
Musical highlights: “A Lie Gets Halfway ‘Round the World…” with Parker prowling the theater’s aisles as he testified; the rave-up encore of “Don’t Ask Me No Questions”
Length: One hour and 45 minutes
The crowd: The age demographic in the audience pretty much matched the musicians onstage, and while the show wasn’t a sell-out, the theater was probably about 7/8 full.
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