Richard Thompson's 1000 Years of Popular Music 2/1/2008

Richard Thompson's 1000 Years of Popular Music
Berklee Performance Center
Boston MA

Richard Thompson - Guitar, Vocals
Judith Owen - Vocals, Keyboards
Debra Dobkin - Percussion, Keyboards



Richard Thompson is an eclectic musician. Most of the time he tours either as a solo act or with a band performing his own original music. However, around the turn of the century Playboy asked a bunch of musicians to name their choices for "best songs for the Millennium". Unlike most of the respondents Richard treated the request literally and produced a list of songs from between 1000AD and 2000AD. Playboy declined to accept his list but he was so amused by the concept that he took a show on the road based on the idea. He released a CD based on the show in 2003, and a DVD based on a slightly different show in 2005. This tour he's again changed about 1/3 of the songs.

One of the amusing aspects of a Richard Thompson show is his interactions with the audience. He has a very typically "British" wry sense of humor and it shows in his commentary, particularly in his responses when member of the audience clap or cheer at inappropriate moments. This show was no exception, in many cases members of the audience seemed to be deliberately trying to invoke some of those comments. However, a bonus at this show was the presence of Judith Owens. She appears to have a similar sense of humor (she is Harry Shearer's wife) but she tended to express it more physically - using subtle gestures and changes in posture to express sarcastic commentary on Richard's song descriptions.

The show started off with the three of them marching down the aisle to the beat of a drum, on reaching the stage they sang a song from around the turn of the previous millennium while Richard played the hurdy-gurdy. After that Richard and Judith traded off lead vocals on songs. while Richard played guitar (in typical Richard Thompson masterful style) for most songs. Debra played various percussion instruments throughout the show and sang backup vocals occasionally.

The show was two sets, of about 1 hour each. The first set of the show consisted of songs from 1000AD - 1890's; the second set of songs from the 20th century, and one from the 21st.

Set 1:

• Ed y be o Heaven, Queene - Opening song, sung with the hurdy-gurdy
• The Three Ravens
• So Ben Mi Ca Bon Tempo
• The False Knight on the Road
• Pipe Shepherds Pipe - a madrigal--1608, all three singing
• When I Am Laid in Earth - from Queen Dido by Purcell, Debra on keyboards as Judith sang
• Remember, O Thou Man
• Shenandoah
• Blackleg Miner
• I Live in Trafalgar Square - a British Music Hall song.
• Down by the Sally Gardens - Judith on vocals and keyboards
• A Man Who Would Woo A Fair Maid - Gilbert and Sullivan from The Yomen of the Guard.

Set 2:

• Java Jive - The Ink Spots
• Night and Day - Cole Porter, Judith on vocals.
• Drinking Wine Spo-De-O-Dee - Jerry Lee Lewis
• All Right (I'll Sign the Papers) - a Ray Price honky-tonk song.
• See My Friends - The Kinks
• Money, Money, Money - Abba
• Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime - The Korgis
• Maneater - Nelly Furtardo

Encore:

• A few verses of a song by Richard the Lionheart. When someone from the audience called out to "sing the whole thing!", Richard replied "You don't want to hear it - believe me."
• Cry Me a River - Judith on vocals
• It Won't Be Long - Beatles