I've been listening to nothing but the All Songs Considered podcast of the absolutely marvelous show by Tom Waits at Atlanta's Fox Theater. It'll make believers out of the curious. Watching Tom Waits in concert is not like watching just another concert; it is to take part in true theater. Listening to his band take his songs to another place, hearing good songs given such exploratory treatment by worldly-wise musicians is to watch the stories of the songs' colorful characters through the eyes of their own relatives instead of those of a distant but observant stranger.
I relaxed in my workplace locker room tonight, all clocked-out and with time to kill, lying on a bench and hearing what that lucky Atlanta audience heard on the 5th of July. "Good evening," he bellowed to an exuberant crowd, and the show began. I closed my eyes and smiled. Good evening, indeed.
Every minute of the 140-plus minute show is beautifully paced, perfectly performed, and so warmly received by rain dogs like me.
You're curious? Not yet a fan? Subscribe to NPR's All Songs Considered and download the concert.
1 comment:
*listening to it right now*
Did you go to see him in Knoxville last month?
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