Chris Smither Performs at TCAN
A Packed House in Natick, Mass.
By: David Wilson - May 23, 2010
A manager once tried to convince Chris to change his name from Smither to Smithers. He pointed out that presenters, reviewers and fans constantly made the mistake of adding the extra s and that it was not only a lot of work correcting them, but some were annoyed at being corrected. Some managers worry about those things. Chris steadfastly declined on the basis that his name was his name and that was that. Steadfastness is one, only one, of the qualities I note when I regard Chris and his performing
Take for example his performance on Friday night at The Center for Arts in Natick. Two hours before the show was to begin, an oncoming cold started to affect his voice. Now, you know and I know that any performer worth their salt is going to knuckle down, muster what reserves they can and battle on through. Chris is certainly no exception on that count. His opening statement, void of all artifice, explained the situation and at the same time established an intimacy with us. Several times during the evening his voice broke on the opening line of a number. With each instance he broke into a grin, a head-shake and a nod including us in his experience, while transposing smoothly on his guitar into a musical bridge and then repeating the line to his satisfaction.
Reviewers, promoters, fans all have labels for Chris. Many call him a Blues singer, some say folk singer, others, singer-songwriter. Its true that he does sing some blues and writes some songs that owe much to that form. His instrumental technique is rich with echoes of the figures and motifs associated with many of the greats. Some hear strains of Mississippi John Hurt and/or Lightnin’ Hopkins, and I heard the Reverend Gary Davis in the introduction to “Open Up”, his first number of the night. However, Chris Smither, as an artist transcends all those labels. He is, a story-teller, a lyric poet, a bard. He plays guitar like Chris Smither with a distinctive style, wholly his own, and to the envy of the aspiring as well as the proficient guitarist .
Chris tends to write lyrics from an uncommon point of view one which is, in any given song, only revealed as the story develops and we are presented with an inescapable reality, one we might never have come to on our own.
While his voice was not at its finest, the breaks in it made little or no impact on his audience. His singing, as opposed to his voice, was as strong as usual with consistently creative phrasing. His song construction continues to be unconventional and brilliant. His instrumental accompaniment remains congruent underscoring or providing irony to the emotional content of his words without overpowering or distracting from them. His general bonhomie is constantly forefront.
The first half of the concert drew primarily from his new CD, “Time Stands Still,”and while I found something to like about each one, two stood out for me.
“I Don’t Know” relates his experience spending time with his adopted five year old daughter. It is grounded in universal sentiment but without a shred of sentimentality. The same holds true for “Old Man Down,” touching on his relationship with his father.
After intermission he offered up a few of his older and much favored. Each and every number was accorded prolonged and enthusiastic applause. When soliciting requests as he acquiesced to pleadings for an encore at least a dozen different titles were shouted out, clear evidence that his body of work is well remembered and highly regarded.
Most of the audience, long time fans, many since the 60’s were there to, once again, be in his presence, to have him share with them his reflections on mistakes made, lessons learned, mysteries that perplex him and ironies he continues to savor. They were not disappointed.
Links to other Chris Smither sites