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| - This week has really shaped up to be the "Susan World Tour, 2010" as far as concerts have been concerned. Okay, "World Tour" might be stretching it a bit. Let's just say it's a "Pittsburgh Metro Area Tour 2010". I went to the Byham Theater last night to see Richard Thompson in concert last night. The funny thing is, I have none of his CDs in my collection, and only a "Best Of" that he did with his ex-wife, Linda Thompson.
My only exposure to his solo work spanning 30 years has been what I've heard on WYEP and I believe he's done a couple of TV shows for PBS. Oh and don't forget a You Tube I saw of him doing the Britney Spears tune "Oops I Did it Again". Trust me folks, it works as both send up and on its own. I read a great quote on You Tube, which went something like "If there were any justice in the world, Richard Thompson would be on the radio and the only microphone Britney Spears would need would be the one at the Burger King drive up window." So true.
Thompson played a lot of material from his new CD, "Dream Attic", followed by a lot of favorites. Thompson, 61, had a great quote in the Tribune-Review, "You don't expect a filmmaker or novelist to taper off after they're 40 years old; you expect their best work after 40. I really don't see why that shouldn't apply to popular music."
The Byham itself is a little on the unspectacular side, but still a good place to see a show. It's size works perfectly for acts like Thompson. The Byham was originally a movie theatre and it was once called the Fulton. It operated as such until the 1990s or so, probably the last cinema showing regular films downtown. I recall the Fulton Mini which showed a lot of art and indie flicks. My seat (and yes I went alone) was on the main floor and I thought the sightlines and acoustics were very good. It works well for acts that play in theaters instead of arenas.
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