Review: J.D. Souther

Photos by Matt Cook/Friend of B2R

Show time for Saturday’s performance by J.D. Souther was supposed to be 8 p.m. But at 7:50 p.m., patrons entering Knuckleheads were advised: The show was being delayed, by at least an hour. Inside, a crowd of about 100 was gathered, most were sitting at tables in near silence, listening to a guy tap out single notes on an upright piano. Earlier that evening, Souther and his accompanist, Chris Walters, told Knuckleheads management that the piano wasn’t tuned to their liking and needed to be adjusted or the show wouldn’t go on . So a tuner was summoned on a Saturday night to fixed what ailed the piano. And 75 minutes after its scheduled start, the show began.

Souther, 66, is best-known for his songwriting collaborations with the Eagles’ Glenn Frey and Don Henley (“Best of My Love,” “Heartache Tonight”) and for writing hit songs for other artists, like “Faithless Love” for Linda Ronstadt. 

He is a recording artist, too, with six studio albums on his discography, and a singer with a voice that, in its prime, was well-suited for his tender ballads about love and all its joys and sorrows-- a voice that showed his affection for one of his music heroes, Roy Orbison. These days, however, his voice is as rough as the scruffy grey beard he wears, which adds a deeper sense of regret and longing to his forlorn songs.

By the time he and Walters took the stage, more than 150 people were in the room and Souther gave them an 80-minute tour of his songwriting resume, though not necessarily the songs for which he is best-known. Accompanied by Walters and himself on guitar, Souther opened with “Go Ahead and Rain,” a track off his latest album, “Natural History.” He followed that with one of those Eagles tunes, “New Kid in Town,” then two bittersweet ballads: “Faithless Love” and “Silver Blue.”

He dropped in an austere version of “Bye Bye Blackbird” and, a few songs later, a cover of the Fats Waller standard, “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” then another Eagles song, “The Sad Cafe.” “I have one or two uptempo songs,” he told the crowd. “I never play them, but I have them.” Then he played one, “Banging My Head Against the Moon,” which sways to a world-beat rhythm. One of the better moments of the night came late: the lovely “You’re Only Lonely,” his homage to Orbison.

Souther looks like a combination of actors Richard Crenna and Clint Eastwood. He is an actor, too, so he can deliver a story with some panache, like the one behind Bob Seger’s contributions to “Heartache Tonight,” the other uptempo moment of the evening. He dropped a few names of well-known friends, like Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, who is recording some of his songs, and talked of days with well-known collaborators, like Henley, Frey, Warren Zevon and Bonnie Raitt. 

But this evening, his personae was often on the chillier side of charming. He wisecracked about the Eagles and their $250 ticket prices. He made a way-off-color remark about how encores were like C-sections and then cursed when most people cringed and didn’t laugh. But most off-putting were his remarks about Knuckleheads. At a time when most performers copiously thank people for spending their money on something as discretionary as live music, it was odd to hear someone tell a crowd that had paid $28 to $35 a ticket and sat through a 75-minute delay that the accommodations were inferior. Essentially, he lamented that a guy of his stature, who just played Lincoln Center, had to play to small crowds at modest joints like this one when he comes to the Midwest -- you know, joints with neon beer signs that sit next to train tracks, though he professed his love for trains. I suppose it can be brushed-off as good-natured ribbing that landed below the ribs. Or maybe some folks don’t have an ear for off-key commentary.

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Comments

[Rocksoff]

Well, I had to think outside the box, so I teamed up with my chillax friend who usually brings to the table an awesome synergy.

that was easy... LMAO!!

[onthemark]

Tip of the cap!

[Brad Talley]

Note from JD's management -

First off, I sincerely appreciate the comments here. It's pretty great that in this day and age, audience members can have a real voice. I wish they were of a different tone, but no less, I want to know what the audience is feeling about the show. I also want JD to know how people are feeling (good or bad) about his performances.

You have every right to feel however you feel about certain comments made that night. I offer no defense of any off color or offensive remarks made. However, I can clear up a few things regarding the club and piano that might help settle a little bit of dust here.

I got a call at 6:30p Saturday night from JD's tour manager that the piano was unplayable. It wasn't that it 'wasn't tuned to their liking', it just wasn't tuned, period. The piano was brought in the Monday before from storage, tuned, then left alone all week where it de-tuned. It should have been tuned again midday on Saturday. Also, as someone mentioned above, it does state in our contract that we have a playable piano. As you know, it is a huge part of our show.

With the help of Knuckleheads, our tour manager called about 14 different numbers before finding some one to come tune the piano. An inconvenience to everybody, I know - I'm really sorry.

Another thing I want to note is that we were initially contracted to play the smaller room at Knuckleheads. I haven't been there, but from what I understand, it's more of an intimate listening room. I'm aware of certain distractions that may affect JD's show, so his agent and I decided to go with this room, b/c again, as somebody mentioned, he did play there before and had a few issues with the bigger room. This has nothing to do with Knucklehead's or Kansas City, we just like to create a certain atmosphere at JD Souther shows that we knew would work better in the smaller room.

A few days before the show, I was informed that Knuckleheads changed rooms and ticket prices without management or booking agent approval. It was well intended, as we sold out of tickets for the small room and the natural instinct was to move it to the other room. Even though well intended, this is actually a breach of contract, and if I'd been consulted, I would have tried to do two shows in the smaller room instead of one in the bigger. As I said, we try to create a certain atmosphere at JD Souther shows, no matter what city we're in, and I knew that would be difficult to create in the bigger room.

Regardless of any comments made, JD does in fact appreciate his audience, as do I. I think the proof of that is that JD goes out to the merch table after shows and shakes hands, signs cd's, and takes pictures until the last person leaves. He does it whether he has a great show or not. In my five years with him, he's never faltered on that.

I do apologize for the bad experience that everyone had that night. If given an opportunity, we'll work harder to make sure that's not the case next time.

Sincerely,
Brad

please send any questions/comments to teamsouther@projectdaybreak.com to talk with me directly.

[BTR RULEZ]

WOW!!!! That is freeeking awesome that we get a reply like this.

Although I was not at the show, I was sad to read of the debalce..... BUT... I am stunned and impressed at this response from management.

It all sounds very resonable to me, and explains why there was problems.... who knew a piano couild go out of tune in a week?

Thank you Brad Talley for taking your time to reply, and please tell JD to come back to KC anytime.... and I will be there for sure.

PS

BTR RULES!!!!
BEST FREEKING WILD WEST MUSIC BLOG ON THE PLANET!!! and it is right here in Kansas.

PPS
TIM FINN RULES!!!!
BEST FREEKING MUSIC REVIEWER ON THE PLANET!!! and he is our local guy, how lucky are we to have him right here in Kansas.

[pellboy]

I wasn't at the show either, but was a bit taken a back when hearing all the issues with JD's performance. As Mr.Talley said, it's great that a site like BtR provides a forum for audience members to voice their displeasures (or pleasures) with a particular performance, but conversely, it's nice that it also provides a place for the performer/management to offer their side of the story. Maybe just damage control on his part, although it all seemed very genuine since he didn't defend or apologize for Mr.Souther's onstage remarks, but regardless, kudos to Mr.Talley for giving us some insight into what may have been some of the reasons for JD's subpar performance.

[live music fan]

Thanks to Brad Talley for bringing us the other side of what happened. Considering the wild swings that we had in temps last week it's only natural that every piano in Kansas and Missouri needs to be tuned right now. Too bad that the crowd had to sit though the tuning, though.

[jhnycat]

yeah, weird, I never use that term..
what am I British!?
its not "cricket".
"Bollucks!"

[Christian Louboutin Wedges]

http://www.louboutins-outlets-us.com