Richard Thompson in Concert
 

I saw Richard Thompson last night in a very nice, intimate 1,000 seat hall (vintage circa 1885) in Lawrence, KS. All I have to say is that it takes a remarkable talent to be able to stand up there alone with nothing more than a microphone and a guitar and keep 1,000 people spellbound for two hours.

This is the third time I've seen him, second time with just him and his guitar. If he's headed your way, you might want to check it out. Consumate songwriter, amazing guitarist, unique and soulful voice. Highlights of the show included "1952 Vincent Black Lightning", "Shenandoah", Wall of Death" and his rendition of "Whoops, I Did It Again" (performed seriously, but in jest all the same) that almost made the piece of Brittany Spears crap worth listening to...

So what are we talking about? Sort of a Kotke/Fahey 12 string deal? (maybe you should slip it into the parallel musical universe)

Actually, his guitar style is very reminiscent of Kottke's at times, (open, rich tunings combined with a killer sense of beat and complex chord configurations) but he uses a six string as his primary instrument. He's a more earnest of a songwriter than Kottke, and he does few, if any, instrumentals (Kottke does lots...I've seen him a few times, too).

Richard Thompson has been around for a very long time, having founded the seminal British Folk Rock band Fairport Convention. He made quite the name for himself in the 80's with a couple of very strong albums recorded with his then-wife Linda, "Shoot Out the Lights" and "Hand of Kindness".

Cool. I'll keep an eye out for him.

I've heard a lot about Richard Thompson, but have never heard a lot of his music- I know and like his version of "vincent", and have met others that are BIG fans. I should investigate further.
That sounds like the perfect venue.

I like Leo Kottke and saw him a long time ago. When he does sing hes got that nice gruff baritone. I remember a sweet version of "Pamela Brown".

Speaking of brown (very stream of consciously) have you heard any Greg Brown?

No, and that's a serious gap in my listening repertoire that I need to fill, according to all I read and hear about. What do you recommend from Mr. Brown?

Well he jumped to mind with Leo,..both are from these parts. I first heard him around 1982, in a tiny bar in Mpls, and he was amazing.I've not kept up with his latest stuff, I hear some things played on the radio...No mistaking his voice. There is an old album from the early 80s called "Iowa Waltz" which I always liked. Theres a later one called "In the Dark with You" and another called "Another Midnight Kiss" that has some great tunes- I'm a sucker for the sweet stuff sung by a guy with such a scruffy voice.

Greg Brown is a semi-regular on A Prairie Home Companion, isn't he?

If anyone is interested, a terrific electric set in streaming vid/audio is available at http://www.primeticket.net/shows/richardthompson/

Wow. You are a lucky, lucky individual, Elspode. I'm beside myself with envy.