Poetry and electric guitars: Lucinda live in Red Bank

Lucinda Williams learned a lot from her father.

The country-rock songstress — is it country or rock or some other genre? — is one of the few songwriters who can rightfully claim to be a poet of the pop song, crafting lyrics of detail and exquisite wordplay that demonstrate a direct link to her father, the poet Miller Williams.

Last night’s set at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank offered a cross-section of her career and a healthy dose of songs from her fine new record, Blessed, possibly her best recording in a half dozen years (and that says a lot).

And there were a lot of loud, guitars — courtesy of the great Val McAllum, who took over lead guitar responsibilities for Lucinda several years ago when she brought Buick 6 on board as her backing band. While I loved Doug Pettibone’s playing, McAllum has more range and seems more willing to expand the songs, to take them to a new place live. McAllum’s expansive, electric playing never overpowered the band — anchored by the fabulous Butch Norton on drums and steady David Sutton on bass.

Set list (as tweeted during the show):

    1 & 2: “It’s Over” and “People Talkin'” to start
    3: “2 Cool 2 B Forgotten”
    4: Guitar solo on “Tears of Joy” wow
    5: “Pineola” — after five shows. A dreadful, powerful story. Amazing.
    8-11: Bunch of the new: “Don’t Know How You’re Living”; “Copenhagen”; “Born to be Loved”; “Convince Me” 
    12 & 13: “Out of Touch” w/guitar solo followed by heavy blues of “Unsuffer Me” 
    15: Fats Domino cover — “I Live My Life” 
    16: Oops — words forgotten to “Righteously”! 
    17 & 18: “Change the Locks” & “Honey Bee” — guitar slinging 
    19: Encore: “Blessed” 
    20: From Essence “Get Right with God”, w/Dylan LeBlanc (An aside: If LeBlanc would have shown a third of the energy he displayed with the guitar on this song during his opening set….) 
    21: We found her “Joy” in Jersey! 
    22: “For What It’s Worth” for the Wisconsin protestors — encore 2 (actually, for all workers)

  • Read poetry at The Subterranean.
  • Certainties and Uncertainties a chapbook by Hank Kalet, will be published in November by Finishing Line Press. It can be ordered here.
  • Suburban Pastoral, a chapbook by Hank Kalet, available here.
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To open: Cliches and acoustic guitars

Dylan LeBlanc opened for Lucinda Williams tonight in Red Bank and offered evidence as to the pretentiousness of the folk revival movement.

With his wobbly tenor and competent guitar playing, he projected the image of a folkie without any of the necessary energy. It is not enough to have long hair and be able to finger pick. You still need to be interesting.

Consider him exhibit A for the prosecution in the case of the People v. the Folk Revival

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Remember: Christie was endorsed by several environmental groups

The green groups that endorsed Chris Christie in 2009 probably are wishing they could have that endorsement back. The latest in anti-green measures by the governor and his administration:

AP: NJ withdraws from lawsuit seeking judicial oversight over pollution issues

  • Send me an e-mail.
  • Read poetry at The Subterranean.
  • Certainties and Uncertainties a chapbook by Hank Kalet, will be published in November by Finishing Line Press. It can be ordered here.
  • Suburban Pastoral, a chapbook by Hank Kalet, available here.
Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.

Message to best and brightest: Go home

The dysfunctional nature of our immigration system can have no greater example than the likely deportation of Vidal Tapia.

The Paterson high school senior immigrated illegally to the United States five years ago, when he was 14. He became a stellar student and is set to be the valedictorian at International High School.

But he may not get the chance to walk with his fellow students.

Tapia immigrated here illegally about five years ago. Since then, his petition for U.S. residency has been accepted and an interview for a green card was scheduled for Wednesday at the consulate in Ciudad Juarez. But because he unlawfully crossed the border and now is an adult, he is likely to face a 10-year ban from setting foot on U.S. soil, regardless of whether he qualifies for residency status. That would mean no commencement speech in June, no diploma in the near future and no American job possibilities until he’s in his 30s.

“I’m here to continue my education. My hope in this country is to become better and better,” said Tapia, sitting in a school conference room Thursday. “Having to go back will disturb all that — all my goals.”

Had the DREAM Act passed Congress last year, Tapia undoubtedly would be a prime candidate. That legislation would have permitted undocumented students to pursue higher education and citizenship. Tapia has already taken a statistics class at Passaic County Community College and began college-level algebra before being removed because of his immigration status. After completing a 12-week engineering program at Fairleigh Dickinson University, he was offered a $10,000 scholarship to attend the university full time.

But the DREAM Act was voted down, and Tapia now has a plane ticket to Mexico on Sunday, with an entire community behind him fearing he won’t return.

Obviously, it is important that we control our borders, though how we do that and what that means for the free movement of human beings is rarely discussed. The debate in the United States has become one in which politicians fight to see who can come up with the most punitive measures for undocumented immigrants and not one in which we dispassionately consider the question of human rights.

  • Send me an e-mail.
  • Read poetry at The Subterranean.
  • Certainties and Uncertainties a chapbook by Hank Kalet, will be published in November by Finishing Line Press. It can be ordered here.
  • Suburban Pastoral, a chapbook by Hank Kalet, available here.
Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.

Straight-talk express, Jersey style

Gov. Chris Christie has built a reputation as the latest straight-talker in Republican politics, the descendant of John McCain, a maverick willing to challenge the status quo.

As with McCain, however, “straight” is in the eye of the beholder.

Consider this story from The New York Times:

New Jersey’s public-sector unions routinely pressure the State Legislature to give them what they fail to win in contract talks. Most government workers pay nothing for health insurance. Concessions by school employees would have prevented any cuts in school programs last year.

Statements like those are at the core of Gov. Chris Christie’s campaign to cut state spending by getting tougher on unions. They are not, however, accurate.

In fact, on the occasions when the Legislature granted the unions new benefits, it was for pensions, which were not subject to collective bargaining — and it has not happened in eight years. In reality, state employees have paid 1.5 percent of their salaries toward health insurance since 2007, in addition to co-payments and deductibles, and since last spring, many local government workers, including teachers, do as well. The few dozen school districts where employees agreed to concessions last year still saw layoffs and cuts in academic programs.

“Clearly there has been a pattern of the governor playing fast and loose with the details,” said Brigid Harrison, a political science professor at Montclair State University. “But so far, he’s been adept at getting the public to believe what he says.”

Mr. Christie, a Republican who took office in January 2010, would hardly be the first politician to indulge in hyperbole or gloss over facts. But his misstatements, exaggerations and carefully constructed claims belie the national image he has built as a blunt talker who gives straight answers to hard questions, especially about budgets and labor relations. Candor is central to Mr. Christie’s appeal, and a review of his public statements over the past year shows some of them do not hold up to scrutiny. 

Straight as a hair-pin turn.

  • Send me an e-mail.
  • Read poetry at The Subterranean.
  • Certainties and Uncertainties a chapbook by Hank Kalet, will be published in November by Finishing Line Press. It can be ordered here.
  • Suburban Pastoral, a chapbook by Hank Kalet, available here.
Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.