I went to Merle Haggard's show at Wichita's Cotillion tonight. It was a little under a full sell-out, which was good since I bought my ticket at the door.
Merle is one of the true giants of American music. I was glad I went. It was my first live Merle show. A fellow at the next table said he had 17 Merle albums. I'm close to that--or more, but about half of mine are LPs I bought second hand after the beginning of the CD era. For a while, I went to lots of yard sales and flea markets. I was mainly looking for jazz, but if I found any Merle vinyl in decent shape I picked it up.
Merle has written some great tunes and the audience tonight knew the songs and the lyrics singing along to quite a few. Some of Merle's tunes are solidly in the country genre, but he's written a number that could and should become part of the American songbook. Someone like Kevin Mahogany could do a nice jazz treatment. The Merle Haggard Songbook should be up there alongside Gershwin and Porter.
I had hoped the Kansas City's Iris Dement might be the opening act, but she wasn't. Merle's son Noel did a warm-up set and after a brief intermission, it was time for the Merle show. A credible guy whose name I didn't catch let the Strangers through a mini-set of 3 or 4 tunes.. Then it was time for the master.
Merle opened with "Silver Wing." I didn't write down the set list, but I recall "Mama Tried," "Big City" "I Think I'll Stay Here and Drink" "Rainbow Stew" "I"m a Lonesome Fugitive" "Fighting Side of Me"
The Strangers is/are still an outstanding band. Merle is a great guitar player. And there are two other fine ones in the group. If I heard right one is a Haggard.
Only disappointment were that Merle didn't do an encore, didn't do "Working Man Blues" or any of his recent political songs. And I didn't like the selection of tee shirts on sale. The designs I like are at the on-line store.
Merle didn't come back for an encore, but he did say he was planning on coming back next year.
I'll plan on catching him again.
Here's a fine "Left Side of Merle" stanza from "Big City"
Been working everyday since I was twenty.
Haven't got a thing to show for anything I've done.
There's folks who never work and they've got plenty.
Think it's time some guys like me had some fun.
UPDATE July 3 5:30 PM. Eagle on-line review is here. That was Merle's youngest son, Ben, on guitar. The review is mostly okay, but contains a real howler. Jeffrey Lutz wrote Haggard "had played most of the chart-topping hits he has made famous during the last 40 years." Wikipedia has a list of 38 #1 hits.
1 comment:
Iris opening for...and then singing with Merle would be tremendous. I saw The Hag in Nashville last week...one night later Iris was in Atlanta. She almost always does 2-3 of his songs in her shows -- Big City, Pray, That's The Way Love Goes, Going Away Party...to name some. The Hag did Big City and That's The Way Love Goes in his Nashville set...all that was missing was Iris DeMent. Glad you enjoyed your first Merle concert...Nashville was my first, and he is an American musical icon. Iris DeMent is too, and she has a real dedicated fan base...small perhaps but dedicated.
Post a Comment