Greg Brown: Marblehead 2007
 by Kathy S-B  ·  16 February 2007

Greg Brown was in da zone last night. And it started during sound check. Greg sat himself down on the edge of our stage and started fingering his fret board with the concentration of a master at work. He was so entranced with his work that he barely paid any attention to the half dozen volunteers who had to side-step their way around him as they prepared the stage for show time. It was then that I knew that we’d be in for a magnificent evening.

People aren’t kidding when they call the me & thee “the church of folk music.” There is a reason why we’ve managed to keep going and going and are celebrating our 37th anniversary this very week. And there’s a real reason why we manage to host Greg Brown in our small intimate surroundings when other venues our size don’t have that chance. There’s a real connection going on and magic starts happening as soon as Greg enters the building.

This review needs to be short because I’m on the way to the office in Boston for an important meeting so you’ll have to look elsewhere for a detailed song list. (Plus, even though I actually took notes last night — I can’t read my handwriting! It’s not easy writing in the dark!)

If you happened to read the little interview that I did with Greg a couple notches down in the blog, you will see that I asked him about favorite moments on stage — and he responded this way:

favorite moments on stage is when the groove, or you could call it the holy spirit, takes over. then the music gets big. room for everyone.

Well, wouldn’t ya know it? That holy spirit was beaming down on all of us present last night. Whether Greg knew it or not, he sang two incredibly poignant songs that meant a lot to those of us who not only volunteer at the coffeehouse but are members of the church. One of the few original songs that Greg sang last night was “Hey, Baby Hey.” He told the audience that he wrote this song at Ferry Beach, Maine. He talked about the ecology school that is located on its shores — he knew the place. But did he know that Ferry Beach is where our congregation goes on its annual retreat every October? (Perhaps he saw something on one of our numerous bulletin boards in the hallways of the church? I didn’t see him spending any time perusing the congregation’s activities though!)

Secondly, Greg mesmerized the small, but captive audience with his version of Randy Newman’s “Louisiana 1929.” Did he know that I’m leaving bright and early tomorrow morning to head down to the Lower Ninth Ward with other members of this very church to help rehab some homes for the residents down there? Yowzer! I didn’t say anything to him about it — did he read the bulletin board? Did he see something related to New Orleans in the minister’s study where he had to hang out because the heat wasn’t operating in our library? Yes, he very well could have . . . I suppose it doesn’t matter but it was a song and a moment with Greg that will be indelibly etched in my mind and my heart for the rest of my live long days.

Yeah, the night was chock full of cover tunes ranging from not one but two Jimmie Rodgers songs, Robert Johnson, Bob Dylan (the fastest most rockin’ version of “Don’t’ Think Twice, It’s All Right” that I’ve ever heard), Son House, and Mose Allison (that was a natural since one of our volunteers told Greg that Mose Allison has, in fact, played here)!

Thanks, Greg. And thanks to all of the intrepid New Englanders who braved the cold and the ice to make it to the me & thee to help us celebrate our 37th anniversary. As Greg said in the interview: “the music was big, enough room for everyone.”

Top photo: Dianne Jenkins. Bottom: Kathy S-B

Search