I was honored to again join the Kings County Opry song circle last week. The Opry is in its sixth year now, and I think Dock has always opened it up with a group of songwriters playing their songs. I personally love the song circle format, both as a performer and a listener. First of all, you get to do both. I remember Lyle Lovett, who frequently performs like this with people like John Hiatt and Guy Clarke, saying once that his favorite part about those shows was having the best seat in the house to watch the other players sing.
So, I did a few songs, and got to listen to Jeep Rosenberg's amazing songs (he had a line about things slipping away "like a lizard in a washing machine ... and things still aren't getting clean" that friends of mine are still quoting) and to Dock's always punchy songs, including one I hadn't heard before about going to Target with his girlfriend. If you can get a song out of that you can get a song out of anyone. And Jesse Miller, who brought his own songs to the circle last time I played, backed Jeep and Dock up with some beautifully tasteful guitar work.
After that, the Gowanus Canal Hotshots took over the room. Shlomo inevitably has more instruments onstage than most bands do, while at the other side, Trip and Emily between them bring a few harmonicas, a banjo uke and then rely on the bottoms of their faces for just about everything else. It all adds up to a great time though. I wish I could have seen more of their set but I had to split early. But we got some good photos.
So, I did a few songs, and got to listen to Jeep Rosenberg's amazing songs (he had a line about things slipping away "like a lizard in a washing machine ... and things still aren't getting clean" that friends of mine are still quoting) and to Dock's always punchy songs, including one I hadn't heard before about going to Target with his girlfriend. If you can get a song out of that you can get a song out of anyone. And Jesse Miller, who brought his own songs to the circle last time I played, backed Jeep and Dock up with some beautifully tasteful guitar work.
After that, the Gowanus Canal Hotshots took over the room. Shlomo inevitably has more instruments onstage than most bands do, while at the other side, Trip and Emily between them bring a few harmonicas, a banjo uke and then rely on the bottoms of their faces for just about everything else. It all adds up to a great time though. I wish I could have seen more of their set but I had to split early. But we got some good photos.
