If you distill your impressions of folk artists from the mainstream music publicity machine, you may think that you know what Steve Forbert’s music is all about.  If so, please come out to One Longfellow Square in Portland on Friday, February 1, and have another listen.

As Steve said to me in a phone interview just before the Christmas holidays, “There’s a lot more to it than one hit single from 30 years ago”.

Steve can still throw down the rock and roll with loads of energy and an R&B flavor, as evidenced by the power chords and electric guitar licks in his hard-hitting commentary on the Iraqi war, “The Baghdad Dream”, which appears on his 2007 release, “Strange Names and New Sensations”.

The tunes that work better for me, though, are the clever love songs, the pop-influenced, breezy folk ballads, and the sensitive, introspective, regret-laden story songs that populate that most recent studio album and the one immediately prior to it (2004’s “Just Like There’s Nothing To It”.)

“Man, I Miss That Girl”, from the 2007 disc, has a loping country beat, a nostalgic accordion humming in the background, and clean electric guitar riffs filling in the spaces between the angst-filled lyrics.  I see Steve staring into a campfire, lamenting the mistakes that lost him a special person.  The song is an authentic window into the hearts of both the story and the storyteller.

“The World is Full of People” is a simple, clever, Randy Newman-ish piano and vocal tune from “Just Like There’s Nothing To It”.   Maybe Steve wrote this one after coming home from the local mega-mall.

“Something Special”, from “Strange Names and New Sensations”, has bossa-nova purcussion, lush piano, and a nice harmonica break.  You can hear the smile on Steve’s face as he sings this sweet valentine to a new love.

Steve’s songwriting is just as personal as ever, just as nuanced, and just as tinged with the rock influences that place him in his own unique corner of the folk scene.  But there’s a new, mature perspective.  It’s an acknowledgment that the carelessness and impulsiveness of youth has passed, and in its place is a shouldering of responsibility for himself and for others.  You can hear this coming on in his song “Oh, Yesterday”, which was written several years ago:

“Saw some leaves get blown across the road tonight and thought of a time,

That progression would have left a bold and bright impression in my mind”

 

The theme comes across very literally in Steve’s good-natured poke at himself, “Middle Age” on his latest album:

Middle age is clearer

Now it dawns on you

Now you hafta laugh at what

You use to think you knew

Middle age is hectic

Much less time for fun

Clearly it’s a good thing youth is

Wasted on the young

When I asked him to talk about these aspects of his life, and the changes in it, Steve told me, “I just find it’s never a dull moment – for myself it’s a lot of stress (he laughs a little here);  I have kids and I try to keep up with things in the world out there, but it’s a lot to keep up with.  Being on the road is another thing, the travel is another time consuming stressful thing. But I like the playing, I like when I get to where I’m going, then it’s all worth it.”

Steve is looking forward to coming to Maine for the One Longfellow Square show, although he joked that he’d rather be touring in a warmer climate in February.  He feels that Maine audiences have treated him well; he’s played the Grand Theater in Ellsworth two summers running, and also appeared at Chicky’s Fine Diner a few years back.

He’ll be heading to Portland very shortly after returning from a week’s tour of England with his band. “It gets kind of crazy in the middle of January; we’re going over for week, and I’ll be back and just be putting my brain together, and be heading your way – all in the very cold, Bob, we are going everywhere when it gets nice and cold.”

When I wished him luck with the tour he laughed and said “We’ll need it – it’s a twenty-five year old’s tour, and we’re not twenty-five anymore!  But we’re going to do it!”

Steve is a veteran songwriter and performer.  He has integrated the lessons learned over more than thirty years of touring and recording into his work in a way that resonates with his core audience.  After all, most of them have been making similar journeys in their own lives.  His new songs are literate, poignant, and personal, but retain the rock edges and the humor and playfulness of his earlier work.  He also retains those qualities in his personality; I found him to be very friendly, patient, and a lot of fun to talk to.

Your chance to see and hear Steve perform comes up at 8:00 PM on Friday February 1 at One Longfellow Square in Portland. 

Meg Hutchinson opens the show - I caught Meg at The North Star Music Cafe in mid-January.  There was a tinge of Lori McKenna's irony in her vocals and in her cute, impish face.   Her songs were well-written commentaries on family life and relationships about to crack apart.  Her anti-war song was heart-felt if a little impulsive.  She just released a CD with Red House Records, and her performance at the North Star proved that she's a talented opener (that night for Peter Mulvey.)  You will enjoy her set in front of Steve's show in February!

At left: Meg Hutchinson

Tom Rota runs this great little room, and does it well; the sound reproduction is top notch, it’s very comfortable, and there’s a nicely stocked refreshment window.  Tom and his crew are booking some impressive shows these days, so take a closer look at their calendar.

See you at the show!