In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by David Bromberg playing "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"
Thoughts on Original: From the first time we tackled a cover of this song: One of my favorite titled songs in the Dylan catalog,for some reason the title just nails an elusive feeling and perfectly works with the tune. Also contains multiple epic lines, my favorite being "I wanna be your lover babe/I don't wanna be your boss", AMEN brother Bob. A pretty straight forward blues number musically that lends itself to cover attempts, leading to... Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist: David Bromberg was a contemporary of Dylan on the 60's Greenwich Village folk scene. He is also someone Bob had play on a lot of his studio efforts. It is fun to hear David step out and sing one of Bob's bluesy numbers.
Thoughts on Cover:
Very nuanced playing and singing by Bromberg, raising up this cover with a quiet sense of importance. A very cool take on the tune.
The Hold Steady, Allison Russell, Allison Ponthier, Brandi and the Alexanders
5/12/23 City Winery NY, NY
The annual WFUV High Line Bash fundraising event was held on Friday night May 12th at the gorgeous city winery directly on the Hudson River in Manhattan.
The event was a chance for friends and supporters of the noncommercial, member-supported public media service to gather and mingle. The station that brings a diverse ray of talent to NYC's ears, and has great taste all around. RtBE has attended their events before and they are always a good time, for a good cause.
Unfortunately, arriving late, I missed the set of Brandi and the Alexanders set, but walked in with Allison Ponthier in full flight as she delivered a set of light tunes backed by a solo electric guitar; her vocals eased out into the evening crowd as the sun set over the river and New Jersey.
Perhaps odd for a radio station event, but the music seemed a touch secondary on this evening as donors mingled, ate snacks and drank wine, chatting with each other as Ponthier sang "Autopilot" in the background. Some of the food was truly excellent, especially the Taste of New York Reuben Egg Rolls, which combined two cultures culinary traditions.
Allison Russellwas up nextand was more of a focal point as her and her band took the City Winery stage. Telling heartbreaking stories of abuse by her adoptive father she delivered songs of pain, yet survival including "4th Day Prayer" and "You're Not Alone". Moving songs and her powerful voice echoed through the venue, which started to thin out after her set.
Headliners The Hold Steady were to follow and the Brooklyn band revamped their normal raucous rock and roll show for a more subdued story-telling, lounge-jazz vibe. Having seen the band numerous times this was a unique twist to their sound.
Opening with a restrained take on "Multitude of Casualties" the group set the quiet tone to the small crowd. The band decided to showcase their fantastic new albumThe Price of Progress on this night and front man Craig Finn discussed and explained a few of the inspirations for the efforts touching on Johnny Fever, The Monkees, Dictators and Amazon wish lists.
Multi-instrumentalist Franz Nicolay was an MVP on this night playing piano, keys and accordion, as was guest Stuart Bogie who joined on brass and woodwinds.
The whole set had a slow, slinking, jazz groove pushed along lightly by the low end of Galen Polivka and Bobby Drake. "Sixers" was an early highlight, and the dramatic "The Ambassador" was a late one. The group finally let the guitarists loose to end the night with the elongated, swaying, "Oaks" that found both Tad Kubler and Steve Selvidge passing nuanced solos back and fourth with grace and class.
An interesting night of music, friends, food and wine for a good cause. If possible, please support WFUV, and thanks to Theresa and the whole WFUV team for putting on this event, it was one RtBE is happy to support.
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Will update this with video of the show if I find some (feel free to post any you find in comments) until then here is Allison Ponthier signing "Autopilot" at WFUV:
