Guy Clark Review, Missoula 9/21/06

You must respect a man who stands up at the begining of a concert, says 'I'm old and I get bored with playlists. I'll play what I feel like and you can ask for whatever you want. I can't promise I'll remember every song, but I'll do my best.'

After those first words, Mr. Clark entered into a series of old favorites and tunes from the new album (entitled Workbench Songs). Then the fans started shouting out tunes like 'Baton Rouge' and 'Coat from the Cold' and the show was ON. People would shout at a tune, he'd tell a story about it, and then play it. Highlights included the obvious renditions of L.A. Freeway (a true story inspired by a landlady who was taking an axe to a grapefruit tree because it was pushing up her concrete patio), Let Him Roll, and Desperados Waiting for a Train (about his Grandmother's boyfriend). Less assuming highlights included the aforementioned Baton Rouge, two new tunes (Magdalene and Analog Girl), Immigrant's Eyes (complete with a small memory lapse mid-song), and The Cape. After two hours Mr. Clark wrapped it up, not bad considering he had no chair and just stood there playing the entire time.

To any interested parties, if you get a chance while visiting North America to catch Mr. Clark, it will be either a good cultural experience or a nice affirmation that things on this side aren't all bad. In fact, they're pretty darn fine.