Review by Shawn Perry
Burton Cummings is on a roll.
First, there was the dispute and eventual settlement over The “fake” Guess Who. Then there was A Few Good Moments, the singer’s first new album in over 15 years. Naturally, a tour followed and just like that, Burton Cummings is back in the driver’s seat.
His appearance at the packed Ryman affirmed his place in the pantheon of some of the greatest music to come out of the classic rock era. More than that, Cummings was over the moon to be playing at the “Mother Church of Country Music.” At one point, early in the show, he shared: “It’s a thrill for me to be standing in this place.”
The feeling couldn’t have been more mutual.
Before Cummings and his five-piece band came out, Jim Messina and his four-piece band went to bat to deliver a rousing 40-minute set. As a former member of both Buffalo Springfield and Poco, as well as half of the rock duo Loggins & Messina, the singer, songwriter and guitarist had plenty of material to choose from. Even so, he stuck to the songs he and Kenny Loggins recorded in the 70s.
Aside from “Watching The River Run” from 1973’s Full Sail and “Be Free” from 1974’s Mother Lode, the night’s songs were pulled from the duo’s first two albums, the 1971 debut album Sittin’ In and the follow-up, 1972’s Loggins & Messina. All were well received, with “Your Mama Don’t Dance” and “Angry Eyes” drawing the biggest response. By the set’s end, it was clear Messina, whose voice sounded untarnished, was the right fit as the warm-up for the main attraction.
After a 50-minute break, Burton Cummings was on. And for the next 90 minutes, the “real” Guess Who singer and his cracking band — bassist Jeff Jones, backing vocalist and percussionist Nick Sinopoli, drummer Sean Fitzsimons, and guitarists Joe Augello and Tim Bovaconti — took everyone in the audience on a trip back in time.
The ensemble busted out big with Cummings front and center and behind the keys, opening with “Bus Rider” from 1974, followed by “Clap For The Wolfman,” a song Cummings wrote after the Guess Who appeared on The Midnight Special with host — guess who? —Wolfman Jack. The band turned in a rocking “Hand Me Down World,” before lightening the load with “Laughing” (Cummings told the story of how he and Randy Bachman wrote the song while waiting for a ferry) and “Undun.” Cummings warned the audience he was no Ian Anderson, then went on to play a dazzling flute solo in the middle of the beatific tune.
Throughout the night, Cummings regaled the crowd with stories behind the songs, frequently adding that he hoped everyone remembered them (of course we did!). He even told a joke: “An Irish guy walks out of a bar…” He also went to great lengths to emphasize “real” over “fake” when it came to his time with the Guess Who. Frankly, he made a strong case against a more recent version of The Guess Who with original drummer Garry Peterson, who were playing Cummings’ songs and more or less misrepresenting who exactly was in the group. Despite his victory in court to stop the “fake” version from carrying on, Cummings wasn’t gloating about it as much as taking his rightful place as the voice and creator of the music.
When you consider the number of Guess Who hits Cummings felt obligated to play, it’s understandable that only one song (“Blackjack Fever”) from A Few Good Moments found its way to the setlist. To round out the set, however, he did revisit “Stand Tall,” from his 1976 self-titled debut solo album, along with “My Own Way To Rock,” the title track from his second solo album released in 1977.
There were also a few covers thrown in for good measure. Cummings delivered a suave take of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.” And at the top of the encore, there was a loopy stab at The Kingmens’ “Louie Louie” done for possibly nothing more bragging rights (“I can tell all my friends I sang ‘Louie Louie’ at the Ryman,” the singer quipped).
Of course, the real crowd pleasers that got people on their feet were the megahits like “American Woman” (watching Cummings playing air guitar alongside his guitarists undercuts his 77 years), “No Sugar Tonight / New Mother Nature,” (“Like Doublemint gum — two songs in one”), and “No Time,” on which Cummings brandished a shiny blue Les Paul.
For the finale of “Share The Land,” both Augello and Bovaconti stepped up with some stellar solos, while Jones and Sinopoli navigated the stage around Cummings. Though the voice isn’t what it used to be, the general enthusiasm, the stories, and the whole approach to each song trump any shortcomings during the 90-minute concert. It was most certainly a night any Guess Who and/or Burton Cummings fan in attendance will remember. For that, the man of the hour couldn’t be more pleased.
