Review by Shawn Perry
Photos by Ron Lyon
You couldn’t have asked for a better night or a better venue for the music of Lucinda Williams with a special appearance by the Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde in a new, low-key role with JP, Chrissie and the Fairground Boys. The concert site is notable because it lies adjacent to the famous Queen Mary cruise liner, permanently moored in Long Beach since 1967. Concerts of various sizes and scopes have been staged in and around the retired ship for years, but the grounds set aside for this show couldn’t have been more appropriate or inviting.
A large area with a picturesque view of downtown Long Beach’s wistful skyline slouching across the twinkling bay, the Queen Mary Events Park had already played host to concerts by Joan Baez, Smokey Robinson and Beach Boys this summer’s series. Tonight’s presentation, a little more cutting edge perhaps, promised loads of possibilities. Without much fuss, it began. Three unassuming musicians took the stage, sat on stools and strapped on their acoustics. One of them was Chrissie Hynde.
Hynde was joined by JP Jones and guitarist Patrick Murdoch for a stripped-down set of songs drawn exclusively from Fidelity, the new album from JP, Chrissie and the Fairground Boys. At one point during their set, they promised to bring the rest of the Fairground Boys — keyboardist Sam Swallow, bassist Vezio Bacci and drummer Geoff Holroyde — in a return engagement. For tonight, however, it was a more casual affair.
Hynde looked and sounded relaxed. She chatted it up between songs, responding to shout-outs from the audience, appearing loose and eager to play. That might have something to do with JP Jones, a 31-year-old musician from Wales, who approached Hynde in a chance meeting in London and struck a romantic chord in the Pretenders “tough as nails” front woman.
The only problem is Hynde is almost twice Jones’ age, so the idea of marriage and raising a family is out of the question. So the two went to Havana and whipped up a batch of quirky love songs in a semi-drunken state. Instead of having the children, they had an album they named after Fidel Castro — Fidelity.
Hynde’s voice was in excellent form, imbuing the verses with pure emotion. “I found my perfect lover,” she sang during — you guessed it — “Perfect Lover,” before continuing, “but he’s only half my age…” And so the exchange went, with Jones piping in, his gravelly voice reminiscent of a young Tom Waits meets Ryan Adams, albeit in much more tuneful accord.
Murdoch picked out a few licks on a Gibson hollow body, but the set was mostly acoustic, with Hynde adding harmonica and tambourine to the mix. Together, Hynde and Jones wailed through “Fairground Luck” and complemented each other during “Australia” — without looking smitten or silly.
Jones seemed genuinely excited at the prospect of playing in such an intimate setting, beside the water. Hynde pointed skyward, towards a full moon shining through the mist, and heads turned and marveled at the notion of sharing such a sight in the midst of a concert.
The hour-long set ended abruptly, without an encore, leaving the audience to contemplate how on earth Lucinda Williams could possibly top it. Hynde wasn’t there to steal the spotlight. She acknowledged that Williams is a great songwriter, calling her a “goddess.” You’d never know it as the singer casually strolled up on the stage a little after 9:00, without introduction, and scurried in place for a raunchy and brutally honest hay ride.
At once, you had to submit to the pull of “I Just Wanted To See You So Bad” and “Big Red Sun Blues,” which featured some intricate six-stringin’ from L.A. slinger Val McCallum.
The country drawl of “Essence” ran circles around a crowd swaying in unison. The groove behind “2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten,” another one from Williams’ breakthrough album, 1988’s Car Wheels On A Gravel Road. As it was, Lucinda has no new album to promote these days, so she pulled together a setlist made up from fan requests on her Facebook page.
A few left curves like the new songs “Buttercup” and “Born to Be Loved” were thrown in to keep it lively and unpredictable. The set ended with “Righteously” and “Honey Bee,” the crowd at the ready for a possible surprise cameo by Hynde. It wasn’t to be.
Instead, Williams and her band, which also includes bassist David Sutton and drummer Butch Norton, were joined by Vicki Peterson from the Bangles for a quick encore of “Joy,” as straightforward as can be. No complaints here .The assembled were on their feet, and the feel of the night ascended to a celebratory mood. Another song or two would have been nice, but you can’t get too greedy about these things.
Standing at the finish line of an agreeable evening, music hadn’t felt this good in Long Beach since I’d seen Dylan at the arena across the bay. If only Dylan could play a gig here, next time he’s town, I’d be more than inclined to attend. Then the secret would be out.
All comparisons aside, seeing Lucinda Williams and Chrissie Hynde together in a setting like this would be a pretty tough act to follow. We’ll see if the promoters have a few tricks up their sleeves. I heard a few rumors after the show, but nothing’s been confirmed. Then again, a stage like this, positioned next to a historical ship, overlooking an unspoiled cityscape practically sells itself.
