Randy Newman
October 11
The Folly, Kansas City
By JASON HARPER
The churning of phlegm, the soft rhythmic padding of orthopedic shoes, the moist thock of ice cubes in a plastic cup of whiskey, a woman repeating to her husband what the man on stage just said. Hoarse laughter. Whiffs of wafting flatulence.
The youngest person at Saturday night's Randy Newman show at the 108-year-old Folly Theater in downtown Kansas City was Randy Newman. The oldest: Randy Newman. A slouched, profane amalgam of Mark Twain, Professor Longhair, L.A. coke parties and Bertholt Brecht, singer and songwriter and composer Newman has the voice of a young man — when he speaks. Maybe it's his California accent, forever young. When he sings, his voice is still as gooey, buttery and nasal-nougat-filled as it was when first applied to vinyl some 40 years ago. And his songs nowadays are every bit as wicked, probably more so.
Photo by Michael Forester
More after the jump.
"He's got a sly way of humanizing really awful people in his songs," said the 50-something man sitting next to me with his wife.
In the song "In Germany Before the War" (Little Criminals) Newman humanizes a child murderer, as delicately as Browning in "Porphyria's Lover:" We lie beneath the sky/My little golden girl and I/And she lies very still. In "God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)" (Sail Away) Newman turns the Almighty into a snarky demiurge who laughs over the fact that humanity worships Him even as He allows suffering and destruction to beset them at every turn. You all must be crazy to put your faith in me, saith the Lord.
Newman played these two songs and, by my count, 33 others sitting alone with his piano up on stage at the Folly. He told a few stories, took a few requests (including the encore closer "Feels Like Home," a slam dunk from his new one), but mostly let his songs do the talking, which, paired with their master's voice and off-kilter elocution, are more often hilarious than anything else.
He sang about history and politics ("Great Nations of Europe," "Political Science," "A Few Words In Defense of Our Country," "The World Isn't Fair," etc.), about love and hurt ("Love Story (You and Me)," "I Miss You," "Losing You," "Bad News From Home," etc.), about education ("My Life Is Good," "Korean Parents"), about short people ("Short People"), about leaving your hat on ("You Can Leave Your Hat On") dancing bears ("Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear"), and human kindness ("I Think It's Going to Rain Today").
As he's been doing quite a bit this year, evidently, he led us in a superfun call-and-response sing-along to "I'm Dead (But I Don't Know It)," a good-humored swipe at all the aging rockers who refuse to retire (i.e., all aging rockers, period). HE'S DEAD! HE'S DEAD! we all sang in the chorus. "You don't have to sound so enthusiastic!" he joked.
But for all this simplicity, this two-hour, two-part show was engaging as hell. Taking, perhaps, a cue from our preview, one man in the audience shouted out midway through the show, "Randy Newman, you're an American classic!"
Amen. Now join with me: Randy Newman, you're a voice of reason!
Here's the set list.
It's Money That I Love
My Life Is Good
Marie
Short People
Birmingham
Bad News From Home
The World Isn't Fair
Korean Parents
I Miss You
Simon Smith...
A Few Words In Defense of Our Country
Laugh and Be Happy
Losing You
You Can Leave Your Hat On
I'm Dead (But I Don't Know It)
Political Science
[[intermission]]
Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)
Great Nations of Europe
Potholes
In Germany Before the War
Baltimore
Only a Girl
Love Story (You and Me)
Real Emotional Girl
You've Got a Friend In Me
Harps and Angels
Dixie Flyer
Louisiana 1927
Guilty
I Love L.A.
God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)
A Piece of the Pie
I Think It's Going to Rain
[[encore]]
Lonely at the Top
Feels Like Home
Critic's Notebook
Personal Bias: Having aged 27 years since 2001, I am 50 years old, and therefore was in good company Saturday.
Random Detail:In addition to his arguably most famous soundtrack, Toy Story, Newman has composed songs or score for Babe II: Pig in the City, Parenthood, Awakenings, The Family Guy, Pleasantville, Seabiscuit, Monsters Inc., Meet the Parents, A Bug's Life, The Natural, and many other films, starting iwth Ragtime. Oh, and his cousin is American Beauty film scorer Thomas Newman.
By the Way: Go to this person's YouTube profile for some high-quality Newman concert vids from earlier in the year that basically could have been from Saturday's show. Fuck you, YouTube.
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