|
The last time he was at the Hôtel du Nord in 1997, singer songwriter Loudon Wainwright III premiered a little poem he had just written called "Conspiracies," that drew parallels between wide-eyed children believing in Santa Claus and their parents believing in the Virgin Birth. It was just before Christmas and you could hear the gasps in the audience. Happily the poem is on his latest CD, "Social Studies" (Hannibal), along with 14 songs. All the songs were commissioned by National Public Radio, although not all of them got air play. Some, like his Santa poem, were just too hot to handle, even in winter. One song that did cut the mustard is "Tonya's Twirls." Ostensibly about the insane Olympic story of Tonya Harding, it is also about the commercialization of sport, and by connection, childhood dreams. Wainwright believes the "novelty" song, the humorous song written about a particular event or person or issue, is undervalued. "It's seen as frivolous. People somehow believe that it's easy to make people laugh. In fact it's very difficult. But there's this whole idea: if it's funny, it's not important. 'Conspiracies' is extremely devastating. I actually felt a little bad about that but part of my job is to make people not just think but feel a little nervous. I use humor to shake them up a little. After the show I want people to be affected by it, even if it makes them a little angry." Why did he put together an album of songs commissioned over more than a decade? "Because these songs had never been compiled before, they've never really been heard. And I liked the idea of getting away from my usual themes: me and my family. I also love the tradition of the protest song. The song, 'Bad Man,' is the most overt example of that. It was written about the Gulf War but applies to Kosovo too. It applies to American Foreign policy over last 10 years." His song, "Our Boy Bill" refers to the Boomer Generation's first Prez. As both an official graduate of the Summer of Love and father of Gen X-icon Rufus, how does he view his own generation now? "We were self-obsessed, we possessed a strange, focused narcissism." This from the man who turned strange, focused narcissistic observation into an art form by mixing astoundingly candid self-analysis with an observational humor that can be charmingly wry one moment and startlingly direct the next. Wainwright returns to the Hôtel du Nord on July 27 & 28 as part of a series of summer concerts at what has become the premier acoustic venue in Paris. Other artists to catch include Elliott Murphy on July 18 & 19 and slide guitar virtuoso, Kelly Joe Phelps on August 2, who will also be launching his new CD on Ryko, "Shine Eyed Mister Zen." Hôtel du Nord, 8pm, 102, quai de Jemmapes, 10e, Metro République, tel: 01.53.19.98.88, 110F/90F (students). |
|
