TOUR DATES & SETLISTS
-- 30 August 2006 --

2006 Index


GENERAL INFORMATION

DATE: 30 August 2006
VENUE/SHOW: Bijou Theatre
LOCATION:
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
SHOW COMMENTS: Gary Craig on percussion, Julie Wolf on accordion and keyboards.



Bruce in KnoxvilleSETLIST


COMMENTS/FURTHER INFORMATION

Submitted by Linda Renc (who also supplied the photo):

We arrived about 1/2 hour before showtime, hoping this stately theatre would fill up with fans, which it did by 8:10 pm. Originally part of a hotel built in 1817 with hauntings to prove it, the theatre just reopened this summer after major renovations. The Bijou now has red plush seats, restored cream & gold woodwork and very nice acoustics. The elegant setting added a level of respect from the audience (except one guy who was asked to leave; he exited during Tell The Universe and I don't know if Bruce was relieved but we were). Odd, because this hulky guy didn't seem the type to be offended by the "S" word!

The band worked seamlessly with Bruce through both sets, and I found myself watching Julie Wolf wondering what unusual instrument she would produce next. Much of it is on the new album, and she lends a wide range of keyboard effects, especially violins which of course are the real thing on the album. Julie's frequent backup vocals add a nice layer to Bruce's, but instrumentally she's a wonderful asset. Her organ, piano & mysterious moog-y stuff swirls around the melodies and carries you off. We liked seeing all the chimes & bells in the drum set and Gary Craig used them all without overdoing it; they add to the timeless feel of Bruces's new material. Years ago Bruce would just give the chimes a kick in the middle of a guitar solo... look how far we've come from those days.

As for Bruce, what fabulous guitar work, you just sit there and become mesmerized with masterpieces like The End Of All Rivers. His band's sets are tight, even the intentionally off-rhythm, atonal solos which he & Julie traded off in Slow Down Fast. The audience appreciated everything he had to offer. Bruce was pleasantly talkative with any political references kept to a minimum, letting the songs speak for themselves. Some folks were calling "BRUUUCE" and he noted that BRUUUCE sounds a lot like BOOOOZE... and he thought he might sit around after the show & holler "BOOOOZE" and see what it got him.

Even though I wished for a couple more oldies like Wondering Where The Lions Are to engage the audience (which he did on last year's Speechless tour) this entire concert reflected the sophisticated sounds of his Life Short Call Now album. I confess I held off buying the CD until the night of the concert and wasn't sure of the title of their last encore, so if anyone from Knoxville knows that last piece he played, correct me, willya? thanks...



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2006 Index


This page is part of The Cockburn Project, a unique website that exists to document the work of Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Bruce Cockburn. The Project archives self-commentary by Cockburn on his songs and music, and supplements this core part of the website with news, tour dates, and other current information.