Jackson Browne in Brooklyn

[TonyNYC]

With the weather holding off with just a slight mist now and then, Jackson and his band hit the Prospect Park stage at exactly 7:30 and went right into my favorite of his mid-period songs, I'm Alive, and although the sound wasn't quite right at the start with too much bass and a mushy blend, I'm a sucker for that song and enjoyed it anyway. The sound straightened out for the next one and he did Barricades Of Heaven just right and then he went into a solid I'll Do Anything.

Though I don't know the names of everybody in the band, it seemed to be the same one I've seen him with the last few times with Mark Goldenberg doing a lot of good work on the guitar (though yes, I still miss David Lindley) and featuring the keyboard guy Jeff Young and the two back up singers straight out of American Idol, all flash and bluster and no heart.

Jackson unstrapped his guitar and sat down to his keyboard-which is always a good sign because you have a good chance he's going deep into his catalogue-and we got a great Fountain Of Sorrow with the band handling the ebb and flow of that song perfectly. The rest of the first set was filled with newer material like Too Many Angels, Time The Conqueror, Naked Ride Home and Off Of Wonderland played really well and a beautiful Shape Of A Heart and he closed the set with an Eagles style Take It Easy with the woo whoos at the end instead of leading into the wonderful Our Lady Of The Well like it does on his For Everyman album.

At the break, a couple sat next to me and my friend and asked me what he had played and after giving the run down, he hoped he was saving the old songs for the second set. I said, I doubt it since he usually only played a handful from the good old days, but man was I wrong, happily so, as my friend kept going on and on how she couldn't believe how good Jackson looked.

He sat at the keyboard and sang a touching Jamaica Say You Will which I hadn't heard him do with a band since the 70s and I realized how much of a better singer he is now than back then. Next came a rousing Doctor My Eyes that turned into About My Imagination and those background singers stepped up and overwhelmed the song in a bad way-but everybody else seemed to love them. Next was one of the few well written political songs in the last 25 years, Lives in The Balance, which again featured the background singers who rendered the song less powerful than it is on record as they howled and moaned and shouted for attention instead of singing it simple and straight to let us focus on the words.

He did a few more from the new one, Going Down To Cuba and the one I like best, Just Say Yeah and then he brought out the masterpieces with the still sad and somehow hopeful, The Late Show, and its great closing image of the warm and windy day and the late (or is it early) model Chevrolet only to top that with the amazing surely top five death songs of all time, For A Dancer, that predictably and pathetically welled up my eyes. (Any NYers out there remember Pete Fornatale playing this when Belushi died after he had played an interview where Belushi said he always wanted to be a dancer?)

He closed with the usual one two punch of The Pretender (Still not my favorite song or my favorite arrangement) and a fun and rocking Running On Empty which I've never grown tired of and came back to do Little Steven's I Am A Patriot (and the river opens for the righteous) with a bridge of the Isley Bros It's Your Thing that had everybody standing and dancing along.

And then, there was one more surprise. He came back on stage, sat at the keyboard and did The Load Out and man, was I sick of this song back in the late 70s but after years of never playing it, I fell in love with it again as it built and exploded into Stay with the background singers finally fitting in perfectly and earning their pay.

Definitely the best Jackson show I've seen since The Pretender tour oh too many years ago.

[jamesbn]

Tony....

Thanks for the great review! Sounds like a great show. I've been really enjoying the Solo Acoustic CDs lately.......Jackson still has it!

[hzryb]

I was at the show last night, and you captured it perfectly... great review.

I, too, thought Jackson looked and sounded great. A nice mix from all periods of his career. The problem with any act who has been around for decades is choosing material... you are not going to please everyone.

I thought For A Dancer was the highlight, although, as mentioned in the review, there were many others. Lyrically, "Dancer" just tears you up. My son leaned over to me and said "he probably won't do "Song For Adam", will he?" I didn't think he'd do that one!

And the weather held off! Last night was a big outdoor show night in NYC, Sir Paul playing his last show at CitiField, Jackson in Brooklyn and Dave Matthews in Jones Beach. I guess the gods of music were cooperating!

[sunsetkidd]

As usual, a superb, articulate review, Tony. You really give a feel for what it was like. Glad it was such a great show.

[Dar]

great review

[TonyNYC]

Thanks...and that would have been something if he did Song For Adam.

[severalpieces]

only to top that with the amazing surely top five death songs of all time, For A Dancer, that predictably and pathetically welled up my eyes.

Jackson really knows how to write things that just can tear your guts out.
I love the guy, and have seen him perform many, many times over all the years. Love his music and listen to it often >>> But, man, under the wrong conditions, with a not so tightly wrapped person, his music, a bottle of Qualudes, a razor blade, a car in a garage and a bottle of cheap vodka could really waylay for a true 'night out' .
He's 'everyman's' black marauder. He's known some heartache in his life.

[TonyNYC]

From the little I know, it sounds like he's caused some heartache too.

[severalpieces]

From the little I know, it sounds like he's caused some heartache too.

You are right. He's got more than issues... he's got full subscriptions !!!
B.