David Bromberg Quartet WOWS Tupelo WRJ

David Bromberg and his quartet are on the road promoting their new CD "Use Me". The crew rolled into White River Junction for a show at Tupelo Music Hall. (As one of the younger audience members, I was impressed by the turnout of the Upper Valley "experienced" music lovers.)

The follow up CD to the Grammy nominated "Try Me One More Time" was recorded in a unique manner, Bromberg recruited friends to write, produce and perform songs tailored to Bromberg's style of vocals and guitar.

From Bromberg's website: "Answering David’s call were well-known artists from the many genres comprising the amorphous “Americana” musical category. Representing contemporary rootsy singer-songwriters: John Hiatt, the first musician Bromberg approached, who penned the pensive “Ride On Out a Ways” for him; for New Orleans “fonk,” Dr. John; there’s three-guitar jam band interplay with Widespread Panic and jug band music with Levon Helm (the sprightly “Bring It With You When You Come,” produced by Grammy-winning Larry Campbell). Linda Ronstadt puts in a rare appearance on a soulful Brook Benton ballad, Los Lobos contribute a Mexican-flavored waltz, Vince Gill and Tim O’Brien take care of the country and bluegrass quotient, Keb’ Mo’ brings the blues, and the hitmaking Butcher Brothers, producers Phil and Joe Nicolo (Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Cypress Hill, Nine Inch Nails), provide the languid R&B groove for the title song, a cover of Bill Withers’ classic “Use Me.”"

Bromberg hit the stage a little after 9 pm and played until 11 pm. He opened the show with a Muscle Shoals Sound Studio song written by Carl Montgomery and Earl Green "Six Days on The Road" which ended with three of the four quartet playing fiddle. He chased that song with Memphis Slim's "If The Rabbit Had a Gun", a great blues tune that Bromberg ended by saying " Willie Nelson was right, Willie 'said there are two songs The Star Spangled Banner and Blues!"

He then told the crowd that he got a call from Obama. Bromberg asked the President how he (Bromberg) could help with the recovery; Bromberg said the President said "Bring a lot of shit to sell, CDs. DVDs, BVDs." Bromberg then added "If you love your country you'll buy as many as you possibly can!"

He spoke about the "Use Me" CD and how it came to be then played the song penned by John Hiatt "Ride on Out a Ways" (and told the crowd that some reviews are saying Hiatt shouldn't have let it get away--this reviewer has to agree!) 

Bromberg dug deep in his song list and closed with "Oh Sharon" with the Angel Band backing the quartet on vocals. 

The first encore was John Denver's  "Kissing You Goodbye" (which has been covered by such artists as Waylon Jennings, The Used, Jesse McCartney and The Pierces)

The Quartet closed the show by unplugging their instruments, leaving the stage and performing in front of the front row seats. They chose Bob Dylan's "Roll on John" and the sound and harmonies were amazing.

Angel Band opened. Their new CD is "Shoot the Moon" and to promote it they had three sling shots on stage imitating the CD cover artwork.

Their "shot" was rolled up glow-in-the-dark detailed underwear, one with gold writing. The recipient of the special gold undies (in the Willie Wonka Gold Ticket way...) won a copy of Angel Band's new CD.

In addition to Angel Band merchandise, Bromberg's wife Nancy Josephson also promotes the Haitian charity Art Creation Foundation for Children.

 Josephson brings on tour with her hand crafted paper mache birds, which are sold for $10, with all the money going back to Haiti to help educated the currently enrolled 84 children. Jospehson says she tries to visit Haiti at least three times are year to help out with various charities and humanitarian projects.

More performance images may be viewed at: Photos by Nanci SmugMug