Robert Earl Keen

February 12, 2010 @ Joe's Bar

By Dave Miller

Zo

Robert Earl Keen is officially a singer-songwriter, and a darn good one at that, but on Friday night he was more like the host of a party. It was the first time I saw him and it didn't take long for a comparison to pop into my head. Keen is the Texas plains version of Jimmy Buffett, but only more interesting as a songwriter. While Buffett sings about Margaritaville, cheeseburgers and tiki bars, Keen tells tales about Corpus Christi, dusty trails, and roads that go on forever.

Rather than mug and clown like a jester in concert like his tropical counterpart, Keen is content to let the great storytelling in his songs set the scene. Emitting a vibe like he commemorated that Joe's Bar is on Weed Street, Keen never broke a sweat during his nearly two-hour show. He strummed his worn acoustic guitar and lyrics rolled off his tongue effortlessly, providing subtle proof of his master songwriting.

Keen let his fabulous band carry the musical load. Guitarist Rich Brotherton, pedal steel player Marty Muse, bassist Bill Whitbeck and drummer Tom Van Schaik stayed connected to the songs and each other, and exhibited just the right touch on each one. Every singer-songwriter should be supported so well. Keen went out of his way to show his respect for them, introducing his bandmates before the "Rollin' By" opener and again later as a group as well as also spotlighting them individually through the night.

The setlist contained songs from thoughout Keen's career and appeared roughly in chronological order. Four songs from his new album, The Rose Hotel, came late. He opened the first encore with Waylon Jennings' dig at Nashille, "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?" Next came a tribute to Levon Helm in "The Man Behind The Drums." A sign request prompted Keen to start the second encore with "Gringo Honeymoon." It ended with the celebrating of rolling joints in "Don't Bogart Me," a cover of a 1968 song by Fraternity of Man which appeared on the Easy Rider soundtrack. It's easy to imagine Buffett enjoying that one. As Keen sang on his signature song in the encore, the road goes on forever and the party never ends.

The setlist:

Rollin' By
Willie
Going' Down in Style
It's the Little Things
Five Pound Bass
Amarillo Highway
Corpus Christi Bay
Tom Ames' Prayer
Dreadful Selfish Crime
Down That Dusty Trail
New Life in Old Mexico
Walkin' Cane
Farm Fresh Onions
All I Have is Today
Mr. Wolf and Mama Bear
The Rose Hotel
Flyin' Shoes
Wireless in Heaven
Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?
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The Man Behind the Drums
The Road Goes on Forever
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Gringo Honeymoon
Don't Bogart Me

Start: 10:01 p.m./Finish: 11:51 p.m.
Totals: 23 songs, 1 hour and 50 minutes

Bobby Bare's opening set was a disaster thanks to the rudest crowd I can remember encountering at a concert. When Bare took the stage much of the crowd continued talking as if he wasn't there. His beat-up Gibson acoustic guitar and intimate vocals were no match for the many people who apparently go to Joe's only to drink with no thoughts of music in their small minds. The talkers' rudeness was exceeded only by their lack of self-awareness. Some were talking loudly within 10 feet of Bare. He knew he was in trouble early, apologizing to the crowd after the first song for interrupting their talking. "This doesn't happen at Schubas," Bare said. He gamely pressed on, but continued to be drowned out by the assholes.

"If my music is getting in the way of your conversation, I can sing quieter," Bare said in a dig that went over many people's empty heads. A later Todd Snider mention brought a few cheers of recognition. "I don't think Todd Snider would talk over my music," Bare responded. And so it went. "I'm so happy to be here tonight," Bare said at another point. "Yeah, right."

It would have been nice to hear the subtley in Bare's songs as he tapped a tambourine on the floor with his foot while playing his guitar as an accompanist softly blew a baritone saxophone. This was not going to be the night that happened. To top it off, a mysterious kick-drum sound harassed Bare for much of his set. It's little wonder that he ended his set early with five songs left on his setlist. I don't blame him.

Note to self: Don't go to Joe's Bar to listen to music.

 

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