Jackson Browne, Solo Acoustic, is a Pleasant Surprise

A baby boomer 1970’s American icon with over 17 million records sold, Jackson Browne needs no introduction to anybody over 40, as the sold out audience at the Arlington Theater last Friday night could attest.  But younger artists would be inspired at the grace of this performer decades into a fruitful career. 

When one thinks of Jackson Browne, the melodic vocals, introspective yet earnest lyrics and social consciousness first come to mind.  Indeed, he is one of the greatest of the classic singer-songwriters.  Still, the solo format added another dimension to his talent.  Lined on the stage were 17 (yep, counted twice) acoustic guitars and a keyboard piano.  The only other time I’ve see such an audacious display of instrumentation was when Neil Young had a dozen or so axes behind him at an obscure David Crosby sponsored Midland School fundraiser at Firestone’s Crossroads amphitheater a decade ago.  But, that wasn’t so surprising, as Neil Young’s chops are legendary.  And more on David Crosby a little later…

Carrying a show solo is extremely difficult; especially if one’s musical abilities are limited (Exhibit A: Kris Kristofferson…he needs a backup guitar player for his ‘solo’ shows). So, with no back up band and no David Lindley, what’s a Jackson Browne solo show sound like?  Perhaps underappreciated, it turns out Browne is a very good guitar player and a good enough piano player to produce enough orchestration, if you will, to carry his singing into different directions and not become, well, boring.

Still, kicking off the evening that fear remained, as he began with a beautiful if monotonous trio of mellow piano ballads, capped with the chestnut “Jamaica Say You Will.”  But it brightened considerably at that point as Browne turned the evening into a casual, engaging and conversational get together of friends, just hanging in the living room.

“I have lots of friends in Santa Barbara, this place is very special to me,” he noted while browsing his library of guitars.  This sparked groupie sentiment as females shouted, “We love you Jackson!”  Indeed, Browne is considered a native son, along the lines of Santana and long before the newest member, Jack Johnson first arrived at UCSB.  In fact, he has lived here at times.

He also noted “this show doesn’t have a set list.”  A solo show with no set list can be fun when there’s a deep bond between artist and audience, as it was Friday.  Audience participation continued under this warm embrace all night, with many requests for obscure songs. As he mused amongst his guitars, it became clear that his next song choice was based upon which guitar he wanted to play, and accordingly that guitar plays certain songs.  He talked about his signature guitar made of English walnut by Gibson, and with a McAlister he played “These Days.”

Browne’s music conjures up that post ‘60s awakening of freedoms in America, yet there’s also a timelessness – a world that is eternally introspective, sometimes depressing and yearningly hopeful.  It’s a beautiful sequence and with his melodic vocals the show itself felt lighter than time, as when he broke into “For A Dancer”:

Keep a fire burning in your eye
Pay attention to the open sky
You never know what will be coming down

What is captivating about Browne is just how timeless he’s personally remained over the years.  Not timeless like Springsteen, whose music continues to evolve and captivate and remain current, but literally, Jackson Browne himself seems timeless.  Fifteen rows from the stage, he looks and sounds like he always has.  It’s a bit unnerving to the rest of us, but when the boyish Browne walked out and began to sing, it could have been 1977.  Now a bit closer to the stage and you’ll see that while he’s not 30 anymore, he really does carry it well…. and the ladies hooting and grooving were testament.

Oh, and the signature hair cut helps.  (Exhibit B:  Balding James Taylor, 62, looks nothing like he did in ’72).

It’s well documented that Browne’s music in recent decades has become more varied both musically and lyrically.  He’s written about the imperialist tendencies of the nation with a bit of melodrama, as in this snippet:  American exceptionalism so out of touch/We’re not gonna make it much longer. Some say it’s boorish preaching that has hurt record sales, if not concert attendance.

Yet, on this night, he mostly let his music do the talking.  With current Mideast events unfolding at breathtaking speed, 1986’s “Lives In The Balance” no longer taps into the outrage at Reagan’s Central American politics, but transformed to the present with ease:

On the radio talk shows and the TV
You hear one thing again and again
How the USA stands for freedom
And we come to the aid of a friend
But who are the ones that we call our friends –
These governments killing their own?
Or the people who finally can’t take any more
And they pick up a gun or a brick or a stone

Perhaps a bit preachy, he talked about a visit to the Galapagos Islands and the plight of the ocean “being on its last legs” and the evils of plastic bags.  (This is, ahem, a “plastic free” tour).  But, agree with him or not, its relevant and thought provoking social commentary.

There’s always been a lighter side to Jackson Browne, but its hard to deliver in a solo show.  There’s not Lindley’s slide guitar working its sly and wry magic on “Redneck Friend” or “Running On Empty.”  Still, it was most unexpected hearing Browne’s unironic voice belting out the King of Irony, Warren Zevon’s “Life’ll Kill Ya.”  It was a good moment.

Then there was the unexpected moment that topped all.

With David Crosby, another Santa Barbaran, sitting in the 5^th row, Browne couldn’t help but to invite him up.  Often, such seeming spontaneity isn’t spontaneous at all.  To the contrary, Crosby, who graciously shuffled on stage in rain parka and very casual dress, did not expect this.  The casual, friendly atmosphere turned reality TV as Browne gushed that Crosby was one of his greatest mentors; Crosby, meanwhile went guitar shopping and fumbled for the right tuning to his style.  Taking over 10 minutes, it was such an unrehearsed moment that when Crosby finally broke into “Carry Me” he needed audience help to recall the lyrics.  And that was okay.

Crosby’s voice is simply stunning, and encouraged by Browne and the audience he played "Guinevere” flawlessly, lifting the bar for the entire evening, more so for Browne than anyone.  You could feel the energy that carried into his performances for the rest of the night.

Mostly it was a night of his most famous 70’s and 80’s period, and the songs timelessly flowed: “Doctor My Eyes,” “In The Shape Of A Heart,” “Rock Me On The Water,” “Late For The Sky,” and of course “The Pretender,” a seminal song to any Jackson Browne fan. While he didn’t sing my favorite “Your Bright Baby Blues” he more than made up for it with the closing.

When an artist has a signature piece, it can be hard to shake the expectation to deliver during the encore.  Browne might stand atop that hill, with “The Load Out/Stay” being perhaps the quintessential concert-closing combo of all time.  When he got behind the piano the anticipated predictability would was actually welcoming, but first he heard a call from the crowd and once again a change of course.

“You know, ‘Rosie’ is usually requested by a guy,” laughed Browne (for those who know the song well, you know what he’s talking about) before giving us a bittersweet perspective of being on the road thru the eyes of a rock n’ roll drummer.

Now the moment was set for “The Load Out” and alas, he broke into an inspiring and, in hindsight, more appropriate cap to the night with “Before the Deluge,” beckoning us all to:

Now let the music keep our spirits high
Let the buildings keep our children dry
Let creation reveal its secrets by and by
When the light that’s lost within us reaches the sky

Indeed.