Posts Tagged ‘Club soda’

Shawn Phillips: A folk-rock legend rises again

For those who never heard of Texas-born guitarist and singer Shawn Phillips, and have ever listened to folkloric songs and early rock-and-roll, you have missed one of rock-and-roll’s greatest secrets, at least according to the late Bill Graham.

Born in 1943, Phillips never achieved tremendous success, even with four albums having made the Billboard top 100. Apart from his long-time fans, few know that he is still active as a musician, writing and touring. His last album containing new material, No Category, was released in 2002, and his first live album was released in 2007.

The ballads he composed are frozen in time by his incredible voice and his mellow guitar playing. Titles such as She Was Waiting For Her Mother At the Station in Torino and You know I Love You Baby But It’s Getting Too Heavy To Laugh (The title of this song was actually forgotten by many and was dubbed Woman afterwards), The Ballad of Casey Deiss, and the pieces that are closer to rock’n'roll like Moonshine or Looking Up

Shawn Phillips never really stopped writing and playing, and he still tours frequently. However, we only rarely hear of his performances. He has announced quite a few dates in Quebec and the Montreal area for summer 2009, so you might want to check his tour dates.

You can check out Shawn Phillips’ official web page here.

As for me, I will dutifully attend his show at the Soda with my father, which made me discover this incredible artist.

EDIT 2: I have been told by Arno Hennings, Shawn’s manager, that the show at Club Soda will NOT happen. You will, however, be able to see him play at L’Étoile Dix-30.

Club Soda management told me today that the event was postponed – I will post the date of the show as soon as I have it.