US troubadour Chris Smither at Exeter Phoenix

US troubadour Chris Smither at Exeter Phoenix

By Martin Hodge

I sensed that many people who came along for the legendary Chris Smither had seen him before, followed his career or at least knew his music far better than I did.

I was not really sure what to expect but the evening turned out to be really special.

Throughout a highly memorable few hours at Chris Smither’s concert, I made several observations and discoveries about the man and his music and I would like to share them with you.

Chris sat with his guitar, which he did not put down at any point in his performance, and he played superbly and sang words well worth listening to.

He has an amazing rhythmic, propulsive style style of guitar playing and his feet provide superb percussion throughout.

He is largely known as a blues man and his debt to blues singers and guitarists was very evident though his influences evidently include others, country music artists for example.

He largely sings his own songs and, when he is not writing songs, appears to be planning his next song.

In his Exeter performance, he included a smattering of well chosen songs by other people including friends and well known artists he admires like Bob Dylan and J.J. Cale.

All the strands of Chris Smither’s performance weave into one, seemingly effortless flow.

He did not waste a word in his brief but informative introductions – and sometimes there was no introduction: it did not seem necessary.

Even his guitar tuning blended into the flow and I marvelled at how he kept on playing, long after my fingers would have been sore and tired, and produced such beautiful and well thought-out accompaniments to his songs.

Chris song’s gave strong insights into a full, varied life with its ups and downs, challenges and joys.

Chris seemed to revel in singing and playing to an audience, particularly one as attentive and appreciative audience as the one he had at Exeter Phoenix.

I will try to pick out some real gems from an amazing selection of songs played.

The ones I particularly remember are some that moved me just that little more than the others.

Forgive me if I cannot remember the names of all the titles.

One song was by a friend called Dave who died very young, a song that Chris said “I should have written” and which he sings as a testimony to a man who left the promise his compositions showed unfilled.

A song which Chris wrote in his twenties and which has proved highly popular with other singers, particularly female singers like Bonnie Raitt, is Love you like a man.

He told us he used to believe in what he was singing about in is this fine, lay-it-down-on-the-line song but nowadays singing it is a nostalgia trip.

He still gave a very fine performance though and it was fully appreciated by the Phoenix audience.

The singing of Origin of Species – “not an original title” – was prefaced with the revelation that 40% of Americans do not believe in evolution. Playing in Virginia, Chris found many of these folks present in his audience, one of whom, on saying to Chris, “You don’t really believe in evolution, do you? received the retort, “Oh no. It’s not something you believe in. Some of us just know about it!”

But one example of Chris’s witticisms and wry sense of humour.

Chris was brought up in New Orleans and his song “No Love Today” mixed his recollections of a fruit and vegetable seller singing about his wares with the melancholy blues theme and sensibility present in many of Chris’s songs.

The penultimate song was “Leave the light on”, full of Chris’s observations throughout a full and largely fulfilled life that is nearer its close than its beginning. Exquisite with a fine melody.

I would be surprised if anyone who saw Chris Smither at the Phoenix did not, like me, go home extremely contented, feeling that they had seen a fine troubadour, a true artist at work.

If he is back, I will make a beeline to the concert hall he plays in and encourage you to do so too.

Martin Hodge

Chris Smither performed at Exeter Phoenix on Thursday 1st March. A Blues SW presentation.