Peter Mulvey / May 4th, 2008 / St. James Hall / Vancouver, Canada
When
you listen to singer/songwriter Peter Mulvey, tell his tales, while
accompanying himself on his acoustic guitar you do not really want to call him
a folk artist despite the fact that Rogue Folk was hosting his concert on May
4th. He is more of an easygoing folk rock artist, whose melodies
sometimes remind you of Jack Johnson. He is a master storyteller, who
possesses the gift of humor.
Dressed in blue jeans, and a brown shirt, with a matching cap, Mulvey performed a solo set at St. James Hall in Vancouver’s west end. He opened with a tune from his 2007 CD Notes From Elsewhere, and he immediately created a living room ambience. The evening felt more like two old friends swapping stories, than it felt like a concert.
Drawing from real life, he told the musical tale of “Dynamite Bill,” a real character that his father knew, with the emphasis on the word character. Now the “Dynamite Bill,” is the only factual information that finds its way into this story, the remainder of the song is a fictional account of a woman named January Medley who is a stranger in town. She is on the prowl, and spots “Dynamite Bill,” at the back of a room. While the song is humorous, that should not detract from the fact it has a great melodic line.
It is difficult to know where the real Peter Mulvey starts and where he stops, because whether he is singing or talking to his audience from the stage, the man tells a good yarn. He said his career started when he was part of a production for the musical Oklahoma—performed by the cast, while they were wearing roller skates. A native of Milwaukee Wisconsin, Mulvey studied theater at Marquette University, before heading to Dublin to perform as a street busker. When he returned to America, he performed on the streets and in the subway of Boston. If you are suddenly thinking you do not want your child to grow up to be a musician, you should hear Mulvey talk about the early part of his career, because he will have you in stitches.
“Mailman,” is a poignant song about a man who takes time to smell the roses so to speak. He notices the little things such as a child losing a tooth. Mulvey’s word pictures are so vivid that you lose yourself in their magic.
Mulvey is an outstanding acoustic guitar player who alternates between open chords and barre chords, and always excelling in his chord progressions.
As his set drew to a close, folk singer / songwriter and guitar virtuoso Patty Larkin joined him on stage for “Café Carpe.” The two artists formed a dynamic duet with Larkin note bending on her electric and Mulvey playing emotive licks on his acoustic guitar.
Notes From Elsewhere is Peter Mulvey’s thirteenth CD, since he debuted in 1997.
Reviewed by Joe Montague
All photos by Joe Montague-Protected by Copyright©
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Reviewed May 4th, 2008
Riveting Riffs wishes to thank Rogue Folk for making it possible for us to review this Gig
