I'm
not calling this a concert review because I was only there for two songs,
possibly three. A personal anecdote explaining that will occur at the end of
the post.
The
Homeless Gospel Choir is a one man band from Pittsburgh, consisting of Derek
Zanetti.
When
introducing himself he at one point referred to punk, with this being a place
where everyone was welcome. That is fair. In many ways the sound is more
reminiscent of folk. That is partially a result of having a singer accompanying
himself on guitar, but it is also there in the spirit of the music, which is
politically and socially aware. Also, he said "This is a protest
song," before each song ("With God On Our Side" and
"Musical Preference" if I recall correctly), which is not present in
all folk but there is a tradition there.
I
would say that the music is mellower than punk, but the tempo often gets quite
fast, and the emotions are actually pretty punk.
He
comes up with interesting rhythms. "Live News Feed" is pretty funky
and "Sometimes I Feel Like A Stranger" almost feels Hawaiian.
With
only the self-accompaniment, instruments never drown Zanetti out. This means
that the profanity is really noticeable. It stands out, and I don't think it
particularly underscores the songs either - it seems habitual more than
effective. So that's something to know going in if that is something that
bothers you. That being said, it does not allow for how completely likable he
is.
There
were pretty long lines to get in, which ended up not being an issue due to the
show starting a bit late. Before we knew that, I heard various fans expressing
concern about missing "Derek". He was not the headliner, but you
could hear that they felt connection and affection for him.
That
makes sense. He comes through completely in the songs, where you are not likely
to get lost so much in the music as becoming awake to the music, which is good
for the messages that he shares.
(And
that air of welcome and goodness makes The Homeless Gospel Choir a good touring
match with the Cellabration.)
I'm
glad for what I was able to hear, and was sorry not to see more, but the music
remains.
I
do believe that it is more powerful to see him live than merely listening, so
if you get an opportunity you should take it.
*Why
I missed the show.
I
have written earlier about my mother starting to have some memory issues. She
dropped me off at the train, which she has done many times, but then she didn't
make it home. I was starting to worry when I was in line, and becoming frantic
by the time I got in, especially because this was all my fault. I was in
contact with my sisters, and I pretty much knew that she would be located and
home before I could get there, especially since that would take over an hour on
public transportation.
Because
of that it made no sense for me to leave, and I knew that, but a wrong number
on my phone sent me over the edge, and I couldn't do it. She was in fact
located and home before I even got over the West Hills, but I was not at that
time capable of being logical. I could only have been a buzzkill for anyone
around me anyway. Fortunately, this is normal on Tri-Met.
The
irony is that having gone to Frank Iero shows twice, this is the second time I
have been an emotional wreck and had to leave early. I may need to quit seeing
him, but I really like him.
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