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Live review: Steve Martin at the Long Center
One thing is worth establishing when it comes to Steve Martin’s unlikely side gig as an acclaimed bluegrass musician: he doesn’t need to do any of this.
Martin, of course, has been one of comedy’s most bankable stars for decades and has a net worth estimated at north of $100 million — so unlike most musicians, he has no financial need to tour. For that matter, the opportunity cost of Martin going on tour when he could be bringing home multimillion dollar paydays for films is, one imagines, pretty substantial — a sacrifice alluded to by Martin during his between-song banter (“The next song has elements of sadness and melancholy, kind of like my agent’s face when I told him I wanted to do a banjo tour.”)
So it’s safe to say that when Martin puts out a Grammy-winning album of bluegrass tunes (“The Crow”), or goes on a national tour playing banjo, he does it for one reason only: love.
That was readily apparent Sunday night as Martin, backed by virtuosic North Carolina bluegrass quintet the Steep Canyon Rangers, moved effortlessly and joyously through a mixture of music and comedy — about 70 percent the former and 30 percent the latter. Across a series of both infectious, fun instrumentals (“Words Unspoken”) and equally enjoyable vocal tunes (the bouncing and kid-friendly “Late For School” and the celebratory “Jubilation Day”) Martin showed off his superlative banjo-playing chops. Decades of banjo infatuation have made Martin into a skilled, emotive player who’s a joy to watch and listen to, whether on an instrumental medley of songs done clawhammer-style or a bluegrass classic-to-be like “Daddy Played The Banjo.”
Skilled though Martin may be, though, it was the collective talents of the Steep Canyon Rangers that put the show over the top. Fiddle player Nicky Sanders stood out for his blistering solos, especially on an encore version of “Orange Blossom Special.” The band really got their chance to shine during three Martin-less songs mid-show, including a beautiful a cappella take on standard “I Can’t Sit Down” that received a standing ovation.
The comedy may not have been as intricate and impressive as the music, with between song banter that came across more goodhearted and silly than particularly clever — though Martin retrieving a beer from the upright bass was a highlight, as was the amusingly satirical comedy song “Atheists Don’t Have No Songs.” But the overall tone of the show was a nice mix of low-key humor and impressive musicianship. When the band busted out an encore, bluegrassified version of “King Tut,” one thing became clear: Steve Martin knows what the people want, and he appears quite happy to give it to them.
Set list — and just for giggles, some between-song quotes from Steve Martin — after the jump.
The Quotable Steve Martin
As you’d expect from a legendary funny man and certifiable American treasure, half the joy of last night’s Steve Martin show was the between-song banter. Martin knew the audience would expect a little comedy with their bluegrass, and was happy to oblige with a number of zingers. Below, I’ve excerpted some of the evening’s more enjoyable lines — they aren’t all exact quotes (it’s difficult to keep pace when you’re scribbling in a notebook in the dark) but the essence is there. This banter is probably recycled from city to city, so for those of you planning on attending one of Martin’s future dates on this current tour, you’ve received a spoiler warning.
-Upon first seeing the crowd: “Well, I wish I’d practiced.”
-On how he met the Steep Canyon Rangers: “The real story doesn’t go down very well in Hollywood, so I say we met in rehab.”
-On the audience: “Some of you I’m curiously attracted to. Some of you I’m strongly repelled by.”
-“Thank you all for coming. I know it’s kind of a strange thing to see. The only analogy I can make is if somebody said to you ‘Hey, Jerry Seinfeld is going to play songs he wrote on the bassoon!’”
-“People come to me all the time and say ‘Steve, why a musical career? Why now?’ And I say ‘Hey, you guys are my band!’”
-On keeping his set list on an iPad: “If you have a $500 set list, your show becomes too big to fail.”
-“Last year I took home the Grammy for best bluegrass album. Later on I found out I had won it.”
-“We already know the next album is going to be a big hit, because the week of its release I’m going to die of a Vicodin overdose.”
-“I’m doing two of my favorite things tonight: comedy and charging people for music.”
-“It’s a poor workman who blames his goddamn tools.”
-“I try to write songs based on personal experiences. The next one is called ‘I think my masseuse is too chatty.’”
Set list
Pitkin County Turnaround
Daddy Played The Banjo
The Crow
Late For School
Words Unspoken
Hoedown at Alice’s
Freddie’s Lilt
Turn Up The Bottle And Drink It Down (Steep Canyon Rangers only)
There Ain’t No Easy Street (Steep Canyon Rangers only)
I Can’t Sit Down (Steep Canyon Rangers only)
Atheists Don’t Have No Songs
Clawhammer medley
Hide Behind A Rock
Wally’s On The Run
Go Away, Stop, Turn Around, Come Back
Jubilation Day
Saga Of The Old West
Calico Train
Encore
Orange Blossom Special
King Tut
Second encore
Ignition
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By Blake
April 26, 2010 12:49 PM | Link to this
Typo in ‘graph #4… ‘Judgment Day’ should be ‘Jubilation Day’… no?
Otherwise, you captured the show nicely. One example of the relaxed atmosphere was Martin’s forgetting the lyrics to King Tut, so deciding to improvise silliness instead. I got the feeling that this show would not be much different had it been performed on Martin’s own back porch for a few close friends on a Sunday afternoon.
By Patrick Caldwell
April 26, 2010 1:15 PM | Link to this
Right you are, Blake � it’s been corrected.
By Ryan
April 28, 2010 10:58 AM | Link to this
There were 2 photogs snapping pictures during the first couple of songs. Any idea where they might end up published or where I could buy a pic?
By Tom Beiter
April 29, 2010 10:36 PM | Link to this
I saw the concert in St. Louis on the 23rd. Fantastic. And, the jokes were the same, but certainly enjoyable when only heard once! Their performance of Orange Blossom Special was amazing. Nicky Sanders’ shredded bow was a testament to that. My only disappointment was they did not perform Pretty Flowers. I guess the lack of female vocalist was the reason. I’m jealous, though, we didn’t get a second encore so no Ignition for us.