Among the inventors of the tribute album, UCLA
artist-in-residence Hal Willner knew what to expect from a live
equivalent.
“Before any goddamn critic says it ““Â yes, the
best thing is the original, which was last night “¦ AND WE
KNOW THAT! “¦ But this should be pretty cool,” Willner
wrote in the event’s program notes.
Though a bit modest, Willner’s comments as producer of
Saturday night’s Randy Newman tribute “Shock and Awe:
The Songs of Randy Newman” proved more or less prophetic.
Backed by both a rock band and a chamber ensemble, an eclectic
cast, including Rip Torn, Jimmy Fallon, Vic Chesnutt and Victoria
Williams, interpreted selections from Newman’s catalogue just
one night after Newman himself performed live.
The logistical challenge of gathering so many artists together
in one place certainly gave the show a loose and spontaneous feel,
somewhat befitting of Newman’s own whimsical style. The
audience was left in the dark as to which artist would be
performing which song next, and the artists were not even
introduced until the end of the show.
This unrehearsed atmosphere also resulted in some bumps in what
could have been smoother sailing. A few of the performers depended
heavily on the lyrics sheet, sometimes looking like students
struggling for eye contact during a class presentation. Rip Torn
drew laughter for the timely subject matter of “Political
Science,” then drew more when he forgot the words and began
ad-libbing.
Even so, the diversity of such a group resulted in its share of
high points that were more than just “pretty cool.”
Howard Tate delivered classic soul renditions of
“Louisiana 1927,” “Every Time It Rains” and
“I’ll Be Home” with a stunningly well-aged voice.
Wearing a pair of what he called “Randy Newman tribute
glasses,” Stan Ridgway injected some much appreciated fire
and energy into the proceedings with his performances of “Bad
News From Home,” “Rider In The Rain,” and
“Baltimore,” throwing in whoops and howls and, on one
occasion, furiously blowing into his harmonica. Jennifer Charles of
Elysian Fields added a smoky, seductive dimension to
“Let’s Burn Down the Cornfield,” “Lonely At
The Top,” and “Beat Me Baby.” And Gavin Friday
may have stolen the show with a lustfully gyrating “You Can
Leave Your Hat On.”
Over the course of 46 songs, however, a few of the slower and
less distinguished performances began to run together, adding
unnecessary dead weight to an otherwise inspired production that
was interesting at worst. Before the show, UCLA Live director David
Sefton warned, “Anyone bootlegging, I hope you have plenty of
tape with you.” In retrospect, he wasn’t kidding.
Despite some minor snags and a slightly bloated running time,
Willner’s debut event as artist-in-residence was a successful
and entertaining homage to one of America’s most beloved
singer-songwriters.
–Alfred Lee