Graham Parker at the Bevery Arts Center

We weren't really looking for this, but I came across a Friday Sun Times at work last Saturday Morning and it had a blurb about Graham Parker being at the Beverly Arts Center on Saturday night and that good tickets were still available. When I got home in the morning, we went on Ticketweb and found out they were right. We were able to get front row Balcony which put us about 20-25 feet from the stage with an unobstructed view in a very small (but comfy) theater (seats about 400 I think). We found later that Graham had played there before and likes the venue, good for us is all I can say. It was a one man show with Graham, one acoustic and one electric guitar, his amplifiers and a stompbox (effects controller). Much like John Hiatt he was able to keep the audience very entertained by himself. He did a mix of his music (and some from others) from the last 30 years). Note-able performances were "Black Honey", "Start a Fire", "Stop in the name of Love" and from his Christmas Album (Yes, the angry middle aged man has a Christmas CD) "Christmas is for Mugs", being a bunch of Americans he felt he had to explain that "Mugs" meant "suckers" in British context. He had quite a bit of patter with the crowd, even taking requests, but when the Mrs. and I called out for "Three Martini Lunch" during his encore, he laughed and said that it was much too late for Martini's today. He played for 90 minutes, and was in fine form. Graham informed the audience at the start of the show that he was recovering from a cold, but was enjoying the tone it was giving his voice, funny to us because Graham always sounds like he has a cold.
Great performer at a very pleasurable venue, it was a very nice weekend treat.